by Dale Mayer
He peered around the corner.
“Shit.”
He raced forward, and she followed. Charlie lay out cold on the ground. Connor bent down to check his pulse. “He’s alive, but he doesn’t look too good.”
“Where’s Bernie?” She searched the small cavern, but there was no sign of the second man. Black wisps of his energy dotted the area, but in a straight line, as if he’d bolted and didn’t look back. So what the hell had happened to his buddy?
“Any idea what happened to Charlie?”
“None. There is no apparent sign of an injury.” She shook her head as she turned her gaze to the prone man. “His energy level is dangerously low. He must be injured internally. There’s no other possibility.”
Connor did a quick search of the man’s body then sat back on his heels. “I don’t know. Maybe he’s got a concussion.” He glanced up at her. “Or maybe Bernie found a way to drain Charlie’s energy to use for himself?”
“Regardless, he needs help. Now we really have to get to the surface. This has gone too far.”
Connor stared at her. “And finding the dead men didn’t say that to you before? You needed to see another injured man to become worried? We need to talk. Your priorities are so screwed.”
She glared at him. “The men were dead so we didn’t need to worry about them. This guy needs help.”
“Ah, remember, this guy is the one that killed those others. Why does he deserve more attention than his victims?”
Mouth open, she could only stare at him. “This is a stupid conversation.”
He shook his head. “What is the fastest way out of here?”
Relieved about the change of topic, she turned around, trying to reorient herself. “Not far up ahead is one of the entrances into the middle of the tunnel.”
He nodded, bent, and lifted the injured man up. “Lead the way.”
She ran ahead. She hadn’t expected him to bring the man with them, but considering how long it would take to bring help back to the injured man, it only made sense.
The tunnel was deserted. She came to the turnoff and stopped. Bernie had continued down into the main caves. A part of her didn’t want to leave the other man down here.
“Which way?”
She glanced back at him, noted the corded forearms and the tightness around his lips, and realized that Charlie was as heavy as he looked and she was just standing there, gawking. “Sorry. We’re going this way.”
She led him back to the surface, trying not to continuously look back to check on him. Once up on the surface, she took several deep breaths, filling her lungs with fresh air. Connor lay Charlie down on the grass and fished out his phone.
He reached Matt immediately. Genesis tuned out much of the conversation until she heard her name. She spun around and watched. Connor’s gaze was locked on hers as he said, “Yes, she’s here with me. She says there’s something wrong in the caves. She needs to talk to you.” Connor was silent for a moment. “Fine. We’ll be here.”
He closed his phone and put it away. “He’s coming himself. And he wants you to be here when he arrives.”
Genesis nodded. Inside, she winced at the wording. Maybe she should take off instead of talking to him.
“He needs to talk to you. About a lot of things, apparently.” Connor looked at her in question, curiosity in his gaze.
She refused to open the discussion. The Council had had a huge problem with Granny. Genesis herself had little to do with them. And she preferred it that way. Then again, she might not have a choice anymore. This energy reserve needed help way more than her need to stay out of the limelight. “So are you going to take him out of here and then come back?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m staying. He’s sending a craft to pick up the injured man.”
She raised one eyebrow. “Nice to have money.”
“The Council always has money.”
“Yeah, they just don’t like to spend it on necessities.”
“More to the point, they may not know what those necessities are.” He gave her a pointed look. “Now you will get a chance to tell Matt what they are.”
She snorted. “Like he will care.”
“Don’t tar Matt with the same brush as the others.”
“Maybe, maybe not. And how come you’re so sure?”
“He’s a friend. I’ve known him a long time. The man comes from heart.”
She rolled her eyes. “Right. So it’s not that he’s honest and moral and cares about the forest or any of us that work that energy, but that he’s an old drinking buddy. Got it.”
“Hey.” Connor’s voice was sharp. “He’s anything but a drinking buddy. And he does care. If you can read energy like I remember you can, you can check him out when he arrives.”
“It’s not allowed, remember?”
“Bull. You do it all the time. I don’t mean an invasive reading, but enough that you can see who he is inside.”
“Why would I believe that? Many are talented enough to hide who they are inside.”
“Damn, you are stubborn.”
She offered a grim smile. “Lessons learned, and all that.”
She turned her back on him to study the prone man. He was in a bad way. She didn’t want to do too much, as she could cause more harm, but her granny had always said that energy work, done with the right intention, could never hurt anyone.
She got to work. She started pulling the black strands of energy away from his system and flicking them to the ground where they wallowed for a few moments, then slowly sank.
*
Connor watched Genesis work. He used to be able to see much of what she was doing, but right now, it was as if she was acting out a pantomime in front of him. He wished Matt would hurry up. His new hovercraft was damn fast, but he still had to get to it and get it in the air. Thankfully, it was big enough to carry several people.
Just as he turned back to Genesis, he heard a high-pitched whine. That had to be Matt.
The whine came closer, and just when he thought the noise would overwhelm him, it shut off, and right beside him, the hovercraft lowered and parked.
“How did he know where to find us so fast?” Genesis asked softly. Connor wondered the same.
Matt strode over. Two other men carrying a stretcher raced to arrive first. Genesis stepped back and let the others work but hovered, as if unsure of their skill level.
Connor held out his hand to greet his old friend, a man who appeared dark and imposing to others, but Matt threw an arm around his shoulder and squeezed. “A hell of a mess.”
“True.” The three watched as the injured man was loaded up and carried back to the craft.
Matt waved them off. “They will come back for me.” As soon as they lifted off and the noise level settled down, Matt turned to study Genesis.
She walked over to stand beside Connor. “I hope he’ll be okay.”
“So do I,” said Connor, staring at her, but for a different reason. “I want to know who the hell he is working for.”
“We also need to find the second man,” Matt said. He stepped forward and held out his hand to Genesis. “I’m Matt Luker. Nice to finally meet you.” She stared at it, then at him.
Connor held his breath.
Chapter 13
Genesis didn’t know what to make of Matt. A definite large-and-in-charge-type of man. And they needed that right now, yet she knew some of his history from her sister. She shook his hand, sliding a sidelong glance at Connor. “You can breathe now,” she muttered. “What did you think I was going to do, hit him?”
“You can hit me any time.” Matt laughed. “As long as we are being friendly, maybe you can fill me in on what the hell is going on.”
She scowled. “Like I know.”
Connor sighed. “But you know more than most.”
She shrugged and explained what little she knew.
“Construction at the healing pools?” Matt frowned. “That will nullify the actual healing energy.�
�
“Exactly. But I doubt the person who is building there cares. It’s likely a for-profit project.” She shrugged. “Like so much in life, people are greedy, and if they think they can lock up the healing pools and charge for entrance, they would.”
“The forest is for everyone,” Connor said.
Matt shook his head. “There’s long been an argument on that point.” He studied Genesis.
To avoid his piercing gaze, she turned to study the foliage around them. This conversation needed to change, and fast. “Are we ready to go back down there?”
“I am.” Matt said.
Connor frowned at Matt. “Do you not have a security team coming?”
Matt shook his head. “A little difficult to know who to trust these days. I’ve done a major house cleaning but haven’t finished the job. I’m waiting for a couple of members to play the next hand so I can ascertain how far the poison has spread.”
Genesis could understand that. And with every word he spoke, she was starting to like Matt better and better.
She turned to lead the way back to the caves, taking the same path as she had before. The men fell into step behind her. As she walked, she listened. This was one of Connor’s friends. A man Connor both liked and respected. Did he know about Connor’s missing talents? If they were close, he should.
At the tunnel opening, she glanced back to see if they were following. They were only a few feet behind, but they weren’t paying any attention to her.
She started down the narrow trail. The blackness enveloped her immediately. She stopped, panic filling her lungs. What the heck? She spun around to retreat when she realized she wasn’t alone.
And the person with her wasn’t Connor or Matt.
She froze, letting her senses come alive. This was the same sort of blackness that they’d dealt with earlier. And it was an illusion, nothing more than energy. And energy she could do.
Blindfolded.
And that was a good thing, because that’s how this space made her feel.
Heavy breathing somewhere very close by brought up her flight response from inside, and she wanted to shove the energy back and bolt for the surface. She had to count on the fact that Connor was somewhere behind her. In fact, that heavy breathing could be him.
But it didn’t feel like him.
And he’d had no chance to get ahead of her.
Remi, where are you? A tiny hand slipped into hers. He was here. And not happy about the situation.
As the general location and timbre of the heavy breathing hadn’t changed, she had to wonder if the worker was blinded by his own energy. Could he not see her? Or the men? If so, what good was a talent that blinded everyone? But his talent didn’t look normal. The blackness was unwholesome. Tainted.
That’s what it was. His talent had become corrupt. Diseased, maybe. Not having seen anything like it, she didn’t know what to call it. But it seemed unnatural – as if it wasn’t the same talent he’d been born with. Had he done something deliberately to change it? Or…there were rumors of some people going insane by running too hot. Something that could have happened long ago, when this planet was first inhabited.
But surely not now.
Now, as she studied the cloying blackness around her, she wondered why anyone would willingly change their energy, their talent.
Surely they were all doing fine without interference?
But that blackness said something else altogether. Drugs maybe? Earth problems had quickly become Glory problems, even with all the restrictions and regulations in place.
Exhaling so gently that her breath wouldn’t raise any waves of the blackness around her, she pulled her own energy forward and wove the strands into a secure netting around both her and Remi. She’d have included the men if she could, but she couldn’t tell if they were anywhere nearby.
As the energy built up protectively around her, she was able to see though the darkness.
Bernie stood at her side, his chest heaving, his hands clasped to his side, blood dripping down his legs.
Then he collapsed. On her.
She went down, crying out for help as she tried to support the injured man. She couldn’t grab him, her hands slipping as they quickly became covered in blood. Using her energy, she shoved back the blackness and called out, “Connor, help.”
Silence.
She twisted so she could look behind her and found both Connor and Matt collapsed on the trail above her.
*
Connor woke to a splitting headache. Genesis was at his side, her back to him. As he rolled his head over to stare at her, she turned around.
“Hey,” he murmured. “What happened?”
“An energy overload.” Relief filled her face, her gaze intent as she studied him. “You look better.”
“Was Matt knocked out?”
She nodded. “Yes, he was. And that’s exactly the first question he asked me about you.”
A grin pulled briefly at his mouth. “Yeah, he would.”
“How’s the headache?”
“Unbelievable.” His eyes drifted close. The headache eased, then eased some more. He opened his eyes to find her moving her hand over his head. “What are you doing?”
“Moving the black energy away from your head. That’s what was causing the pain.”
“Oh.” He let his eyelids drift close again, welcoming the easing off of the pounding tempo in his head.
After a few minutes, it was as if a cool cloth had been placed on his forehead. He opened his eyes again to find her moving back to sit beside him. And then he realized he was lying on a bed in an unfamiliar room.
He lifted his head. “Where are we?”
“At the Council headquarters.”
He fell back. “Interesting choice.”
“Not mine. Matt’s men ordered it. I could hardly leave you alone, so I had to come. Although it would be better if I had stayed back there. At least there I had options. Here, I’m stuck,” she said, a note of bitterness in her voice.
“Not really,” he said carefully. “Matt’s men would take you where you need to go.”
“But the truth is, she wouldn’t go without you.”
Matt spoke from the doorway behind him. With effort, Connor rolled over to find Matt walking toward him. His gait was a little unsteady, and he looked like Connor felt. Or had felt, before Genesis fixed his head.
“You look like shit,” Matt said good-naturedly.
Connor grinned. “But you feel like shit. Genesis removed my headache so although I’m not vertical yet, I feel much better than you do,” he said cheerfully.
Matt glared at them both. “That’s cheating.”
Genesis rolled her eyes. “Hardly. You weren’t here to work on. Sit down and I’ll remove the black from your head too.”
Matt obediently sat down in a vacant chair. “Is that what’s causing this pounding?”
“Yes.”
She quickly plucked out the largest of the black stands twisting through his head.
Instantly Matt groaned with relief. “Oh God, thank you. That feels so much better.”
She smiled down at him and continued to work.
After a moment, Matt said in a quiet voice, “You are a miracle worker. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She stepped back with a smile, but then her expression flattened. “Where is the injured man? And is he going to be okay?”
“He’s likely to survive. But he’s not conscious as yet. Neither is the other one. They are both in bad shape.”
“That’s too bad. We could use some answers,” Connor said, sitting up. He swung his legs and stood up. The room twisted slightly as he stabilized, but it was better than he expected. “I feel much better.” He turned around to stare at the other two. “So now what?”
Genesis stood up. “So now I return to the caves and find out what’s going on.”
“Not alone.”
“You’ve been injured.” She stared at him, a serious tone in her v
oice. “I think you should stay here.”
Matt was already shaking his head. “No. You can’t go alone.”
Connor snorted. “And I’m not staying here like an invalid. I’m going with you. Matt can get answers from Bernie.”
“Bernie?” Matt glanced from one to the other. “Was the other man Charlie?”
“Yes,” Genesis replied, surprise on her face.
“Why?” asked Connor.
“They are imported muscle. I’ve heard their names kicked around.”
“They killed the men in the caves.”
“Speaking of which, the crew should be back soon.” Matt checked his watch. “I sent them to retrieve the bodies.”
“We also need to find the murder weapon.” Connor didn’t like not having an answer to that question. The first group of men had been shot. He understood that Bernie and Charlie had been responsible. But he hadn’t seen a gun on either of them. How did that work? He’d been the one down there with a gun. All he could figure was they’d thrown it away. Good luck finding it then. Those caves were vast mazes. It was likely gone forever.
“Regardless of these men, I still need to go below and find out if there has been some damage. Charlie’s energy is not normal. Drugs might explain the changes, but I think something is going on in the caves, close to the core, that caused it. And is likely causing the damage to the forest.”
“Like what?” Matt asked. “And how was his energy affected?”
Connor watched the two stare at each other. “I know I don’t have your abilities, but that blackness was dangerous.”
“You do have your abilities though,” Genesis said calmly, “but you’re right. That energy is dangerous. I’m pretty sure Charlie was adversely affected just being around Bernie. Bernie finally succumbed to the overload when he fell on me.” She faced Matt. “I don’t know what they are doing down there, if anything, but something is out of whack in the caves.” She shrugged. “Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s man-made. Maybe someone is trying to change the healing balance of the waters. I don’t know.”
Connor tried to listen, but his mind had stalled at her initial words.