“Excellent. And you can still pick up our communications?”
“No problem.”
“Then take a seat.” Before she departed, she crouched down and whispered. “I know you’re scared, Harriet. And you know what? So am I.”
Harriet’s eyes darted. “You are?’
“Definitely. Quivering in my sneakers. You just can’t see it.”
“But you’re our leader. You always seem so strong.”
“It’s a complete act. I’m dying out here.”
“Really?”
“I’m scared to death. About everything there is to be scared of. Except one thing.”
“And that is?”
“I know you won’t let us down.”
With a suddenness that startled her, Harriet threw both arms around her. She didn’t know such a petite girl could possibly hug so hard.
***
She was halfway to the front desk when she heard the voice.
“Aura?”
The voice was distinctly male. And she knew it well. Because she heard it inside her head all the time. Even when she slept.
“Mark?” Her eyes flew wide—followed by rippling chills. She might have a thing for him, but he was still a member of the TYL establishment. That meant he was part of the team that wanted to lock up—or eliminate—Shines.
He held up his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you. Any of you.”
“Then why are you here?”
He took a few tentative steps forward. “I was worried about you.”
“You work for TYL.”
“I did.”
“No more?”
“They’ve given us all sabbaticals. Till they establish a new facility somewhere.”
“A paid vacation?”
“With some homework assignments.”
“And your assignment was to find me.”
He didn’t deny it. “I wanted to find you anyway. I felt that…we connected. Professionally, I mean. And I was concerned that you might’ve been harmed in the blast.”
“Nope. Miracle, huh?”
His eyes narrowed. “Or…something.”
“How did you know I’d be here?”
“I didn’t. But I know you well enough to know you wouldn’t stay in hiding forever. You’re much more likely to confront your opponents head-on. So I kept an eye on the central headquarters of your most vocal opposition.” He paused. “Aura, I want you to come with me. Turn yourself in.”
“You must be insane.” She didn’t want to give him the cold shoulder. But if this took too much time, it would blow their entire plan.
“How long do you think you can stay out on your own? Hiding from the authorities.”
“We’ve done all right so far. We haven’t been caught.”
“I found you.”
She frowned. Good point. “We found about a dozen imprisoned Shines that Reverend Trent kept locked up in his dungeon.”
“What?”
“The police have transported them to hospitals.”
“I haven’t heard anything about this.”
“It’s being hushed up, natch. But it’s true. You know I wouldn’t chainmail you about something this serious. He had a depraved plan to mate with Shines and create some kind of master race. The SSS final solution.”
“I don’t believe—”
“Whether you believe it or not, it’s true. We’re getting to the truth about what’s been happening—on our own. I’m not going with you.”
He took several steps closer. She knew she should stop him. Say something. But she didn’t.
When he finally stopped, he was fewer than six inches away from her. Totally invading her space. But she couldn’t make herself object.
“Aura, do you seriously believe I would ask you to do anything that would hurt you?”
“I—I don’t…think so.”
“If you turn yourself in, I will vouch for you.”
“They’ll put us in some institution.”
“Which will be safer for you than the outside world, at least for the time being.”
“Safer? Do you know what they did to me at TYL? They tortured me.”
“I know you didn’t enjoy the twelve-step meetings, but that’s a bit melodramatic.”
“No, I mean they tortured me.”
“What are you talking about?”
She peered deeply into his beautiful ebony eyes. She wanted to believe. She wanted to think he knew nothing about the dark underbelly of TYL. She wanted to think he was just a well-meaning therapist with a major crush on his weird-haired patient.
But could she?
“There was a lot going on at TYL you didn’t know about,” she said.
“I’ve had reason to suspect as much myself.”
“Maybe it’s just as well. Maybe that’s why you’re still alive and roaming the streets. Coutant is out to get us, and if she thought you knew—”
“Aura, I know Coutant can be kind of a shrew—”
“That’s putting it mildly.”
“Aura?” He laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah?’
“Technically, you’re not my patient any more, right?”
She peered into those eyes, stared at those lips. She felt herself teetering forward, as if drawn by his gravitational pull. “Right. Very right.”
“Good.” He placed his hand behind her head and drew it close. When his lips touched hers, the kiss was gentle, tender. Caring. But with each second it became more urgent, desperate, needy. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her whole body to his—
“What the hell is going on here?”
She whirled around.
Tank stood behind them. She could see the other three Shines assembling in the background.
She held up her hands. “It’s nothing, Tank. Promise. Nothing to worry about.”
“We’ve got a spy,” Tank said, broadcasting it across their network.
“He’s not here to hurt us. Tell them, Mark.”
She pivoted around again. Mark was gone.
“I’m going after him,” Tank growled.
“No, don’t.” She grabbed Tank by the arm. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to hold Tank back for long, but she could try. “Stick to the plan.”
“What if he tells people we’re here?”
“He won’t.” She added to herself: I hope.
Twinge joined them. “What’s going on?’
“One of those TYL creeps was here,” Tank said. “And she was macking on him.”
Twinge’s face fell. “No.”
Mnemo arched an eyebrow. “It seems our leader has a few secrets.”
“I don’t,” she said, releasing Tank’s arm.
“You were consorting with the enemy,” Mnemo said.
“I was not. I mean—” She took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together. “He’s not the enemy. He wants to help us.”
“You don’t know that. You’re being stupid because he’s cute.”
“Like no one’s ever done that before,” Twinge muttered.
“We trusted you,” Tank said.
“And you still can. Please. I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have—” She pressed her hand against her forehead. “I don’t believe Mark would ever hurt us. I don’t believe he could.”
“If he tells anyone where we are, sister,” Twinge said, “we’re screwed.”
“He won’t. Let’s get on with the plan.”
They proceeded to the front desk, where Dream had already begun working on the guard. He signed people in and out of the building, issued guest passes, and most importantly, monitored a turnstile. Unless he pushed his little blue button, no one got to the elevators.
“But I made my appointment weeks ago,” Dream said, a tiny catch in her voice, as if she were fighting back tears. “I’ve come all the way from Poughkeepsie. I’m the president of the Poughkeepsie branch of the SSS.”
“I’m vice-president,” Twinge said, batting her eyelas
hes.
“Really.” The guard’s face was inscrutable. “And you are…?”
“Aura. I’m, mm, secretary-treasurer.”
“And you?” he said, pointing down at Mnemo. “Where do you fit in?”
“I’m the head of the scientific division,” Mnemo said, not missing a beat. “I’ve been at the forefront taking DNA samples. Helping them detect and detain the Shine infestation. We think it’s shameful how the government just lets those Shines run wild. I heard some of them are even…” She twisted her face up. “…mating with human boys. Disgusting.”
“Yeah,” Dream concurred. “As if it weren’t hard enough to find a good guy. Without those freaks stealing them with their weirdo powers.”
The corner of the guard’s lips turned upward. “I can’t imagine you have much trouble finding a date.”
“A date? No. But a guy worth keeping? That’s hard.” Thespian Dream let her eyes water a bit. “If I found a guy who knew how to be a man and still love a woman, I’d hold on and never let go. I would never be untrue or…stand him up at the senior prom.”
The guard’s eyes darted upward.
“I’d treasure him like he deserved to be treasured. I’d let him know he was wanted. Desired. Every day of his life.”
The guard cleared his throat. “Let me check the records one more time.” He grabbed his tablet and poked a few screens. “Oh wow. There you are.” His head tilted. “Didn’t see it a minute ago.” That of course was because Harriet had to insert the false entry first. “Guess I need some more coffee.” He passed out the guest badges and pushed his blue button. “Okay. You’re good to go.”
“Thank you.” She noticed that Dream made sure their hands touched as she took her badge. “I hope we meet again.”
“I’m here every weekday.”
“I’ll watch for you.”
They walked to the elevators together.
They’d made it. She almost couldn’t believe it. Sure, she always acted as if she had no doubts about anything, but in reality…
Doubts didn’t matter now.
They were inside.
74
“Going up,” Aura said, as she punched the elevator button for the forty-ninth floor. She looked at Dream. “Solid Oscar-quality work.” She wouldn’t go into the details, not with all the surveillance equipment around. But it seemed as if a compliment was in order.
“I think he has something new to daydream about, anyway,” Dream replied. “Or at least an upgrade.”
Tank pulled up the lapels of her overcoat. She deliberately wore loose-fitting clothing. At her size, she was the one most likely to attract attention. By dressing in a wrinkled raincoat and baggy sweatpants, she disguised incredible strength as incredible girth. She looked obese to the casual eye.
“Guy on the fourth floor is daydreaming about two scoops of Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch,” Dream said.
“Is that…relevant to anything?”
“No. Just keeping you apprised of the situation.”
Or chattering to fend off panic, more likely. “I think you should scan for people who have fetishes for blue hair. They might be useful.”
“Statistically speaking,” Mnemo said, “more men jerk off to images of blondes than any other hair color.”
The four stared at her wordlessly.
“Well, it’s true.”
“Good to know,” Dream said. “And red hair with a streak of blue?”
“No data on that.”
“Pity.”
A bell clanged. The doors opened on the forty-ninth floor. Twinge stepped out.
“Wish me luck.”
“You won’t need it,” Aura said. “You’re a powerhouse. “You are woman. Hear you roar.”
“Right.”
The doors closed, leaving the four of them behind.
Dream changed her shoes, pulling a pair of flats out of her purse. Next, she reached under the hem of the skirt and unfolded it. Fabric tumbled out, making the skirt fall below her knees. She untucked a collar on her blouse, covering her bodice.
Tank reached into her coat pocket and withdrew a pair of heavy-duty electrical gloves, rubber-palmed and reinforced.
“Think those will hold?”
Tank shrugged. “Even if they don’t, I will.”
The bell sang again. Fifty-ninth floor. The doors parted.
“Showtime.”
Aura exited the elevator with the others. The corridor down the right side led to a long flight of offices. To the left was but a single door: MACHINE ROOM.
Mnemo headed that way. “Looks like this is my stop.” She tried the door. “Locked.”
Tank nudged her aside and grabbed the doorknob. She forced it open, splintering the doorjamb. “Just a deadbolt. No worries.”
Mnemo grinned. “Remind me to buy a better lock for my diary.” She passed through the door.
Aura slid on her glasses and activated the voice control. “Twinge?”
“I’m in position. Just outside.”
She had been concerned about sending someone to the security office, where at least one guard monitored cameras all day long. But it was necessary.
“Need you to go in now.”
“Will do.”
“Have you decided how you’re going to take him out? Projectile vomiting? Spastic colon attack?”
“Nothing so dramatic. Best not to leave a trace that we were here.”
“I agree. If possible.”
The audio transmission was so strong she heard the click of the lock as Twinge entered the room. She pushed a few more buttons. Now she could actually see what Twinge saw through a remote link to Twinge’s glasses.
The guard was a scrawny guy with a pronounced chin. For some reason, he looked like a former hall monitor. Except now he was working for the SSS, so he got pseudo-religious political gratification in addition to the power trip. He sat at a control desk with eight different video monitors and a laptop. He wore headphones.
“Can I help you?” the guard asked.
“No,” Twinge answered. “Let me help you. You seem very tired.”
“Well, I’m at the shank end of a ten-hour shift. But that doesn’t explain—”
“You need to rest.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I’ll have to ask you—”
“Relax. Enjoy life.”
“Ma’am, I’m—” He yawned like a tiger laying out in the sun. “I’m going to have to see some ID.”
“Go to sleep, you tool.”
His head inched toward the countertop slowly, till finally it dropped. Eyes closed.
“He’s out,” Twinge announced.
“For how long?”
“Long enough. Assuming all goes well. I can’t give him a second infusion of melatonin soon. Could damage his brain.”
“Understood.”
“I’m going to put the guard’s headphones on.” Pause. “Wow, this is amazing.”
“What?”
“I could hear every word anyone says in this entire building if I wanted. I could pick up a whisper in the ladies room.” She adjusted a few knobs. “I bet I could pick up your stomach rumbling.”
“Well, don’t. Shut it all down.”
“Already in progress.” Mnemo had drilled this procedure into her head. She could do it on autopilot. “You’re good to go.”
“Thanks. Stay out of sight. If you see any trouble, let us know immediately.”
“Will do. But what could happen? Face it, Aura. You’ve thought of everything.”
Don’t say that. Please don’t say that…
***
Clyde Hopper, the lobby front-desk guard, heard a chirp from his walkie-talkie.
“Yes?”
“Clyde, we’ve got a systems failure.”
He frowned. “When did it happen?”
“Just now. Anything unusual down there?”
“No.”
“We’re turning on the auxiliary systems. Till we figure out what’s happening. We’ll
patch you in.”
“Understood.” Hopper punched a few buttons on his console. “I’ve got your signal. What’s the cause?”
“Not sure yet. Could be mechanical. Or an unscheduled systems reboot. We’ll monitor carefully. If we detect anything suspicious, we’ll be on it so fast a cockroach couldn’t escape.”
75
Aura stopped in front of the service elevator, with Dream and Tank close behind. The regular elevators did not go up to the penthouse, and the express elevator couldn’t be controlled without a key card. But the service elevator did go all the way up, once upon a time. The blueprints showed the shaft went that high. Access had been deprogrammed. The button corresponding to the sixtieth floor was dead.
“Tank? You’re up to bat.”
Tank pressed her fingers into the crevice between the elevator doors. “Good to know I’m wanted. Whenever the plan calls for brute force.”
“You’re not a brute.”
Tank grunted, pulling at the inert doors. “Thanks, but I know I’m the mule.”
“Thank Gandhi we have a mule. We’d have been dead a long time ago if we didn’t.”
“I suppose that’s true.” Her arms bulged, visible even through the coat. Her face scrunched up, reddened. She pulled even harder.
The doors opened.
They peered into an empty shaft.
“Now, Mnemo.”
From the machine room, Mnemo threw the power switch to the service elevator. They heard the soft dwindling sound of the engine dying.
They had to shut off the power to prevent anyone else from using it while they did, and to override the lockout for the sixtieth floor.
Which left the sticky problem of getting it to move.
“On it,” Tank said, and with one running jump, she leaped into the shaft. Tank clutched the long black cables that reached down to the elevator car several floors beneath them.
Moving at an impressive pace, Tank hauled herself up to the sixtieth floor, then a little beyond. An iron access ladder clung to the far wall. Tank swung herself onto it.
“Way to go, Tank,” she murmured. Then added quietly, “Shine on.”
Tank wrapped her legs around the iron rungs, then leaned backward, reaching out for the cables.
She gave the cables a tug.
Shine: Season One (Shine Season Book 1) Page 33