Direct Contact

by Ninette Swann

  But nothing happened.

  Chapter Eight

  Teo didn’t know Julie had freed herself—or maybe he was so accustomed to seeing blood on the people he interrogated that he didn’t take note. Or maybe in his haste to hit her, he hadn’t fully looked at her. Or maybe he was too enraptured by the way her breasts rose and fell under the small strip of black material stretched over them. That’s where his eyes were, anyway. Whatever the reason, she thanked the stars.

  When the second slap knocked the slab table back, dislocating her jaw, she ignored the pain and slipped quickly under the table, to its shelf, knocking the various vials to the hard, tile floor, where they shattered, leaking their contents.

  Teo swore and jumped back. Whatever was in those beakers, he didn’t want to touch it. Good. The general moved around to the front of the table, speaking into the gadget on his wrist and calling for backup.

  “You fucking whore,” he snarled, reaching his beefy forearm between the top of the table and the ledge on which she lay, attempting to grab her hair and pull her through. When his thick fingers wrapped around the strands, she pushed her feet hard at the table’s bottom. His yank combined with her push-off sent her hurling into him, head first. She made contact with the hard contours of his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and he stumbled backward, his back hitting the wall.

  “Stupid bitch!” he shouted, wrapping his arm around her neck, choking off her air supply. She gave him a sharp elbow to the ribs. Her strength appeared to take him off-guard. Though his grip held, he tottered a bit, taking in a sharp breath.

  She forced herself to her feet, the lack of air turning her vision yellow and fuzzy. With the large man on top of her, she could do nothing but collapse back down, even with her abilities. So that’s what she did. She maneuvered her weight and used the last of her strength to hit the ground as hard as possible—with him still underneath her. His head smacked the floor below, and his hold finally loosened, just as she felt herself starting to black out. Breathless and shaken, she wrenched herself away from him. He was quick and scrambled to his feet, backing up to the other side of the room. They faced each other like caged cats, pacing back and forth slowly, bodies ready for a fight.

  His eyes flicked down to the liquid on the floor. The liquid she was standing in.

  “How are you—”

  Before he could finish his question, she barreled into him, head first, curling her elbow by her obliques and bringing it up in an intense uppercut aimed right at his groin.

  “You shouldn’t have come in here so unprepared, General,” she said as she watched his writhing form. Her foot connected with his kidney, and the hulking man slid a few feet away from her, still curled in agony. Close to the spillage, now, Julie saw Teo Mathis try to raise himself and fail then army crawl back away from it. She ran to the table where the ropes that had held her remained, unraveled and hanging. Dipping the long loose end of one of those cords into the puddles on the floor, she used the length as a whip, spraying the liquid over the general, causing him to scream in pain. Where the drops hit, his skin peeled away, disintegrating and forming deep holes in his body. The acidic nature of the stuff left her unharmed. She didn’t understand it but didn’t question it, either. She decided it must be another side effect of the serum and gloated that the general now looked as bad as she felt. Both of them were bloodied, their muscle and tissue showing outside their skin.

  She hit him again and again with the rope, each new attack leaving rotting, seared human flesh in its wake. When he was begging her for mercy, she contemplated moving him into the puddle itself and being rid of him for good, but torture was Teo’s specialty. The thought made Julie’s stomach rise into her throat, and she simply left him there, screaming on the floor. He’d be no good to anyone until he got some medical attention. She had to find Malcolm and Anna and get out of Terrecina before that backup arrived.

  She ran from the room, took stock of where she was and heard the lockdown alarm go off. That would make it difficult to get to the Special Ones. But, being an attendant, Julie knew the secret rooms and passages of the castle—at least, the ones that pertained to the girls. She’d have to get to them first and hoped Malcolm could hold his own. She couldn’t waste time trying to find him in this mess. Plus, if they had him, it would take her time to fight the guards. And she didn’t have time to spare.

  She felt the shock of hard floor meeting her feet all the way up her calves as she ran down the hall. The alarms started to blare. The tile was freezing, and each time her bare foot hit the ground, a shock of pain pulsed up her limb, half from the temperature assaulting her foot and half from the rope burns she’d sustained. With every step, the shrill horns grew fuzzier and more distant as her lungs struggled for air and her mind clouded over.

  She leaned against the palace wall, the cool, rough stone digging into her bare skin at her abdomen. She was only halfway to the passageway to the girls’ quarters, and who knew if Anna was even still there? After leaving Twenty-six, Julie had gone to Anna. She’d been with her when they’d taken her. Still, she reasoned, even if Anna wasn’t there, the serums and potion ingredients were in the room used for the girls’ baths. She could recover there, regroup.

  She was about to start running again when she heard a moan, just barely audible over the wailing sirens.

  “Julie!” The voice called her name, cracked and broken but unmistakably Malcolm’s.

  Straining her ears, she listened for any other sounds. It could be a trap.

  “Julie, hurry. My satchel.”

  Still not answering, Julie sidled to the entryway she’d just run past. The thick door was opened just a crack as if someone had slammed it too hard and in protest, it had refused to latch but instead popped back with the extra force.

  “Are you alone?” she said as quietly as she was able. Already, she was more confident. Had the emperor or his guards been around, they’d have swooped down upon her within moments of the first call. Unless they were waiting inside to trap her. She hoped she’d be able to discern clues from Malcolm’s voice. She tried dipping into his mind. She was too exhausted to complete the mental effort and gave up quickly, needing to reserve what little strength she had left.

  “Yes, but hurry!” His whispers sounded genuine, and she took a chance. The heavy door slowly creaked inward when she forced her weight against it until she stared at a tied-down and dirty Malcolm Odin. The ring of gray around his eyes indicated that he’d managed to take the serum, and her adrenaline kicked in. Maybe, they could make this work after all.

  “You have the serum—red and blue?” she asked, not looking at him but instead watching her own fingers as they worked the restraints around his ankles.

  Malcolm grunted a yes, but it was cut off by a curse as the rope slid free, rasping across his raw skin.

  “Good,” Julie replied, moving on to the ties around his wrists. “You’ll need it. We all will.” She untangled the knots, twisting and turning them, trying to keep the rough surfaces away from his sensitive flesh. She failed, and he groaned with pain.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. She managed to loosen the bond enough so he could struggle out of it. “Can you find Anna?” she asked.

  “I don’t know where she is.” He sat up, holding his head. Taking a moment to breathe, he let his elbows fall to his knees and buried his face in his hands. Then he seemed to come to a conclusion, looked up and reached out for her.

  She knew she should stay away from his embrace. She couldn’t let her mind become clouded by emotion, but the warmth of his frame comforted her, and she couldn’t bear to draw away from him. Instead, she curled into him, for just a moment, sighing out her frustration and nerves.

  “You have to use your mind. Focus on her; try to talk to her with your mind.”

  “What? I can’t… Those other times were just accidents.”

  “Yes but they happened. And without the aid of the serum that’s now running through your body. Try again. Ask her where s
he is. She’s also taken an injection and should be receptive to your messages, no matter how scared she is.”

  Malcolm closed his eyes, and his breathing steadied, a warm pattern of out breaths hitting her neck, one after the other. She waited long minutes, not daring to move lest she shatter any connection he might be making with Number Twenty-seven.

  Finally, his eyelids fluttered open. “She’s in a small holding area. It’s hot there. And dark. She doesn’t know where it is.”

  “The kitchens.” Julie knew right away. The girl was being kept close to where Julie had just battled Teo Mathis. She shuddered at the idea of going back that way but reminded herself that they’d have to return there eventually anyway. The quickest way down to The Levels was through the incinerator. She’d have to skip the baths and go with what she had, which she feared simply wasn’t enough. “Grab the bag, and let’s go.”

  Chapter Nine

  The images came quickly, blinding Malcolm to reality. If Julie hadn’t been holding his hand, tugging him along, Malcolm didn’t know that he would have made it on his own. He couldn’t see the corridor down which they ran and nearly bumped into a wall on the far side before Julie pulled him back. He was lost in a world of darkness, hearing only Anna’s whimpers and seeing a pitch black cell.

  Are you hurt? he tried to ask, and the energy to push out the thought stripped his already leaden legs of any power they’d still had. He buckled, nearly falling. Julie caught him by the crooks of his elbows and lugged him over to a corner where they both collapse.

  No answer came.

  After a few moments, Julie pointed to a small doorway obscured by the wall up ahead.

  “That passage is a way to the kitchens. It will bring us around the backside. It’s a longer route, but we won’t have to pass the emperor’s quarters.” She shuddered, leaning up against him. “I don’t want to see Teo again.”

  Malcolm nodded, following her wordlessly. Once at the door, which really looked just like the wall except for the conspicuous alignment of the stones, she hit the bottom three with the palm of her hand. Tap, tap, tap. The grinding sound of rock against rock grated out above even the alarm system’s wail. By now, the power in the palace had been short-circuited, and all the hallways were darkened. Malcolm wondered if the inhabitants had been told it was just a drill. Then he wondered about all the other “drills” he had lived through, and a chill went up his spine.

  The passageway was narrow and short, and they had to crawl inside on their hands and knees. Once they were both fully through the entry, Julie turned around, brushing against his torso. His breath caught as he saw the red reflection of the emergency lights glitter in her eyes. She leaned into him quickly, pressing her mouth to his then in a fluid motion, she reached her arm outside the opening and tapped the wall again.

  She’d just barely drawn it back in again when the rocks slid closed.

  “That was close,” she whispered, the sound absorbed by the cool, wet moss growing in the unused passageway. The sirens were muffled down to a dull vibration rather than a screech now that they were surrounded by concrete.

  He had opened his mouth to reply when a wave of mental energy knocked the wind out of him.

  Help. Help!

  The darkened area flashed white before his eyes, and he saw three masked guards approaching little Anna, who cowered in a corner. One of them had a rope; the other two were armed with guns and knives.

  “The emperor will see you now,” a menacing voice said. Malcolm couldn’t make out who they were, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was getting there.

  “We have to go!” he shouted, his words swallowed in the mossy overgrowth. They crawled through the tiny space until it opened up to standing height.

  He grabbed Julie’s hand and propelled her along, using his other forearm to protect his face and body while navigating the tight twists and turns. His energy seemed to have replenished, and more. He felt better than he ever had. Could the serum finally be working?

  Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet disappeared. He tumbled forward, pitching Julie ahead of him as he lost all balance. They rolled down what appeared to be steps, each stone ledge battering their already bruised skin. Landing in a pile at the bottom, they both pulled the dank air into their lungs as quickly as possible and tried to regain their bearings.

  “Where are we?” he asked.

  Julie shrugged. “I’ve never used this one before,” she said. “I only know about it from George’s lessons.”

  “Well, we must be at the end of it, I can hear the sirens again.”

  He felt her nod against him, her chin bobbing up and down. “Let’s find the door, then,” she said in a matter-of-fact way as if they had all the time in the world.

  “How are you so calm?” he asked, almost annoyed at her lack of alarm.

  She stood as she answered him. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. You just found out about it a few days ago.” She brushed his arm in reassurance. “Give yourself a chance to catch up. You’re allowed to freak out.” She patted the far wall. “Just wait until we get down to The Levels to do it, okay? Now, run your fingers over that barrier there, and stop if you feel a small, square lump. That could be the switch.”

  The cool, gritty surface scratched at the pads of his fingers as he raced them over the wall. He and Julie had to find that switch and find it fast. Anna could have already been removed from the cell.

  He was just about to give up when a block moved beneath his touch. The hidden panel peeled away, and Malcolm found himself face-to-face with the three guards who must have stormed out of Anna’s cell when they’d heard the rumbling. The one with the rope tackled Julie, bringing them both down.

  While they scuffled at Malcolm’s feet, one of the others advanced, brandishing a long knife that glinted menacingly under the emergency lights. Malcolm couldn’t see the man’s face, but his eyes crinkled at the edges as if he were smiling about what he was about to do. He raised the weapon to strike, and Malcolm ducked under him, punching the third guard who had remained in Anna’s doorway keeping watch. The quick jab didn’t do much damage, but it knocked the guard back a few steps and gave Malcolm room to lunge forward and take out his legs.

  The two landed inside Julie’s holding cell and grappled. Malcolm heard the scrape of metal on tile and wrenched the guard’s arm up away from his belt. Kneeing the man in the stomach, Malcolm twisted his own body and fumbled to reach the firearm holstered at the guard’s waist. He took a swift elbow to the face and automatically stomped his heel down as hard as he could. The blow landed to the guard’s inner upper thigh and caused him to hiss in pain.

  Malcolm grabbed the gun, not understanding what had taken over his instincts, and rolled himself in the opposite direction, rising to his feet. Without stopping to think, he pointed it at the man accosting Julie, aimed for the head and fired. A pool of dark blood seeped from the man as he went limp. He started, surprised at the scene in front of him, the scene he’d just created. While he’d trained at the palace’s shooting range as a younger man, he’d never taken aim at a real person before. And killing someone… He couldn’t think about it now.

  Julie stood, turning, and as she did, her mouth dropped open and she pointed behind him. Just then, Malcolm heard the unmistakable click of a safety lock. Then the cool barrel of a weapon pressed against the nape of his neck.

  “Nobody move,” the man said in an authoritative tone. “I’ll kill the scientist.”

  Julie slowly raised her arms above her head, and the guard Malcolm had been fighting earlier calmly walked over to her and grabbed her around her middle. After securing her to him, he reached down into the pocket of his black costume and drew out some sort of walkie-talkie device. Before he could speak, though, Anna’s angry shriek sounded above the loud buzzing of the alarms. The guard standing behind Malcolm lost his footing, falling to the ground, and the gun clattered away from him.

  Malcolm spun around, pointing his weapon at the guard.


  “Anna,” he shouted at the girl who had just saved his life by tackling a man three times her size, “grab the gun!”

  The little thing scampered to the corner of her room and picked up the weapon, holding it shakily away from herself.

  “Point it at the man I’m aiming my gun at. The safety is off. If he moves, fire.” Malcolm didn’t leave any room for questioning, and he hoped the girl had the strength to do what she was told if it came to that.

  She nodded and trained her weapon on the fallen guard.

  Malcolm grimaced slightly. It was obvious she had no idea what she was doing.

  A whimper from behind him reminded him of why he’d had Anna covering the guard.

  Julie.

  Malcolm spun again, but the guard held fast to Julie’s middle, sneering.

  “You don’t scare me, boy,” he said, running his hand up her abdomen and cupping her breast, pinching it. Julie spit at him, and he shouted in surprise. He tightened his grip then reached down for the knife hanging from his leg.

  Malcolm shot him in the shoulder, and when the man didn’t let go of Julie, Malcolm shot him again. The guard finally slumped, and his grip on Julie slackened.

  As soon as she was free, Julie sprung like a cat to the opposite corner of the room, landing on the guard who had been inching his way toward a scared and shivering Anna. Malcolm joined her, grabbing the rope from the floor where it had been dropped. They tied him quickly.

  “Where were you taking her?” Malcolm asked roughly, his tone betraying his emotion.

  “I’ll never tell you.”

  “Did you not just see me shoot your buddies dead? I will end you.”

  The guard flicked a nervous look over the bodies of his two partners. Malcolm kicked him in the shin then cocked his gun, letting it rest on the guard’s temple.

  “Where were you taking her?” This time there was nothing in his voice but steely determination.