The Curse: The Butterfly Effect, Book 2.

by Margaret McHeyzer

  I’ll forever be forced to prove my ability by skeptics and believers alike. Some will say I’m lying, other’s will say I’m Satan’s spawn for being able to see the future. Regardless of what happens to the people who did this to me, I will forever be an outcast.

  “The same as you. But no one we’ve encountered so far is quite like you.”

  I narrow my eyes at him, intrigued with his statement. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re the strongest one we know of. The others aren’t anywhere near able to do what you can. Their powers vary, but you, you’re the holy grail in all of this.”

  “I am?” I look to Jude, then turn to see Frank’s reaction, who’s smiling.

  I don’t feel like smiling, I feel like hiding away forever.

  “You are, and to them, you’d be their highest earner. But, because of Jude and Ronan, their plan is now foiled. They’ll go to jail for a long time, murder being high up on the list of charges we’re filing against them.”

  The room falls silent. My throat is parched, and my mind is filled with worry.

  I’m stressing over what’s going to happen to me once the media gets hold of this. My life will become a freak show. It’s bad enough that I’ve lost my parents, and I’m infected with something for which I have no idea if there’s a cure.

  There really is only one thing I can do to make sure my life is as sane as it possibly can be.

  Turning, I look to Jude who appears lost in his own thoughts. I wonder if he’s thinking the same thing I am?

  “Emmett,” I say as I straighten my shoulders.

  “What is it, Alexa?”

  “I have a proposition for you. Something, I doubt you’ll be able to refuse.” Jude quickly places his hand on my thigh and squeezes. I look to him and notice his questioning gaze. He has no idea of what I’m about to offer, but this isn’t about him. It’s about me being able to live with myself.

  Emmett’s lips draw up in a smile. “I’m listening . . .”

  “I didn’t think this was ever going to happen again,” Dallas says as she picks at her lunch.

  “Trust me, neither did I. It’s only because of Jude’s and Ronan’s ability to think on the spot that saved me. And this is why we can sit out on the deck of this beautiful restaurant and eat lunch without the fear of anything happening.”

  “I have to thank you, Jude. You brought my best friend back,” Dallas says as she holds her hand over her heart.

  He smiles at her, and nods his head. “She’s worth it.”

  I feel my body tingle with excitement as I grab his hand and link our fingers together.

  “So . . . why did all this happen?” Dallas asks.

  Both Jude and I blow out a deep breath. What a loaded question. “Well . . .” I start and look to Jude. “Basically, a doctor was trying to create a drug to suppress the memories of trauma patients. But, he ended up creating a drug that allowed people like me to be able to see snippets of the future or the past.”

  Dallas stares at me, her fork in midair, her mouth gaping open. She’s totally invested. “And what was . . . I . . . what . . . man, I’m stumped. I don’t even know what to ask.”

  I chuckle, and tell her what I can. “The intention was innocent to start, but when he figured out we could make him a lot of money, then it all became much more sinister. He was training the ones with the strongest power so he could hire us out to whomever had the most cash.”

  Dallas looks down at her plate, then back up at me. She’s got a million questions to ask, but her blank expression says everything she can say. “But . . .”

  “Money,” I answer her unasked question.

  “Ohh,” she sighs.

  “Problem is, his people lost track of me, and I caught the eye of people like Enzo.” She visibly shudders, remembering our time together in the house of hell.

  “You could’ve been hired out to anyone. Like terrorists, or . . .” she says, shocked by her own thought.

  “That’s exactly what would’ve happened. But, because of Jude and Ronan, it didn’t get to that.”

  “How?” she asks.

  “When we found Nick, we were suspicious,” Jude answers. “Ronan is capable of a lot of things, and he found a paper trail of Nick’s financials, and discovered Nick was working for them. He was a spotter. He’d move around to where they thought the rogues were, and he’d find them, gain their trust, and lure them in. If their ability was minimal, they’d kill them, because they couldn’t risk being found out.”

  Dallas looks at Jude, then me, back to Jude and back to me. “And your ability?”

  “Was one they wanted.”

  “Did you get rid of it?” Dallas asks. “Did they have a drug to reverse it, or did they operate to remove it?” She leans forward, captivated. Her lunch now forgotten.

  “We tried, but it’s integrated into my DNA. It molded itself around my chromosomes, making it impossible to get rid of without killing me.”

  “But, what happens if you ever want kids?” Dallas asks.

  “Hey, no talk of that yet. I’m only eighteen, Dallas.”

  “Yeah, you might not want them now, but what if you do in the future? What’ll happen?”

  I shrug my shoulders, “I don’t know. But if it’s in my DNA, there’s a chance I’ll pass it down to my kids. And I’m not sure I want to do that.” Jude reassuringly squeezes my hand. It’s something we’ve talked about, but being eighteen leaves us time to consider the options carefully.

  “Wow, this is a lot to take in.”

  “Tell me about it.” I chuckle and look down at my water, just staring at it.

  “If you can’t get rid of it, how are you coping?”

  Ronan approaches the table and hands me his phone. “Alexa, you have a call.”

  “Excuse me,” I say to Dallas and lift the phone to my ear. “Hello, this is Alexa.”

  “There’ll be a jet waiting for you in half an hour. Ronan told me about your lunch, and I’m sorry, but we need you.”

  “Okay,” I reply. I end the call and hand the phone back to Ronan. “I’m sorry, Dallas, but we have to go.”

  “Work?” Jude asks. I nod my head. Jude calls over the waiter and asks for our check.

  “Work? Where are you working?” Dallas asks. “I feel like I don’t even know you, Alexa. So much is happening with you. All I’m doing is going to college, boring.”

  We both stand, and head out while Jude pays for our lunch. “So much has happened, but when I get back, I promise I’ll fill you in with everything. I know today’s been interrupted, and I’m so sorry, but we have to go.”

  “Promise me, the moment you can, call me or come see me. Promise,” Dallas begs.

  “I promise.” She hugs me and I sneak in a quick vision. She’s driving down the interstate staring out the window, not concentrating on the road. Suddenly, a deer runs out in front of her, and she slams on the brakes, but it’s too late. She collides with the deer. I break contact with Dallas, and pull away from her. Turning to Ronan, I call him over.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  “Can you drive her back to the dorm? She’s going to hit a deer on the interstate and have a car accident. Can you get her there?”

  “I can,” he smiles at me.

  Jude joins us, having paid our bill. Ronan throws him the keys to our car. “Why am I driving?” he asks Ronan.

  “Alexa asked me to drive Dallas home.”

  “I can drive myself,” Dallas interjects. “Now that I know I’ll have an accident, I’ll be more careful.”

  I look to Jude, and say, “She’s going to be distracted by everything we’ve told her, I asked Ronan to take her home.”

  Jude turns to Ronan. “Call Frank and have him come pick you up.” Ronan’s already on the phone as Jude gives him his instructions.

  “I can drive myself,” Dallas tries to protest again.

  “I know, but I need you to trust me.” I give her another hug. “Love you, Dallas. Promise not to give R
onan too much of a hard time, he’s a good guy.”

  “I heard that,” Ronan says.

  “Okay, give him a hard time.” I kiss Dallas on the cheek, and she hugs me tightly.

  “I will.” She sniggers. “Promise me, you’ll call.” She points at me as she walks backward to her car.

  “Promise.” I cross my heart.

  Ronan opens the passenger door, and waits until Dallas is in, before he makes his way over to the driver’s side.

  When we’re both in the car, Jude starts toward the hangar. “You okay? You didn’t get a lot of time with Dallas and I know how much you were looking forward to seeing her.”

  “After this one, I need some time off. I need to regroup and get my head together.”

  “We can go for a vacation, anywhere you want.”

  I lean my head back against the headrest and look out the window. “Problem is, anywhere we go, they’ll always want me. I just need some time. Can we go to an island somewhere? Just us? No phones?” I’m hopeful, but I know what I’m asking is impossible.

  “I’ll arrange it.” The silence in the car gives me a few moments to think. Closing my eyes, I center myself. I need to get into the right headspace.

  But I can feel the turmoil coming from Jude. Placing my hand on his lap, I force myself into a vision. He’s in his office, and Ronan is sitting opposite him. Both look concerned. “I’ll always protect her,” Ronan says.

  “I know, but I hate that I told you to beat her. It kills me every time I look into her eyes. Knowing what we had to put her through.” He’s feeling guilty for the way Ronan treated me, just before the FBI arrested everyone at the Facility.

  It’s all I need to see to know this is a common theme with him and Ronan. They hated having to put me through that, but it had to be done. I take myself out of the vision, and come back to the present. “It’s okay, I know why he did it. There’s no need to feel guilty, Jude. He did what he had to in order for them to trust him. I don’t hold it against either of you.”

  “I told him to put on a show for them.”

  “If he didn’t, he would’ve been dead, and I’d be hired out to everyone on the black-market. I get it, and I appreciate everything you’ve both done for me.”

  “Can you get out of my head now?” He smirks as he says that.

  “Maybe,” I tease.

  When we get to the hangar, the jet is already waiting for us.

  Jude and I approach the stairs, where the first thing I see is Kimberley’s flaming red hair. “Hello, Kimberley,” I say to our regular flight attendant.

  “Miss Murphy, Mr. Caley, welcome aboard.” She smiles and directs us up the stairs.

  We get into the plane, and Kimberley enters. “How far?” I ask.

  “Short flight today, ma’am. We’ll be there in under forty minutes.”

  We buckle up, and before we know it, we’re in the air. I need to be in the right frame of mind before I get to work. Concentrating now makes my job much easier when I get to it. I can focus better, and get into the subject’s head with more accuracy and precision.

  “Lexi.” Jude brings me out of my intense concentration.

  “What is it?” I turn to face him.

  “You remember the nurse?”

  “Hayley?” He nods his head. “Yeah, I do. How can I forget? Her murder was the first vision I saw.” Her death still haunts me, and images of the guy with the scar still wake me at night sometimes.

  “He’s no longer a threat.” I know it’s wrong of me, but instant relief washes over me. I’m torn at my reaction. The police never found him, and declared the case cold a few months after her death. Jude stepped in and dealt with him in his own way, and even though I hate that he did, I’m also grateful to get scum like Hayley’s murderer off our streets.

  “Thank you,” I say. Jude turns to look out the window, and I close my eyes, somewhat relieved to know I’ll be able to sleep better at nights.

  “We’re here.” Jude squeezes my thigh, bringing me back to reality.

  “Thanks.” I smile at him.

  The jet comes to a stop, and Kimberley opens the door. “We’ll be here when you return,” she says offering us a kind and genuine smile.

  “Thank you,” Jude says as we head over to the town car waiting for us.

  “Miss Murphy, Mr. Caley.” The driver nods as he waits for us to slide into the back.

  The ride is quick and I don’t get to see too much of the scenery. I can’t, I need to concentrate. The driver pulls the car up to an underground parking lot, and when we leave the car, we head to the elevator.

  Jude and I have been here before, so we know where we’re going. The elevator door opens, and I press the button for the nineteenth floor. The doors open, and there’s a woman waiting for us by the door. “Alexa, I’m Sara, how was your flight?”

  “Good, thanks. Where am I going?” I can’t waste time on pleasantries, I need to stay focused so I can get the clearest picture possible.

  “I’ll take you to him.” She leads me down a hall, and brings me to a room with a huge two-way mirror. She knocks once on the glass, and Emmett looks up.

  He stands and comes to the door. Opening it, he leaves the room and catches me leaning on the wall opposite. “I’m glad you made it.”

  I walk over to Emmett and give him a hug. He’s become such an integral part of my life since he rescued me. “So, what do we have?” I ask looking at the man sitting in the interrogation room. “Oh, I recognize him. He’s a politician.”

  “He is, and he says he didn’t kill his wife.”

  “Do you think he did?” I ask looking to Emmett.

  “Alexa, truthfully in all my years of experience, everything tells me no. But, I never go against my gut, and my gut says yes.”

  I shake my head at him. “I suppose being an assistant director has its perks.”

  “The biggest perk is you. I’ve never had more job satisfaction than when we started working together. Now, can you help?”

  Jude scoffs from behind me, and we both look over at him. “Can she help? Seriously? She’ll solve your case in two minutes’ flat.”

  “I think she’ll solve it in one minute,” Emmett arrogantly replies.

  “Thirty seconds,” I add.

  “I’ll take that bet,” Jude says. I turn and give him a death stare. “Actually, no, I won’t,” he quickly retracts his words.

  “Do you want me to arrest him, Alexa? I’ll be happy to stick some cuffs on him and throw his ass in jail.”

  Looking at Jude, I wink at him. “Maybe next time.” Emmett and Jude have an understanding. Jude’s not above the law. And if Emmett needs to, he’ll go after him. So far, Jude hasn’t given him a reason. Taking a deep breath, I look to the man sitting in the room on the other side of the mirror. “What’s the time frame?” I ask, turning to face Emmett.

  “He called 911 four hours ago, but I think we’re looking about five hours to when the murder took place.”

  “Okay.” I shrug out of my jacket, and hand it to Jude.

  “You ready?” Emmett asks. I give him a nod. He opens the door, and we head into the interrogation room. “Senator Wagner, I’d like to introduce you to a colleague of mine. This is Alexa.”

  The aging senator stands, and offers me his hand. His eyes roam my body, and instantly I get a dislike for him. He’s sleazy, and disgusting. My stomach knots as my hands become clammy.

  I reach for his hand, and the moment I touch it, I force my way into his visions. Standing in the present, I rewind his actions. Everything he’s done for the last few hours. It’s like I’m watching a movie in reverse. He walks backward, talks backward, does everything, backward.

  I get to where he makes the 911 phone call, and rewind the vision further.

  Stopping the vision at what I need to see, I watch as it unfolds in front of me.

  She’s in the kitchen, stacking the dishwasher and crying. Her tears fall from her cheeks, as she sobs. She stops stacking the dishwasher
and looks over to the counter, where there’s a photo of the senator with another woman. A woman who’d be at least thirty years his junior. They’re in a compromising position. His wife’s cries tear at me. She’s heartbroken by the explicit image and her husband’s betrayal.

  I can feel the hurt in her heart, and how much shame it’s bringing to her. The door closes, and his wife wipes at her cheeks with the back of her hand.

  “I’m home; get me a drink,” he barks at her.

  She leaves the dishwasher, walks over to the bar, and pours him a drink. He’s sitting at the head of the dining table, reading over something on his tablet. “Here you go,” she places the drink down on a coaster on the rich mahogany table.

  He blindly grabs for it, but instead he knocks it over. “Clean it up,” he roars toward her. He looks up and sees her crying, he rolls his eyes and grumbles loudly. What an asshole. “Why are you crying?”

  “Nothing,” she automatically responds.

  “I said, why are you crying?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  He stands and walks over to the kitchen, he notices the photo lying on the counter. “Where did you get this?” he asks.

  She shrugs her shoulders slowly. “I don’t know. It was delivered to me today.”

  “Have you been spying on me?” He storms over toward her and grabs her arms. She briskly shakes her head. “You lying bitch.” He hits her across the face.

  She grasps at her face and yelps out in pain. The sting echoes through to me.

  “I promise, I haven’t been spying.”

  He grabs her again, this time throwing her against the sofa. He charges after her, kneels over her body and wraps his hands around her throat. “You stupid bitch!” he yells in her face.

  His hands tighten around her neck, I struggle to breathe, feeling everything she’s feeling. His grip tightens. His eyes are filled with fury, his body shaking with rage.

  “Please,” she struggles to plead.

  He tightens his grip.

  “Can’t . . . breathe,” she begs for her life. “I . . .” Her eyes roll to the back of her head, and her body goes limp beneath his.