Tekgrrl

by A. J. Menden

  “They’re going to take away the pain, Mindy,” the woman said, in a shaking voice, trying to be soothing. I screamed and bucked against the harnesses that held me down to the bed as I was wheeled through a long, white corridor to another room behind another door and—

  I sat up, disoriented and sweaty like I had been fighting a battle, and looked around at the frightened eyes around me. Gradually I came back to myself, remembered where I was.

  I was sitting on a red leather couch in the middle of a sea of black velvet, a bright spotlight blazing down on me. It was irritating to no end, reminding me of the bright light back on the Vyqang ship, and I lashed out with my mind, wanting it gone. I heard a soft pop overhead and the room was plunged into darkness.

  “Illuminati,” I heard a feminine voice say, and the room was lit by a ghostly green glow coming from a glowing ball held aloft by a glamorous woman. Fantazia, I remembered. A bald man stood next to her, arms covered in tattoos of ones and zeroes, and he was looking at me like he wanted to be anywhere else. Cyrus the Virus.

  Lainey stood to one side of me, Kate on the other. Both of their arms were covered in long red scratches, like they had fought some sort of clawing wild beast. Looking down at my hands, I saw blood in my nails. My throat was raw from screaming.

  “I remember,” I croaked.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “Where have you been?” Luke greeted us as we walked back through the door at EHJ headquarters. “Paul and Wesley have been looking everywhere for you.” He eyed the fading scratches on Lainey and Kate’s arms, and since their innate natures help with faster healing, I’d hate to see what they’d look like without powers. “What happened?”

  I barely gave him a glance. I felt like I had been put through the wringer, regaining my memories by experiencing them afresh, then managing to relay them to the people who’d helped bring them back. My life had made a hardened criminal like Cyrus the Virus look sick to his stomach. Go me.

  “Never mind, Luke, I’ll take care of it,” Lainey said, motioning for Kate to attend me. “Go lay down, Mindy. Try to get some sleep.”

  “I don’t want to sleep,” I said in a sharp voice, shaking Kate off and causing everyone in the room to stare. I softened my tone. “If I sleep, I’ll dream, and I’d rather not dream right now.” I straightened. “I’d rather deal with whatever’s going on with Simon.”

  “No, you wouldn’t.” Paul popped in from around the corner. “Now that we’re all here, meet in the conference room. Right now.”

  “Yes, sir,” Kate said, giving him a smart yet mocking salute. His cold blue eyes narrowed, but he motioned us inside.

  I noticed Lainey walk over to embrace Wesley, who was already pacing the conference room, dressed oddly enough like his former life, Robert, in a suit and tie. Whether she needed comfort after the episode with Fantazia or had a bad feeling about what was happening with the government, I wasn’t sure; I only knew I wished I had someone to whom I could turn.

  Fortunately, my headaches had weakened as soon as the blocks came down. But my returned memories left me feeling like I was spiritually drained.

  “Can we order coffee or something?” I asked as we took our seats around the large conference table.

  Paul shot me a dark look. “We’re in the middle of the biggest crisis of our lives and you want a coffee break?”

  “Leave her alone, Paul,” Lainey said. “She’s been through a lot today.”

  “Well, we’ve been through a hell of a lot more,” he said.

  “I seriously doubt that,” I snapped, not bothering to adjust my tone.

  Paul narrowed his eyes and frowned. “All right, let’s sit down and discuss what Wesley and I went through with Simon and his cronies in Washington. After all, it concerns all of you.”

  Wesley cut in. “Simon has raised concerns that Lainey and I have endangered people with the Dragon’s vendetta against us.”

  “But we stopped the Dragon,” Lainey said, looking plaintive. “We did that. Simon knows. He was there.”

  “Mindy almost died in that fight,” Luke put in. “Simon almost died.”

  Lainey looked like she had been punched in the stomach. “Of course, the Dragon was after me because of that stupid prophecy. Because of Emily.” She shook her head. “They’re right, I did endanger people.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, love,” Wesley said, reaching across the table to take her hand. “You have no control over what some psychopath does to try to kick-start the apocalypse. You can only stop whatever he tries, which we did.”

  “Which we pointed out,” Paul put in. “If it hadn’t been the Dragon and this prophecy, it would have been some loser with a chemical bomb. There’s always someone wanting to blast the whole population to kingdom come. We always stop them. And this is the thanks we get.”

  “They questioned our fitness as parents,” Wesley remarked to Lainey, his voice full of quiet rage, “having Emily in this environment.”

  Lainey’s face drained of color. “What?”

  “It’s just Simon being a jerk because he’s always hated you,” Toby said to Wesley. “Because you didn’t give him the attention and praise he thought he deserved.”

  “It’s not just about Wesley,” Paul put in. “Simon’s also saying that Mindy is a problem. Having a psychopathic villain set on revenge and trying to end the world is one thing, but, well…Mindy not only put a villain in the hospital last month but turned around and caused injuries in over ten innocent bystanders the other day.”

  I felt my face burn, and I kept my head down and gazed straight ahead. Like I was ever going to forget how much of this was my fault.

  Lainey spoke up. “It’s not like Mindy meant for that to happen.”

  “I’m not saying she did,” Paul replied. “I’m saying that Simon has called for us to terminate her employment immediately.”

  That statement ripped my gaze up to him. “W-what?” I managed, a cold pit in my stomach. If I didn’t have my job or my friends, what did I have but estranged parents who couldn’t look at me without regret and horror?

  “What did you tell them?” Kate asked.

  Paul frowned. “I told them—or more specifically, Simon—to go to hell.”

  “He told Simon and all of Washington that you were an asset to this team,” Wesley said quietly. “He staked his career and reputation on you being able to pull yourself together.”

  I stared in shock at Paul. “You did that?”

  Paul shrugged. “You are an asset to this team, and these new powers aren’t going to change that. Besides, we make the decisions about who to hire and fire on this team, ourselves, not them. We aren’t owned by the United States or any other government. We’ve done work for them over the years, but we’re an independent agency and will remain so.”

  “And that’s when Simon announced he is forming his own hero team,” Wesley spoke up, running a hand through his hair.

  “So? What does that mean for us?” Selena asked. She had been sitting quietly next to Luke, her hand in his the whole meeting, I’d noted with a twinge of jealousy.

  “We don’t know yet,” Paul admitted.

  “Probably nothing good,” Wesley said. “Simon’s looking for any excuse to stick it to us.”

  “Anything that Simon Leasure leads is going to crash and burn,” Kate predicted.

  Paul looked at Toby. “Forrest defended us at every turn. Simon practically made it sound like we were becoming villains, and Forrest kept citing how many times we’ve helped the country.”

  “See, I actually am a good judge of character,” Toby muttered, perhaps reminding himself.

  “So, what are we going to do?” Luke asked Wesley. I noticed the shift of focus in the room as everyone turned to look at the Reincarnist. He was, by common consensus, our leader. Not Paul. That decision was made.

  “It is business as usual,” Wesley said. “We are not owned by the government, and we need to remind them of that. We continue to patrol, help out
when needed, and act like the heroes we are. I’ve never abided bureaucracy, and nothing’s changed.”

  “So, what was the crisis you three were handling?” Paul asked Lainey, Kate and I.

  I stared fixedly at the table in front of me, still reeling from both my newfound memories and the effects of my screwups in Cozumel’s.

  “I helped her take down her memory blocks,” Lainey said, her voice hard, as if daring Paul to challenge her actions.

  “You did what?” His voice rose with incredulity. “After I told you not to?”

  “Did you succeed, love?” Wesley asked, sounding impressed.

  I looked up to see Lainey shake her head. “I took her to Fantazia to do it.”

  “Who?” Paul asked. Wesley sat back in surprise.

  “That ancient magic user?” Luke looked worried. “She’s dangerous.”

  I was surprised Luke had heard of her, since he wasn’t magically inclined, but he did hang with the shamans and yogis and others who might be.

  “The one that has that parallel universe?” Toby asked.

  “Pocket dimension,” Lainey corrected.

  “Isn’t she a known criminal?” Paul said. “You took Mindy to a known criminal to get mental blocks off that I specifically said not to mess with right now?”

  “Fantazia’s not a criminal,” Wesley corrected, sounding a bit defensive. “I’ve used her information many times over the years. She’s safe.”

  “Getting those blocks off wasn’t,” Paul said.

  “I couldn’t leave them on forever,” I spoke up. Paul seemed to notice me for the first time.

  “I took Kate along, in case things got out of hand,” Lainey remarked.

  “That was a good idea,” Wesley agreed. “Fantazia’s who I would have gone to about this, though I would have preferred dealing with her myself. I know how to handle her.”

  “It went okay,” Lainey said. “And you have enough on your plate right now.”

  “So, what does she want out of it?” Wesley asked, putting his head in his hands, sounding very old.

  “She wants to spend time with her half sister,” Lainey said.

  This piece of news got startled reactions from everyone at the table.

  Wesley chuckled without humor. “Great, we have a new babysitter. So, she did it all by herself?”

  “She brought in the Virus,” Lainey admitted.

  “Cyrus? Wonder what she has over him,” Wesley mused. “Well, what’s done is done, I suppose. Since Mindy’s sitting here looking sane, I’m going to assume things went okay.”

  I didn’t know if everything was okay or ever would be, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.

  “That’s all you’re going to say?” Paul sounded put out. “’What’s done is done?’ We both told them not to do it and they disobeyed.”

  “Do you want me to spank them and put them to bed without supper?” Wesley asked. “Lainey took the initiative to do what I would have done eventually. While I really would have liked to have been informed about the plan, I can’t fault the results.” He shot Lainey a pointed look.

  She blushed. “Sorry.”

  Wesley turned his attention back to me. “We will have to monitor you for any changes since the blocks have been taken down, and someone will have to try to work with you about controlling these powers you seem to have acquired. That means: If you have any strange symptoms, you inform me or Paul immediately.”

  “Don’t wait around and have a few drinks like last time,” Paul clarified. “I went to bat for you, Mindy. Don’t make me regret that.” He stood up. “This meeting is adjourned.”

  I sat back in my chair. I couldn’t believe Paul would really stake his career on me, but Wesley wouldn’t lie about that. And Paul had called me an asset to the team. In all the years I had known him, he wasn’t one to give out meaningless praise. I waited until everyone else filed out. Paul was clicking buttons on the terminal in front of him, obviously forgetting I was still there. Finally I cleared my throat.

  “Why did you do that?” I asked.

  Paul didn’t look up. “Do what?”

  “Stake your career on me? You don’t even like me.”

  He gave a short snort of a laugh. “Yeah, well, you’re one of my teammates. I would do it for any one of you.”

  So I’m not special in any way. Thanks, Paul, I thought. Out loud, I said, “I appreciate it.”

  “Well, you’re welcome.” He clicked a few dials. “How do you feel now that the blocks are down?”

  “No headaches.”

  “That’s good, I suppose.” He eyed me critically. “What about those memories?”

  I shivered. “They were…bad.”

  “How bad?”

  “I witnessed a peaceful race slaughtered by invaders,” I said. “My foster sister and I were captured and tortured. I was…”

  Paul’s face drained of color. In a voice just above a whisper, he said, “You were raped.”

  I shook my head and looked down, not wanting to see his expression or judgment. “Not in the way you’re thinking. They experimented on us, changed us, to get various types of DNA they wanted. And then they extracted it. They cut us open over and over again.” More memories were resurfacing, and without my realizing, a soft moan escaped my lips. A strange buzzing was reverberating in my brain. I raised my head to see several chairs around the desk floating in the air. I started to panic.

  “Paul!”

  He grabbed me by the shoulders and looked into my eyes. “No. Look at me, Mindy, don’t look at them. You need to force yourself to relax. Close your eyes if you need to. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Try to clear your mind and concentrate on something peaceful, like waves on a beach. Try to make yourself hear those waves in your mind. Breathe out as they crash onto the beach and breathe in when they go back out again.”

  I did as he said, concentrating on slowing breathing and focusing on the mental picture of an ocean, not on the buzzing in my head or the memories that threatened to overwhelm me. I felt Paul’s arms slip from around my shoulders to embrace me loosely as he patted my back. He had never touched me before, and for some reason I took more comfort than I expected.

  “It’s okay, Mindy. It’s okay,” he soothed.

  I concentrated on his voice, on the feeling that someone cared what happened to me. The tension slowly melted away. A second or two later, I heard the chairs crash down around us. Opening my eyes, I saw them safe on the ground, back in place. I was still shaking.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  He seemed to realize he was still touching me and quickly backed away. “I’m the one that wound you up, and I should have known better. I’m sorry.”

  “How did you know how to do that?”

  “Your powers are flaring up with emotions, because you have no control over them yet. I was the same way when I first got my own powers.” He shrugged. “I’m no telekinetic, but I can try to help you train your mind.”

  “Thanks,” I said, and tried to focus on the here and now. It was bleak. The team was in trouble, and it seemed there was only one solution. “I think Simon might be right, Paul. Maybe I am a danger to everyone around me—more than a help. I hurt Lainey and Kate when the memories first came back. With these powers that just lash out…maybe I should tender my resignation.”

  He frowned. “Don’t be like that, Mindy.”

  “Like what?”

  “Don’t be a scared little girl and balk at the first sign of a hard road ahead. You’re not like that. You’re strong.”

  “No. I’m not,” I whispered.

  “You just told me your past. You survived that and are still standing here before me, hardly a cowed shell, instead a woman who defines her life by helping others.”

  “I went insane for a while,” I reminded him.

  “You were young. You couldn’t handle the memories then. But you can handle them now. And you will.”

  I was a little surprised that he was showing so much faith. Thi
s was Paul, remember, who usually ignored my existence unless it was to dole out a reprimand.

  “I said you were strong, Mindy. Don’t prove me a liar. Especially in front of Simon Leasure. Not that guy.” Was that a hint of a teasing smile on his face?

  “Wouldn’t want to do that,” I agreed, giving him a half smile. “You can be nice when you want to be, Paul. I didn’t realize.”

  “Gee thanks, Mindy.” He rolled his eyes.

  I ignored that, and asked the next question that immediately sprang into my mind. “So why don’t you usually want to be?”

  “I’m trying to lead a team that doesn’t want me to be their leader, that is turning to someone who thinks we used to be nothing but glory hounds.”

  “Well, we kinda were,” I pointed out.

  “True, but we did good, too. We’ve all saved the day so many times, both individually and as a team. This group has trusted me all these years to lead them on the field, and frankly I don’t understand why you wouldn’t trust me to lead you out of combat, too. I understand Wesley’s probably more qualified, what with his lifetimes of experience, but I’m getting pushed out more and more each day. Don’t act like you don’t see.”

  I nodded, having to concede his point.

  “The United States government seems out to get us, and I only recently got up enough nerve to leave my girlfriend who has been boldly cheating on me since we got together. I know she doesn’t mean anything by it and doesn’t think it should matter because she doesn’t love who she cheats with, but that’s not how our society works and you would think she would have come to terms with that by now…” He stopped, looking embarrassed that he had let all of that slip. “Well, put all of that together and I’ve been a little cranky.”