She wiped some wetness from her eye with a napkin and continued, “Two weeks after he got out, my Dad was leaving for work. He got into his Jeep, and it exploded. It turned out the neighbor put a pipe bomb under the driver seat. As soon as he sat down… It shocked me out of my sleep. I ran downstairs, but… The explosion ripped the vehicle apart.”
“My God, Kayci, I’m so sorry.” Jordan reached out to touch her hand.
“My mother was never the same. She battled fierce depression. I came home one day from high school two years later, and she was slumped in my father’s chair. She was alive, but she had already taken a lethal dose of cyanide. She told me not to worry, that I was strong enough to go on without her, but she wasn’t strong enough to go on without him. She was right. I made it through. I lived with my aunt and uncle until I graduated, went onto college and eventually found my way into the NSA program. I even took my uncle’s last name, Dewitt, because I just didn’t want to be reminded of my family.”
“Kayci, I’m so sorry. I cannot imagine.”
She turned a weak half smile and shrugged. “I’ve cried a lot of tears over them, but the past is the way it is for a reason. I can’t go back. All I can do is live and hope for the best and hopeI’m making them proud.”
Jordan pulled her hand to his face and kissed her knuckles. “I’m sure they’re very proud.” He paused, then, “Do you miss them?”
She shrugged. “I miss what could’ve been. I wonder how different life might’ve turned out. I wanted to be a lawyer growing up, but I washed out of law school in the first year. I tried to join the police academy but washed out of that in the first week. I’m not real good at kissing ass. The NSA found me, and I thought I’d found a home where my talents would be used for the greater good.” She laughed. “I guess my naiveté got the better of me.”
Jordan laid his head back into the seat. “My father died when my mother was pregnant. I never knew him. But my mother said he was a great guy. She said he was her one great love.”
“Your mother sounds sweet.”
He laughed. “Sweet is not really the right word. She can be sweet. But she’s one tough cookie, maybe as tough as you. She ran away from Brooklyn at sixteen. For years, she said it was to get away from her crazy Italian family, said she didn’t want her baby being around mobsters. She said they didn’t like my father because he was Irish and they gave her problems and all that garbage.” He smiled and continued more solemnly. “But later I found out that was all bull. The truth came out. She ran away because she killed a guy. She was out with some girlfriends at a roller rink one night when some clown tried to rape her. I don’t know all the details, but she killed him defending herself. But, you know, it was all in house. It was family business, so they handled it. But my Grandfather felt it was best for her to get out of New York for good, so they set her up in New Jersey, helped her buy a house. I never really got to know my extended family except for my Grandpa.”
“Sometimes it’s easier that way,” she said. “Family can be an anchor.”
“I’m guessing that guy Avery’s kids are probably better off without him.” Jordan felt a twinge of pain in knowing he’d orphaned at least two kids.
“Don’t let that get to you. He wasn’t a good man, and he was a liar. His wife divorced him two years ago. His kids can’t stand him.”
“I know. I sensed all that before I pulled the trigger. I think if he had been a good man, I’d be dead.” Jordan looked at her. He then leaned over and kissed her softly, lingering for only a few seconds before pulling away.
“I hate to bring this up, but we need a plan,” Kayci said.
“I know. We’re running. We need to be fighting.” Jordan washed his words down with a long gulp of cola.
“Jordan, you have to know you’ve done amazing today.”
He nodded. “I know. I’m a rock star.”
She let out a small laugh. “Some spy I am. I’ve been bailed out twice today by an auto mechanic.”
“Hey, that’s automotive technician to you.”
“At least I didn’t say grease monkey.”
“You do kind of suck.” He smiled. “But you saved me too, maybe in more ways than one. I’ve been lucky today, but truth is, I’m out of my league. And I don’t want to die.”
“You’re not going to die. I promise.”
“Yeah, well…that’s a promise no one can keep.”
“I can.”
Jordan almost laughed, but some feeling washed over him that was not funny. He felt flush and swallowed hard. A quick, deep breath caused the feeling to pass. But the impression it left was still present.
“I know what we can do,” Jordan said. “We can get the money and pay off Nathan.”
“He can’t be paid off. He wants it all, and he wants me dead.” She shifted in her chair to face the front. “He knows if I’m alive, he’s in danger.”
“So what do we do?”
“We give him what he wants: me.”
Jordan looked at her. “I’m sorry?”
“I bring him the bank keys, turn myself over to him. And you split. They won’t even bother to look for you. You stay low and keep away from large crowds for a year or two and you’ll be fine.”
“Stop being ridiculous. You’re not giving up after all this shit you’ve put me through. You’ve had me arrested, abducted, beaten, shot at, you’ve turned me into a psychic freak, and I had to kill a guy. You’ve made me rethink my entire life, most importantly you’ve made me fall in love with you.”
She looked away from him into the darkness outside the window of the truck.
“I’m sorry,” Jordan added. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m not sure why I did. I can’t possibly be in love with you, but I feel like I am. My head is just mixed up right now. I’m not entirely sure what’s real and what’s not.”
“I understand,” she replied. “It’s a confusing time. We’ve been through a lot.”
“It’s certainly been a compressed experience.”
“And you’re feelings are not unwarranted. I’m just not one of those people. I’m not…I mean I don’t get there that quickly.”
“I get it,” he admitted. “You don’t have to feel anything.”
She looked at him. “I like you, Jordan, a lot. I just…”
He leaned over and kissed her again, this time longer, deeper.
She pulled back and said, “I have a plan.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Nathan got out of the dark blue Dodge sedan and faced the lake. The fog of the early morning hadn’t lifted and cast a thick cloud over the edges of the water, into the park, and out to the highway. He adjusted his dark blue windbreaker, setting the zipper down to center.
Jordan watched him through the high-powered binoculars. He hoped Kayci was right about this. Jordan had a bad feeling. He didn’t trust these people at all, and it bewildered him that Kayci did. They’d argued about this plan for the better part of the night, but she insisted it would be okay. She said Nathan would not risk anything in the broad daylight with other people around. The problem was there were no other people around.
There was also something about Nathan not being able to kill her because of their connection, but Jordan was skeptical of that notion.
This whole broadcasting thing was confusing. Kayci had been working with him all night. Neither of them had slept much. Jordan knew his grip on it was precarious at best.
The plan was for Jordan to broadcast, acting as if he were a bunch of people watching. This was a busy part of the park normally. A biking and jogging trail snaked along the lakefront and through the trees. Jordan felt like he had the hang of it. Kayci told him just to think in his head like he was at a concert and everyone was cheering. There was really no way to know if it was working.
Jordan scanned the concrete water barrier of Onondaga Lake Park. From the ridge across the parkway, he could see the entire park and most of the lake. It was too early in the morning for there to be much tra
ffic on the four-lane road that split his scene, but a few cars hurried along the highway.
A jogger trotted to his left. Two bike riders trolled along far off to the right. A man walked a medium-sized white-and-brown dog. They meandered in no real pattern from tree-to-tree.
Something about it all was relaxing, yet at the same time he felt like it was all a little bit off. He could not put his finger on it, but something was wrong. He closed his eyes and did what Kayci had instructed him to do. He used every bit of brainpower he could harness and hoped it would be enough.
***
Kayci’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel as she angled the Explorer into the park entrance, past two bike riders heading away from her. She stopped at the end of the lane and took in the scene. An uneasy feeling pricked her. She checked for near frequencies but did not sense anyone but Jordan. Although he wasn’t broadcasting as himself, that did not matter. She shared a connection that could be tapped no matter what the masking technique. In this case, she was proud he was doing a good job. Nathan wouldn’t be able to find him, and now that she was here, Nathan would be focused on her.
The problem was she didn’t sense Kara Bush. Kara was not that gifted a psychic as far as she knew, but then it hit her. If Nathan and Kara had been sleeping together, there is a chance he elevated her. Kara did have potential, but she also had too much anger, which can diminish and even erase power. It was a vicious cycle, from which some psychics never recovered. The first taste of anger leads to frustration, and eventually they got so evil their powers ate them alive until they lashed out and did something horrible to themselves or others.
She eased her foot off the brake and let the SUV crawl forward. As she rounded the bend into the park, heading toward the lake, she resisted looking up to the ridge on her left to see if she could spot Jordan. No doubt, Nathan had felt her coming by now, and would be looking for any indication she wasn’t alone.
This was a risky plan, but she had to take the chance to protect Jordan. This was the only way. It was worth risking her life to protect his.
As she passed by the tall maple trees where a man and his dog wandered about, she saw the blue Dodge. Nathan stood beside it. The fog crushed everything around them, choking off any long distance views across the lake and to their right. Across the parkway to Jordan was somewhat clearer.
Nathan didn’t move. He just stood stoic, facing the lake as if he were on a nature watch. She shut off the engine and climbed out of the SUV. She walked up next to him silently and stood beside him, facing the lake as he was.
“You really screwed this up, Kayci.” Nathan didn’t turn to look at her.
“Whatever. You just need to tell yourself some lie to make it feel okay.”
“You killed Avery. Now we’re all screwed. Fletcher is going to make us all eat this. He’s going to pin the whole thing on the entire unit. Without Avery, our plan is jeopardized.”
“Your plan, not our plan. You need a new plan and that’s why I’m here. That’s why you agreed to meet with me.”
“The new plan is to get the money and get the hell out of the country. Give me the memory cards and I’m gone.” He finally looked over at her.
“Don’t you mean you and Kara are gone?” She adjusted her stance.
Nathan nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I should have known you’d figure that out.”
“Wasn’t hard.”
“I suppose not.”
“Where is she?” Kayci glanced around and scanned the edge of the concrete seawall. She felt uneasy that she could not detect Kara on the frequency plane.
“Close,” he answered. “You’re surprised you can’t read her. She’s come a long way in a short time. She may not be very good at engaging a target, but man-oh-man, she can sure disappear. She’s like a ninja.”
“How close is she?”
“Close enough to have you in the scope of the sniper rifle in her hands.” He looked to Kayci and smiled as a rush of fear vibrated into her spine. She knew he could not kill her without doing massive damage to his powers. But Kara, hidden from a distance with a sniper rifle, was another story.
Nathan laughed. “You didn’t think I’d play fair, did you? And don’t act so surprised. I know you’re not alone. I’m probably in the scope of a rifle too.”
“No, I’m not alone.” Kayci knew the words were hollow, but she tried to hide it. Jordan was not close enough to do anything, not close enough to save her. He was just running interference. Knowing it didn’t matter now if Nathan tried to tune in on Jordan. She reached out to him in her mind and tried to tell him what he needed to know.
“How’s your new boyfriend coming along? Have you used him yet?” Nathan shot her a look that made her skin crawl.
“It’s not going to work, Nathan. I’m not that girl anymore.”
“So you did use him. I assumed. He has quite a high natural frequency. Did you tell him?” His attention was back on the lake.
Kayci furled her brow. “Tell him what?”
“Don’t play dumb. Did you tell him how high his frequency is? Did you tell him that if the government finds out, they’re going to stop at nothing to turn him into an asset? He’s the highest I’ve ever seen, Kayci. Higher than anyone we’ve ever had in the program. He’s known for two days, and I’m struggling to touch him now. A year from now, no one on this planet will be able to read him or keep him out. None of the old guard are going to let him live. He’s too dangerous.”
“He’s a long way from there.”
“Not as far as you think. That kid from Miami took six months to get where your boy Jordan is right now, and he was being primed as the next great one.”
“And he cracked severely. He put a bullet through his brain because of us.” She turned to face him. “That kid was twenty years old. Avery should have never taken him on. He knew the risk with someone that young. You should not have let him continue.”
“You can let that guilt eat you alive, Kayci. But I’m a sociopath. I could care less about who I hurt, and you know it better than anyone.”
She turned away from him and leaned her back into the sedan. “Jordan is thirty. He’s been dormant long enough to handle it. He’s not—” She trailed off.
“He’s not you,” Nathan interrupted. “You never got over being pulled into this so young.”
“It was my choice. I welcomed this with open arms.”
“Kayci, your past is an anchor. You need to drop it.”
“I’m not you, and my past can be a part of me without it dragging me down.”
“Your past is not what you think it is,” he warned.
“What does that mean?”
Nathan turned away from the water and faced her. “This has been fun and all, but I’m out of time. Are you going to give me the keys?”
She let out a long breath. “On two conditions”
“You’re not in the position to be making demands.”
“You take the money and leave us alone.”
“I can’t do that.” Nathan moved a step closer to her. “I know damn well you’re going to tell the truth. You’re too damn honest.”
“I won’t turn you in if you walk away now,” she promised. “We just want out of this mess. I’m done, Nate. I want out. I don’t want to be running for the rest of my life.”
“You can’t fool me, Kayci. I can’t let you live. Jordan is of no danger to me if you’re gone. You’re too dangerous, and I can’t live my life looking over my shoulder. Face it. You know why you came here today. You didn’t want to run from me for the rest of your life. We can’t both exist in this world. If I could kill you myself, I would. But you still have to die.”
“No, that’s not true,” she interjected with stern certainty. “You can’t exist with me because of your own ego and paranoia. I have no intention to look for you. If you take that money and leave, you will never see me again, unless you come looking for me.”
“I wish I could believe that. But I know you’re lyi
ng. You’re lying to yourself.”
“No, Nathan, your ego is getting the best of you, as usual.”
“Your weakness is getting the best of you. You’ve let this guy blind you again, just like you did with me. You’re in love, and as usual, too quickly. It’s clouding your judgment, your ability.”
“I don’t even know what the hell you are talking about.” She shook her head. He was not making sense, but in a way, he was.
“Give me the keys,” He demanded forcefully.
Kayci studied his sweating red face. She had never seen him get so upset. He was usually a very cool customer. His brow was twitching, and his lips seemed to be saying imaginary words.
“Now, dammit, give me the keys now!” He took hold of her arm.
She fired a snap-kick to his knee, and he let go of her with a yelp of pain. “Don’t touch me.” She slid her hand into the front pocket of her jeans and took hold of the USB sticks. She held them up to him.
He reached out and took hold of the sticks. A smile spread across his face. “Yes, perfect,” he said, and in that instant she knew why he had the anxiety. He was going to kill her right now. “Take your shot.”
As the words came out of his mouth, Kayci was already moving toward the cover of the seawall. She never heard the crack of the rifle, but she felt a punch to her back that threw her forward. The pain was intense and she staggered forward with enough momentum to slam into the waist-high wall and tumble over. The last thing she saw was the water and rocks rushing at her.
***
Jordan yelled “no”, but he wasn’t in time to stop the shot. Kara looked at him in surprise, then turned the long gun on him. But he had the drop on her and fired one round from the pistol that hit her right in the forehead and she crumpled to the ground.
He ran to her with the gun still trained to make sure she was not moving. She was dead.
With reckless abandon, he jumped the seawall and charged the park, straight at the car that was pulling away from the scene. While running, he raised the pistol and fired round after round at the oncoming Dodge’s windshield until the chamber was empty. The car didn’t stop, and Jordan dove to the grass, just barely avoiding the vehicle.
Savior Frequency (Frequency Series Book 1) Page 14