All too soon, my alarm buzzed. I slammed the thing and it shut up. Lifting bleary eyes, I looked over at Jill’s bed. It was empty. She wasn’t at her computer, or anywhere in the room. I dragged myself from bed and threw some jeans on, a navy top, and a wine red jacket, a throw-off my sister hadn’t wanted anymore. With sneakers on my feet, and a few licks with my hairbrush, I headed out of our suite in search of breakfast.
I stopped in the hall, a little thrill of alarm shooting through me. Fenn stood there waiting, hands in his pockets, a look of fierce interest on his face. “Hungry?”
I nodded, pinned in place by his amber stare. His attention felt liker a gravitational force, reeling me in.
He started ahead, assuming I’d follow. “C’mon, I’ll take you to the cafeteria.”
Trailing along, I couldn’t help noticing he filled out his tight jeans remarkably well. Maybe Fenn needed the right gal to smooth down his rough edges.
He led me to the elevator, pressed the call button, and slouched to the side to wait. “First floor,” he said. “We’re between cooks right now so things have been catered in from town. I have to warn you.” He smiled, showing teeth a wolf would have been proud of. “Food’s barely eatable. If Griffin doesn’t do something soon, I’m going off the reservation.”
“You’re Native American?” I asked.
“Parts of me. Just don’t ask which parts.”
The elevator door opened. Ryan and Elita stood inside. She looked at me like I‘d just been scraped off her shoe.
I took a step forward to get on.
A smile of petty malice in place, Elita thrust her hand out to block my way. “Sorry, this car is full.”
Before I could say anything, Fenn stepped into view, pressing close behind me. The heat of his stare grazed the side of my face, boring into Elita. He said, “Move the arm, or lose it.”
FIVE
The elevator door tried closing on me. I caught it, all-the-while intensely conscious of Fenn pressing close behind me. The door retracted. In front of us, Elita trembled slightly, pulling her extended arm back in to form a defensive posture, hands curling into fists. Hiding behind her, Ryan paled, still as a rabbit waiting for a hawk to pass.
“I’m not afraid of you,” Elita said.
Fenn huffed in quiet disbelief, tickling my right ear with his warm breath. “Of course you are. I can smell your fear.”
The door tried closing again. I stopped it. Turning my head, I spoke over my shoulder. “Fenn, do you have a cell phone on you?”
After a pause he answered, “No. Why?”
“That’s good. Back up a moment, please.”
Another pause. “Okay.” He retreated, probably against his better instincts.
I smiled at Elita and Ryan. “I’m the one you should really worry about.” I swung my hand inside, touched the control panel, and twisted the local electromagnetic field as though it was silly putty, but I didn’t cross over into the ghost realm. Instead, I took a step backwards as the doors closed.
“What did you do?” Fenn asked.
I held up a finger. “Wait for it.”
After a moment, Elita banged on the inside of the doors, her shrill voice mixing curses with cries for help.
“Let’s take the stairs,” I said. “Elevator appears to be broken.” There was another elevator we could have used, but the damage I’d done might spread, and I didn’t want to chance it. Maintenance would be along, soon as Elita or Ryan remembered to use the elevator’s emergency phone. If it still worked.
That soft huff of his came again. I now recognized it as Fenn’s laugh. He said, “I didn’t know you could do that. Handy little power. If I had a cell phone on me, what would have happened?”
I turned to him, my most innocent expression in place. “Why, I have no idea what you mean.”
“Right.” A tight smile quirked his lips. “The stairs are this way.” He padded on and I followed. We reached the door to the stairs and he opened it for me. We headed down at a light jog, taking turn after turn. I took the opportunity to probe a little, “Fenn?”
He stopped and turned.
I blundered into him and he caught me, his eyes shifting, amber to gold. My palms pressed against his chest. I found myself holding my breath and let it seep out. His nostrils flared as he drew my scent.
“Sorry,” I said.
“I’m not.”
I felt my face heating and pushed back a little. His arms resisted, but only a moment, then he let me go.
“Fenn, there are some bad people who tried to grab me yesterday. They might try again.”
The slightly amused expression on his face vanished, a mask pulled away to reveal predatory intentness. “Are you asking for my protection?”
There were nuances to his words that got past me, like deep currents hidden beneath a pond’s still surface. I sidestepped the question. “I’m asking for your help. I think Elita is tied in with the guys that want me. Will you help me keep an eye on her, and find out who she’s talking to?”
“Might be dangerous so…”
“So?”
He smiled. “So I’ll do it, but you’ll owe me one.”
I nodded. I’d assumed that all along.
We continued down the stairs until a heavy door let us into the lobby. Fenn led me past the restroom, the elevators, toward the receptionist who’d come on-duty, a professional woman in burgundy blazer and slacks, wearing a white blouse. She used Attar of Rose, and piled her hair in a French chignon. A lap top lay open in front of her and she wore a wireless headset. She touched the screen to end a call and take another, smiling as we passed.
Fenn nodded in return.
I smiled reflexively.
Then we were through double doors, in a modest cafeteria. Another hall lay beyond it, where I imagined Ms. Griffin had her office.
Fenn stopped dead, making me circle him. “I’ll leave you here,” he said.
“Okay, thanks.”
I saw Jill and Drew at a table with Gary. Other tables were occupied by teenagers and older people I took to be corporate employees of one kind or another. Heading over, I was ignored except for Drew who waved mightily.
Jill looked up as I arrived. “I wondered if you’d make it.”
“What’s the routine here?” I asked.
Drew pointed at a stack of trays, plates, silverware, glasses, and cups. “Start there, move along the counter, and the kitchen worker will give you what you ask for. Just like high school.”
“Am I supposed to pay somebody?”
Jill shook her head. “The employees do. Not us.”
“Okay, back in a minute.” I crossed the room and got a tray with all the accessories. Actually facing the morning fare, my determination wavered. The grits looked like setting concrete, steaming in a square pan beside rubbery scrambled eggs. Thin strips of bacon clung to a mesh of solidifying grease. There were homemade biscuits that resembled lumpy rocks. In self-defense, I went with a mixed fruit cup, cereal, a carton of milk, and juice.
I moved back to the table, and noticed Hammer on an intercept course. I put my stuff down and turned to face the security chief. I smiled brightly. “Good morning. Isn’t it a wonderful day?”
He stopped six inches away, making me crane my neck to look him in the eye. I couldn’t help smelling his Old Spice, and the fact that he used raspberry-scented shaving cream. His face could have been flint for all the expression he allowed himself. His eyes alone conveyed emotion—irritation. “Not if you’re trapped like a rat in an elevator.”
“Oh,” I said. “Someone’s stuck?”
“We saw you on the camera. We know you were there. Strange, that you didn’t report the incident. Don’t like Elita and Ryan much, do you?”
“If you saw me there, you saw them refuse to let me on, and you saw me walk away instead of letting Fenn get violent.”
Jill interrupted, “You were hanging with Fenn?”
“When I’m around?” Gary added. “No accounting fo
r taste, I guess.”
Hammer shot them an annoyed glower, then turned his stare back to me. He lifted a massive hand and pointed at my face.
I resisted the urge to bite his finger.
He said, “You reached into the car and touched the control panel. It went haywire after that.”
“Yeah, I thought I’d press some extra buttons so they’d have to take the scenic route. I can’t believe that actually broke the elevator. Does it get regular maintenance?”
He ignored my question. “When we get Elita out, I’m going to debrief her. If I find you did something more than you’re saying…” He lowered his finger and marched off to a cadence he alone could hear.
I sucked a deep breath and let it go, sinking into my chair.
“Tell me about Fenn,” Drew leaned toward me from across the table.
“Never mind him,” Jill turned beside me to catch my eyes, “The elevator … you crashed it, didn’t you?”
Gary stood, holding his tray. “There are some things I really don’t want to know. Later girls.” He sauntered off.
I turned back to Jill, the human lie detector. I could keep silent or fess up. I fessed up. “Yeah, she pissed me off, so I served up a little street justice.”
Jill lowered her voice, “You can disrupt electronics with a touch? What did you do, put out a low grade EM pulse?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Sometimes, when I get mad…”
Jill nodded. “Thank you for telling me. I will of course have to take protective measures.”
Protective measures? I was about to ask what she meant when Ms. Griffin swept in, bearing down on me. Uh-oh, time for the second barrel.
Dressed in a chic, pastel-pink business suit with lavender blue silk blouse and scarf, feet sheathed in expensive heels, she stopped beside me. “Grace, I wonder if you and I can have a private chat.”
Jill said, “If you’re taking administrative action against her, she has the right to be represented by counsel. That would be me.”
“And me,” Drew chimed in.
“Nothing to be concerned over.” Ms. Griffin smiled with delight. “I’m always happy to find an investment is far more valuable than I’d originally known. I want to arrange a series of tests to explore the limits of what you can do.”
Hmmmmm. Time for a little horse trading, as my dad likes to say. I assumed a pensive tone of voice, “Wants are funny things. We all have them.”
Ms. Griffin studied my face. “There’s something in particular you want?”
Jill and Drew leaned back to silently view the haggling.
I put on an earnest expression. “Well, after such a close call last night, isn’t it natural I’d be a little insecure about my safety?”
“Perhaps so,” Ms. Griffin said, “but you have to know we are perfectly capable of protecting you.”
I waved off her words. “Oh, I know that intellectually, but deep down inside, there’s a frightened child that isn’t reassured.”
Ms. Griffin cocked her head. “And just what would it take to reassure your inner child?”
“The boys’ school,” I said. “I want to take the same martial arts classes Elita goes to. If you can keep one of us safe over there, it shouldn’t be much harder to take care of two of us.”
“Normally, I’d agree, but the elevator raises certain issues.”
“Oh?”
“One, we can’t have disruptive events souring our relations with others in the community. If someone else’s elevator, or computer, or pacemaker were to get short circuited, it could be very bad for our reputation. You need to give us some time to acquire faith in your control and sense of responsibility.”
“You said issues. What else is in the way?”
Ms. Griffin sighed. “There’s Elita herself. After what’s been done to her, she isn’t going to tolerate you tagging along. Until you can play well with each other, I’m afraid I have to keep you at arm’s length.”
Damn. I’d shot myself in the foot. I picked up my cup and shoveled fruit into my mouth.
Ms. Griffin ran a finger along her lower lip, a look of deep thought on her face. “However…”
I swallowed. “Yeah?”
“The instructor Elita uses does give private lessons at his home dojo. We could arrange for you to go there, with the proper escort. Of course, first time something inexplicable happens, you’ll lose that privilege.”
Hmmmm. Keeping me on a tight leash. “I’m not sure I want to—”
“Grace,” Drew kicked me under the table, “You should take the offer.”
“I should?” I looked at Jill.
She nodded solemnly.
I agreed, “Okay, fine.”
Ms. Griffin smiled. “Well then, I’ll make the arrangements. I’m sure Chief Hammer will want to escort you personally, with a team of his best men. And we can get started on those tests. Come see me after breakfast.” Slipping out of head scientist mode, into den mother, she came behind my chair and gave me a rowdy hug. “Oh, Grace, we are going to have such fun together!”
“Yeah, can’t wait.”
SIX
After Ms. Griffin left, I turned to my new friends. “What the hell have you got me into? What’s the point of martial arts lessons if it isn’t going to smoke out the bad guys? You figure I need the exercise? I was on the track team. I’ll have you know I have the thighs of an Amazon.”
“And we’re glad to hear it,” Drew said. “Now hush a minute and listen.”
People at other tables were staring. I wondered if I’d been a little louder in my snarlitude than intended.
“In the first place,” Jill said, “this instructor has dirt on Elita, right?”
“Well, I guess.” Maybe I was overlooking a few angles. I sat back and gulped some orange juice to boost my blood sugar. Maybe that would help me be a little less cranky.
“In the second place,” Jill said, “if bad guys are after you, would it hurt to develop useful skills?”
“Well…” I filled my bowl with cereal and poured in the milk.
Drew said, “And finally, when Elita hears, she’ll be bent six ways to Sunday.”
“She’ll seethe and foam at the mouth,” Jill added. “She has it bad for him.”
I shoveled in some cereal and reflected on what they were saying.
Drew acquired a dreamy, distant look, as if staring into a beautiful memory. “The guy’s come by a time or two. He’s absolutely dreamy. I’d let him get his hands on me anytime.”
“He’s totally hot,” Jill agreed.
Drew fanned herself as if her temperature were climbing dangerously. “Plus you get away from this place for a while. Such opportunities are not to be squandered.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’m convinced.”
Jill stood with her tray. “Good, then my work here is done.”
“Where are you going,” I asked.
“I’ve got some online courses to catch up on and a few errands besides. Drew can give you the rest of the guided tour.”
“Sure.” Drew’s eyes were big and bright as she leaned toward me. “Now about Fenn…”
The rest of the day passed in fits and starts. Some moments crept painfully, yet there where hours that blurred by in a haze. Every sort of test came my way. Many seemed designed to keep me busy, like a hamster on a treadmill. Ms. Griffin kept me in a research area with a lot of high-tech gadgets. One of them she identified as a handheld ultrasound. She ran it over me along with EMF detectors, looking for electromagnetic anomalies. Infrared cameras were set up to record changes in my heat signature. I was also given an EEG to map my brainwaves. Taped electrodes were connected to my forehead, while needles drew squiggly lines on paper that Ms. Griffin mused over, using a red pen to tag points of interest as she muttered to herself.
I spent an hour destroying various electronic devices, draining car batteries, distorting radio and television reception on command. The white-coats observed with growing enthusiasm. After a while they
competed to find something I couldn’t affect. The battery powered flashlight plopped in my hand lasted seconds. Coffee makers and cell phones went just as quick. Digital alarm clocks bit the dust, adding to the growing pile.
Finally, someone handed over a wind-up clock. I stared at the researcher. “Are you crazy? What am I supposed to do with this? Hit it with a rock? I don’t do mechanical systems.”
“How about this,” Hammer said.
I turned toward the voice, wondering how long he’d been there, and caught a flash of motion … darts trailing wires. Taser. I screamed, crumpling, every nerve jumping in agony. I quivered on the floor, gasping like a beached perch. Forcing my hand to move, I ripped out the wires.
“Chief, what do you think you are doing?” Ms. Griffin confronted him, her voice cold and hard like I’d never heard it. “I didn’t authorize this.”
I forced myself to my knees.
Hammer stood his ground, facing Ms. Griffin. “Next time our mystery abductors strike, they’ll use something along these lines. We need to know if she can handle high voltage, or if she’s as vulnerable as the rest of us.”
I made myself stand, trying not to waver on my feet. “He’s right. Hit me again. I think I can take it, now that I know what to expect.”
Ms. Griffin turned to me. “Grace, you’re sure?”
I nodded, staring Hammer in the eyes. “Do your worst.”
He advanced the setting, probably to maximum.
Me and my big mouth.
The darts were fired again. Voltage drained into me—and out—as I twisted the veil-between-worlds around me. I kept my feet. It hadn’t hurt any less, but I’d been able to function.
Hammer looked down, checking the settings he’d just used, then back at me. “Now that is worth knowing.”
“Good,” I said, “’cause we’re done here.”
Ms. Griffin rushed over, catching my arm. “Just a sec.” She flashed a pen light in my eyes. “Okay, take the rest of the day off.”
Shadow Dancer (Kitsune series) Page 4