The Anomaly Trilogy Boxed Set

by Hackett, Anna

  She squeezed back. Hard. “Don’t try to distract me.”

  “I’ll tell you. You deserve to know.”

  But they continued to walk in silence. She didn’t know if he was building his courage or if he just didn’t want to share his secrets with her. The thought stung her deep.

  They reached the edge of village. The mid-morning sun cast a bright light on the area. The kids were kicking a homemade ball around as Mara and Cal walked toward their hut. When they reached it, she sank onto the front step. Cal sat beside her, stretching out his legs and holding his hands between his knees.

  She watched the kids edging closer to them, their eyes bright. “They know about anomalies.”

  “What?” he said.

  She kept her gaze on the children. “They were revered by these people’s ancestors. See the stone statue?” She pointed beyond the village to the tree line where the large gray megalith was visible. “It’s thousands of years old. Apparently they appear all over this part of the island. Monuments to anomalies they call Kalamba.”

  “Amazing.”

  “They know of the death dealers, the time masters and the mind controllers.” She turned to him. “But none of those tags really fit you, do they? I suspect no one truly knows what you are.”

  “You know the Nazis experimented on anomalies during the war. They searched everywhere for people like us.” His jaw tightened. “The monster in charge was Dr. Sigmund Rascher.”

  The thought of the suffering made her stomach sick. “He worked for the Institute of Military Scientific Research.”

  “Yeah. He worked out of Dachau concentration camp.” Cal looked at her now. “He found a way to turn regular humans into anomalies.”

  She’d suspected as much but it was still shocking. After the war, many more anomalies emerged than had ever existed before. “How did he do it?” The possibilities of such knowledge were horrifying.

  “No one knows. His research was lost. When the Allies raided Dachau, he’d been executed and his lab destroyed. Apparently he’d claimed he could extend a woman’s childbearing age and paraded around his middle-aged wife and three young kids as an example of success. When it came out that the kids were stolen, the Nazis didn’t take the betrayal well.” A long pause. “The Allies did capture a few of Rascher’s medical staff.”

  Mara gripped the edge of the step. Her heartbeat was a loud drum in her ears.

  “The CIA carried out the interrogations.” Cal still stared ahead, his jaw so tight she thought it might shatter. “They documented what they could of Rascher’s work.”

  Her gut twisted. “They carried on with the experiments?”

  A brief nod. “They couldn’t replicate changing regular humans into anomalies, but they could…enhance anomalies.”

  She stared blindly across the village, trying to put it all together.

  “I can heal my own wounds—” his voice was toneless “—if I have a source of natural energy. I can raid multiple minds.”

  What had they done to him? “How many?”

  “Hundreds. I can send out a mental blast that disables any minds within reach.” He dragged in a deep breath. “I can do other more horrible things to maim and kill another’s brain.”

  She raised her trembling hand to her mouth. “How’d they do it?”

  “Experiments. Tests. I bled a lot for my powers.”

  She reached for his hand. “My God, Cal.”

  He pulled away. “You may have damaged people’s minds—” he raised his head, his eyes a vast darkness of nothing “—but I made people’s brains leak out their ears. I killed dozens of my country’s so-called enemies.”

  And it had broken something in him. She could see that so clearly even though all he showed was a hard, tough exterior.

  She grabbed his hand again and held on. “I know what it feels like. Leven, he made me do things that I will regret until the day I die. Things that haunt me every minute of every day.”

  “You don’t understand—”

  How could she make him see? “I do. We both went through it. I can’t believe they forced that on you. Your own agency.”

  He stood abruptly, spun to face her.

  “They didn’t force me, Mara.” The muscles in his jaw flexed. “I volunteered.”

  ***

  For the first time, Cal saw Mara speechless.

  She stared at him, emotion swirling in her green eyes and rose slowly, like her bones ached. “You volunteered for the experiments?”

  “Yes.” He’d believed he could help his country. Protect innocents. But a part of him had also been excited by the idea of more power.

  “And the killing? The…torturing?”

  He wouldn’t lie to her. He’d bare all his black soul to her. “I volunteered for that too.”

  She shook her head, her face so deathly pale he thought she’d faint. But he didn’t reach for her, didn’t cross the inches—miles—between them.

  She backed away, slashing a hand through the air. Her mouth opened but she shook her head and walked away.

  He watched her go, a heavy weight settling in his gut. He’d always known that once he told her the truth, she wouldn’t look at him the same way. There were days he could barely look at himself in the mirror.

  And he hadn’t even told her the worst of it.

  Lost in his turbulent thoughts, he didn’t hear Lia approach him until she stepped in front of him.

  Young but with dark eyes that held a wealth of knowledge. And understanding. She held up a plate of food.

  “Thank you.” He took the plate and sat back on the deck. “I’ll pay you for all you’ve done for us.”

  “No need. I’d do anything to help a Kalamba.”

  He picked up a forkful of food, some sort of omelet. He was starving but he wasn’t sure he could eat. “I think you would have helped anyone in need, Kalamba or not.”

  The woman looked in the direction Mara had stalked off. “She worries for you.”

  He set his fork down. “I don’t think she’s worried anymore.”

  “She loves you.”

  His head shot up. The words speared straight to his soul. “No.”

  Lia tilted her head, skewering him with her dark gaze. “You love her.”

  He shook his head. Vigorously. “I don’t love anybody. I can’t.”

  She gave him a small smile. “We all need love.” She trotted down the steps and walked away.

  Cal ate what he could manage to swallow past his tight throat. He might want things that others had, but he couldn’t have them. He’d let himself have a taste of Mara, wanted more, but for her protection he had to drive her away.

  Yet he paced the hut, waiting for her to return. They needed to find Bay and Sean, needed to see if they could chance going after Cate again. He glanced at the door. Maybe Mara wouldn’t come back. He couldn’t blame her.

  The sound of a truck pulling to a stop had him heading outside. He saw Sean Archer step out of a beaten up old Toyota.

  “Sean.” Cal crossed the space. “You and Bay okay?”

  “Fine. We made ourselves scarce after the explosion and then went back. Bay stayed to do surveillance.” Sean pushed up the sleeves of his khaki shirt. “She’s worried about you and Mara. You guys all right?”

  No. Cal had tasted heaven and had to give it back. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be okay. A certain redhead would haunt him for the rest of his existence. “Fine. I had some injuries but I’m okay now.”

  Sean’s shrewd gaze ran over the remains of the burns visible on Cal’s chest. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

  “How’d you find us?” Cal asked.

  “Bay got some of the female workers to talk. We discovered a usually dependable worker had gone missing with a plantation truck. Led me here. Luckily the workers are tightlipped or Leven’s men might have found you. They’ve been scouring the villages around the plantation.” Sean looked around. “Where’s Mara?”

  “Went for a walk. I’l
l find her.”

  “Leven arrived at the plantation after the explosion. He’s been holed up indoors. We need to make a move soon or we’ll lose the woman.”

  “Understood.”

  Cal followed the direction Mara had taken. There was no sign of her.

  His gut cramped. Where was she? He needed to know she was safe.

  He asked the children if they’d seen the lady with the red hair. One small girl tugged at his jeans. With a shy smile, she pointed beyond the village, toward the woods.

  He shooed the kids off to play and followed a worn trail to the trees. He found her sitting beside the huge stone statue, her knees drawn up to her chin. He stopped several feet from her and kept his gaze on the ancient shrine.

  A monument to the power of anomalies. No doubt worshiped for using their skills to benefit others. Not to kill them.

  “Sean found us.” Cal shoved his hands in his pockets. “We need to get back.”

  “I don’t know what to say to you.”

  He looked at her, couldn’t stop himself. “I don’t expect you to say anything.”

  She looked up. Studied him. “No, you don’t, do you? Loner Callahan gives the orders, knows everything about every anomaly in Haven but keeps his secrets.”

  Haven was everything to him. His chance to make some sort of amends. But looking at Mara—his hopes and wants all in a package that tempted him beyond reason—and seeing the horror in her eyes confirmed everything he knew.

  There would be no absolution. His dark past would forever cling to him.

  “How could you do it?”

  Her hoarse whisper cut right through him. He could tell her that at first he thought he was protecting his country. Was doing something noble.

  But it didn’t change what he’d done. Didn’t change the fact that a part of him had enjoyed wielding so much power.

  It had taken the lives of two boys to force Callahan to see the truth of what he’d become.

  There was nothing he could say, so he stayed silent.

  She shot to her feet in a burst of energy. Her toes hit his boots, her face up in his. “I let you touch me. I let you in where I’ve never let anyone.” She smacked her palms against his chest. “Answer me, damn you!”

  “I can’t say anything that will make it better.”

  Her head dropped, her chest heaving. “He made me do terrible things. I refused at first. Then he tortured me. I still resisted and he starved me. I was mindless but I remember every second of hurting those people, of killing them.” Her voice caught. “I never forget the terrible things, Cal.”

  “I know.” With every bit of blackened soul he knew. He lifted a hand, wanted to touch her so badly. But his fingers stopped an inch from her cheek then he dropped his hand back to his side. “We need to go. Sean thinks Leven will move Cate.”

  Mara swiped at the tears on her face and nodded. “We have to save her before it’s too late.”

  As they walked back to the village, Mara kept her distance between them. Every inch of the space hurt. Heading across to Sean, Cal used his old trick of emptying himself of all emotion. Think of a void. Focus only on the mission ahead.

  But as he watched Mara slide into the truck, he knew he’d never find the cool, remote peace that had kept him sane during the years since he’d escaped the CIA. Now his nights would be haunted by more than the faces of those he’d killed.

  Chapter Nine

  They met Bay North in a stand of trees a mile from the plantation.

  Mara avoided looking at Cal. Jumbled thoughts and jagged feelings cascaded through her but a larger part of her was raging. She still couldn’t piece together how she felt about his confession.

  And now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

  When Sean stopped the truck, Bay moved quietly out of the trees. The time thief moved like someone used to hiding.

  She pressed a hand to Sean’s arm before turning to Mara and Cal. “You had me worried. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” Cal’s tone was remote.

  Mara didn’t miss her friend’s intense scrutiny. Mara had never been one to hide what she felt and now when she did want to hide it, she knew she sucked.

  “Any sign of Cate?” Cal asked.

  Bay nodded. “They moved her between two buildings. She’s in the main warehouse now.” Bay’s moss-green eyes darkened. “They also brought in two men. Westerners. They were bound and gagged.”

  Mara’s teeth clicked together. “We have to get her out. Now.”

  Cal’s black gaze landed on her for a second. She saw nothing of the man who’d made love to her. “Agreed.” He crouched and picked up a small stick. He drew building outlines in the dirt. “We’ll head in through here. Quickly and quietly.” A flick of his wrist. “We’ll stop here. Bay, you’ll steal time and we’ll all go in.”

  Sean moved forward. “We should split up to search for her. Bay can’t hold time indefinitely.” His gaze was on his fiancée. “It hurts her.”

  “I’ll be fine—”

  “He’s right.” Cal lifted the stick. “We’ll split up. Four pronged search.” More streaks in the dirt. “Me and Mara here. Sean, you take this side and Bay the end closest to the door.” He looked up. “I’ll carry the soul stealer if she can’t walk. Anything goes wrong, just get out. Meet back at the truck. Questions?”

  They all shook their heads.

  Cal stood. “Let’s move.”

  Bay and Sean jogged into the trees. Mara moved to follow but Cal caught her arm. She stiffened.

  “Be careful, Mara.”

  Emotion quivered inside her. She managed a nod.

  They ran fast, sticking to the shadows under the trees. They crept up on the jungle side of the warehouse. Damn, it was bigger than Mara remembered.

  Suddenly a guard stepped out of the trees. When he saw them, he raised his gun, his hand reaching for the radio on his belt.

  Then he was writhing on the ground.

  It all happened so fast. Mara was frozen for a second then glanced at Cal’s face. That cold, merciless look she’d seen in London was back. The guard curled into the fetal position and began clawing at his head. A trickle of blood came from his nose.

  She grabbed Cal’s arm. “Stop it.”

  “I can see his thoughts. His memories.” Cal’s voice was a monotone. “He’s not a good man. He likes to hurt those smaller and weaker than him.”

  Ice filled her veins. “But you aren’t like him, so stop.”

  The guard slumped on the dirt. Quiet.

  Cal stared at Mara for a second before he looked away. “Let’s finish this mission. Bay?”

  At his quiet word, Bay held out a hand. “Make sure you touch me.”

  Sean wrapped his fingers around her wrist, Cal pressed his hand to hers and Mara followed suit. She felt Cal’s fingers brush her skin and looked up.

  In his eyes, she caught a glimpse of unnamed emotion boiling like an angry thunderstorm. The darkness in his eyes was pure pain.

  Suddenly the world around them blurred and when Mara blinked to focus, she saw everything was still. Silent.

  The birds and insects were frozen in mid-air. The distant workers were motionless wherever they stood.

  Cal pulled away and led them to the warehouse. He opened the door. “Quick, efficient and fast. Don’t get sidetracked.”

  Mara stepped inside. It was dim and cool. There was a large open area for the sorting and packaging of the cocoa beans. Several female workers stood by long benches, hands frozen on the beans.

  No way she’d ever get used to having time stopped. The silence was spooky. All she heard was the quiet scuff of their footsteps on the wooden floor.

  There were several rooms off the main area and a long hallway heading into the depths of the building. They broke off in their search directions. Mara followed Cal—unable to stop her traitorous gaze from tracing the hard ridges of his back until he disappeared into the darkness.

  She stared into the shadows, feeling a crazy sens
e of loss. She gave herself a mental kick. This was no time to get emotional. She tossed her shoulders back and started searching the rooms in her grid.

  More workers. Storage for crates and boxes. A room empty except for a threadbare woven rug on the floor.

  She opened the next door and her pulse jumped. Five young girls were huddled together on the dirty floor. Their wrists were bound with rope and their faces held far too much knowledge for girls so young. Dark eyes drowned in misery.

  Damn, Leven. Mara pinched the bridge of her nose. Cal had warned them not to get sidetracked. She was here for Cate. For a woman whose power Leven would exploit and use to harm so many others.

  Mara turned but every muscle in her body stretched tight. With a soft curse, she swiveled. Crouching beside the first girl, Mara stared into her frozen face. “You better help the others.” Mara worked the knots of the rope loose, released a long breath. “That’s all I can do. I’m sorry.”

  She moved fast through the next few rooms. More storage. No sign of Cate.

  When Mara moved back to the main room, she saw the others waiting. Bay rocked on her heels and the men both looked tense.

  Mara’s stomach dropped. “No sign of her?”

  Cal shook his head.

  “They brought her in here,” Bay insisted.

  “Go back and search for any hidden rooms,” Cal directed.

  Mara frowned. A hint of something tugged at her. Without a word, she sprinted back the way she’d come.

  “Mara?”

  She barely noticed the others following her. She thrust open the door to one of the rooms she’d searched. She circled the well-worn rug. “This is it.”

  Cal squatted and ripped the rug back.

  Nothing.

  It felt like a punch to Mara’s gut. She’d been so sure. “Damn it to hell.”

  “Wait.” Cal knocked a fist against floor. Then his fingers moved over the joints between the wood.

  There was a click as a trap door popped open. The door retracted displaying a set of white tiled steps leading downward. Subdued lighting flickered on to illuminate their path.

  “Good find.” Cal took one step down. “Follow me.”

  Mara went next, Bay and Sean followed. Before long, the steps ended and they entered a world Mara had never dreamed could exist here on this remote plantation in the wilds of Sulawesi.