Thoughtless

by Jacqueline Gardner

  "I'm sorry. Who'd you say you were?" My vision was coming back. This man's brain had a few scattered thoughts but it seemed like his mind was on lock down. I'd have to search real hard for the information I wanted. Nothing was readily available.

  "I didn't," the man replied. Rory's thoughts began churning until his brain was on overload. I was right, was all he could think. This wasn't the killer's first stop.

  "Are you a Fed?" Rory studied the man, still not sure if he could be trusted. "Let's see a badge." The man looked annoyed but he pulled a badge from his jacket pocket. He held it up so Rory could see it. "Toss it here. I want to see it up close."

  "Are you an expert on badges, kid?" The agent tossed him his badge. Rory examined it.

  "Just an expert on sorting out liars," Rory responded. "Agent Squires?" The agent smiled. He turned to me, walked over, and offered a hand. I let him help me up. Rory watched, still with a look of suspicion.

  "The two of you are lucky. You could've both been killed," he stated. Rory threw the badge back to Agent Squires.

  "You think?" Rory folded his arms.

  "Uh, sir? Or whatever you are?" I clutched my stomach and tried standing up straight. There was still a burning that wouldn't go away. "That kid he had like . . . well, his eyes looked like . . ." At this point, I wasn't sure if I'd been imagining things. Agent Squires finished my sentence before I could find the right words to say.

  "His eye looked like they were on fire? Yeah, that's because he wasn't himself. He was forced to do what he just did." Rory raised an eyebrow. He didn't know what to do with that bit of information. Me on the other hand, I was shocked. Was that even possible?

  "How?" I stuttered. The agent looked down. That's why he was here. He'd been searching for that answer for a long time.

  "I don't know. I'm just glad I got here in time. The others weren't so lucky." Agent Squires eyed the two of us. I gulped.

  "Others?" I stuttered again. Agent Squires had been tracking killings across the United States. He'd always figured things out a little too late. But this time things were different. A crime had been committed, yet the killer was still in town. That had to mean something.

  "Yes, there have been other victims."

  "I knew it!" Rory exclaimed. "I knew we were dealing with a psycho. So, what now?"

  "Now, we get him out of here." Agent Squires pointed to the student with auburn hair. "His name is Bryce and he might know something that could help our investigation." I tried not to look worried. Bryce had been forced to do a lot of things, including things meant to drive me insane. What if he knew my secret? He'd tell Agent Squires and then I'd be in serious trouble.

  "Uh, when can we talk to him?" I asked. Agent Squires gave me a funny look.

  "I'm going to question him. The two of you are going wait patiently at home while the FBI figures this out." The agent's comment upset Rory. We were dealing with a serial killer, and Rory had been threatened twice. The killer somehow knew things that no one else could know. We couldn't just sit at home and wait.

  "Why can't we help?" Rory followed Agent Squires as he bent over and tugged at Bryce's body.

  "Look around kid." He pulled at a wire that led to a small web cam in the corner. The one Rory had been trying to set up before the funeral. "You'll just make things worse. Let the professionals handle it."

  "And we're just supposed to take your word for it? There's a killer out of there who can supposedly use mind control and who knows what else, and we're just supposed to wait?"

  "I understand how you must feel," Agent Squires calmly replied. Rory shook his head.

  "No," he interrupted. "No, you don't. You're not a target here. We are."

  "Don't be so quick to point fingers." Agent Squires pulled out a cell phone and pushed a few buttons. "This killer doesn't choose targets at random. You had to have put yourselves in this position." Rory and I exchanged worried looks. Rory wanted to come clean, but he didn't want to break his promise to me. This seemed like a good time to get everything out in the open. I nodded at Rory.

  "Go ahead," I whispered. Rory didn't answer.

  "Whatever it is," Agent Squires responded. "I'll figure it out eventually. It's best not to wait until it's too late." Rory had almost gotten killed because of me. I'd brought him into this mess. There had to be a way to tell the truth, but not the whole truth.

  "The killer wants us dead because we found Stacy's body," I blurted out, face cringing. Agent Squires hardly looked surprised.

  "See that wasn't so hard." The doors opened and Rory and I both jumped. A team of medics rushed in with a stretcher. "You two come with me." Agent Squires pointed at the two of us and walked out into the hallway.

  * * *

  "Want to tell me why you were in the weight room in the first place?" Agent Squires rested his arms on his thighs. The three of us sat on the bleachers in front of the football field. Stacy's funeral was still going on inside, and the field was empty. I was left to listen to Rory's panic and Agent Squire's locked down brain.

  "Blackmail, I guess," Rory answered. "We had something the killer wanted." Agent Squires looked intrigued.

  "What? An item? What kind of item?"

  "It fell out of Stacy's hand when I found her," I whispered. I waited for Agent Squire's thoughts on the matter. Nothing. His mind was well disciplined. "A bracelet."

  "Do you have this bracelet with you?" He was earnest. I shook my head.

  "Well, I'm going to encourage you to hand it in as soon as you can. It might help us in our search."

  "Why Stacy?" I asked. "Out of all the girls in school. Why her?" Agent Squires let out a sigh.

  "Based on past patterns, Stacy's death doesn't make sense. I think it was a mistake." Agent Squires continued eyeing Rory and me. I thought about the night I'd found Stacy. I was in the girl's locker room when I heard all those weird noises.

  "So, the target is still out there," I said. Agent Squires nodded.

  "And the killer . . . well, he or she won't rest until the deed is done."

  "He or she?" Rory commented. "You mean you don't know?" Rory looked disappointed. He was pissed that his life was now in the hands of a clueless cop. "Well then, Squires. What do you know?"

  "I'm afraid I can't disclose those details to . . ."

  "Obviously your game plan isn't working out," Rory interrupted. "Maybe you should approach this one differently? Let us know what we're up against? Come on, Squires. We've both been at this school for years. We might be able to help."

  Agent Squires thought about it. It's not that he didn't want to say anything. He just didn't know if we could handle the actual truth. He paused. I was finally able to hear what he was thinking, and it made me smile. They'd never believe me if I told them, he thought. I didn't believe it when I first found out. Unless . . .

  He looked at me and looked at Rory. I stared at the football field. Agent Squires studied Rory for a minute. Rory didn't say anything. He just gave Agent Squires a funny look, trying not to roll his eyes.

  Then Agent Squires turned to me. I continued staring at the football field, casually listening for whatever thoughts I could get. Agent Squires looked directly into my eyes and his thoughts immediately floated into my head. Bridget.

  "Yes." I looked at him. He smiled and his thoughts entered my head again. I didn't say that out loud. Bridget, can you hear me? I kept my mouth shut. Agent Squires continued looking at me the same way my mom usually did when she didn't feel like talking. It was starting to freak me out. I'd never communicated with anyone else this way before. And it was different when my mom did it. I didn't know Agent Squires. He was practically a stranger.

  I started to breath heavy. My own thoughts went out of control. The only thing I could think to do was deny, deny, deny. Oh no! What happens now? This guy is a Federal Agent! He grabbed my shoulders. My whole denial plan wasn't going so well. I was starting to hyperventilate.

  "Calm down," Agent Squires said out loud. Rory stared at me looking confused.
"It's best that I found you first."

  "Uh, what are you doing?" Rory was worried. He didn't like the way Agent Squires was consoling me. "Is something going on here that I don't know about?"

  "So he doesn't know?" Agent Squires asked glancing at Rory. I shook my head. I couldn't pretend anymore. Agent Squires knew too much, and I was a horrible actress.

  "Know what?" Rory was getting impatient. I grabbed a strand of my hair and started twisting. My nightmares were slowly coming true. Someone else knew my secret. I'd foolishly given information away without even realizing it. How did Agent Squires know? The Agent's reassuring thoughts entered my head again. This time his words were soft and delicate, full of sincerity.

  Relax Bridget. I understand you're scared. But you should know that you're the reason the killer is here – it's for your ability. The killer wants power. And unfortunately, there is a way he can get it – murder. I jumped up.

  "WHAT?" I couldn't stay still. Everything was bombarding me at once. I felt like I was going to have a panic attack and throw up. Not necessarily in that order. "How? I mean, why would anyone want to do that?"

  "Bridget, sit down."

  "SIT DOWN? Someone at my school wants to kill me, and you want me to sit down?" I didn't know what else to do but to panic. My body still ached from being thrown to the floor. I could guarantee that being brutally murdered would hurt worse. "Who are these people? How did they find me?"

  "Bridget, take a deep breath and sit down." Agent Squires looked as if he'd seen this reaction many times before. Rory didn't know what to think of my outburst. His brain was spinning too fast for me. My head was buzzing, my chest was heavy and my head felt like it was splitting in two.

  "Rory, for heaven's sake! Stop that!" Rory's mind refused to slow down, and it was driving me nuts. I couldn't hear myself think anymore. Rory's thought bombardment on top of my panic attack was too much for me to handle.

  "What did I do?"

  "Try to think of nothing," Agent Squires replied. "You're overwhelming her."

  Rory raised his eyebrows, confused by Agent Squire's advice. Though he needed practice, Rory did what he could to think of nothing. Agent Squires put his mind on lock down, giving me some space to think.

  The killer wanted my ability, as Agent Squires put it. Ability? It's more of a curse. This meant the killer really did know about the mind reading thing. The taunting, the note, the bracelet. It was all starting to make sense – scary sense.

  "Ok something weird is going on." Rory couldn't take it anymore. He needed answers. Agent Squires looked at me. His thoughts entered my head. It's your decision whether or not to tell him.

  "You're right," I replied looking at Rory. "The killer is after me. Not you. So you can chill out now."

  "Bridget, are you sure?" Rory was concerned. He couldn't quite grasp how I knew this. Concern for my safety filled his head. That was sweet. "How can you know that for sure?"

  "Just trust me. It's true."

  "Well, we've got to find him! We've got to stop him."

  "Or her," I interrupted. Rory was willing to do anything if it meant my safety, but he didn't want to admit it. A thought crossed his mind – he knew there was still something being left out. But our relationship so far had consisted of secrets, told and untold.

  "This isn't something that should be taken lightly." Agent Squires had a serious look on his face. He was about to give up classified information but his gut told him it was the right thing to do. "You're dealing with a group that has been hunting people like Bridget for decades. Most of their searches are successful."

  "What do you mean people like Bridget?" Rory asked. I sighed. Rory took the hint and shut his mouth. "Fine, keep going."

  "This group calls themselves The Coven. They use ancient spell books to seek out . . . certain people, and then they perform a ritual. That's when the bodies show up."

  "Weird," Rory muttered. He looked at me again. "I'm going to admit something here. I have no idea what you're talking about." Rory's real opinion came into my head. This guy believes in hocus pocus? He probably doesn't even know what he's talking about.

  "Rory, cut it out. If you don't believe in all that stuff then leave!" I couldn't help the outburst. Time was running low and I wanted all the information I get. Rory looked at me with his jaw wide open. He'd come up with some crazy ideas about how I knew what he was thinking before he said it out loud, but so far they'd been just that – crazy ideas.

  "How did you? But I . . ." His brain was piecing it all together but Rory was still clueless. He'd arrived at a ludicrous conclusion. He needed more proof.

  "You have a little sister named Kate," I began. "You cook dinner every night because your mom works late, and you write in a black leather journal every night before bed." My decision had been impulsive, but Rory had come closer to the truth than Emma ever had. Besides, this might've been the only way to shut him up. Rory's mouth was still open. His eyes went wide. He didn't know what to say. What could he say that I didn't already know?

  "Bridget, you can . . ." He still sounded shocked. Even after what I'd just said, he was still in denial.

  "Yes Rory," I finally said out loud. "I'm a mind reader. Have been my whole life."

  Chapter Nine

  Rescued

  "How's your stomach?" Emma pulled into my driveway. "Want me to come in?"

  "That's ok. You don't have to." Emma still looked concerned. She'd heard about my big scene at Stacy's ceremony. Everyone was talking about how I'd jumped up and stormed out. Emma actually grabbed my shoes before she left. She heard the gasps and the giggles but I had already left by the time she turned around on her tip toes.

  "Are you sure? That stomach bug came on pretty sudden. I can't believe you spent an hour in the bathroom." Emma knew I was lying but she didn't challenge me. I put a hand on my stomach. I only wished I'd been in the bathroom puking. My torso felt stiff from where Bryce had punched me. I was sure that I had a nice big bruise on my abs. I just hadn't looked yet. "And what was the ambulance doing in the parking lot? Did someone faint? I didn't see anyone faint."

  "Any other details you remember?" I muttered it under my breath. Emma didn't hear me. She was too busy trying to piece together the puzzle in her head. It felt strange to have someone else know my secret. I'd always assumed that if that day ever came, Emma would be the one to know first. It was surprising that she hadn't already figured it out herself. I always thought I'd done a good job of hiding it. Apparently, that didn't matter anymore.

  "Well, I'm just glad the ambulance wasn't for you." She smiled and moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

  "Me too," I agreed. I'd been seconds away from an ambulance ride straight to the morgue. I owed Rory a 'thanks'. That is if he ever felt like speaking to me again. He'd been so distant after hearing my news. Maybe it was a good thing that Emma didn't know my secret. Losing her wasn't an option. She was practically my only friend.

  "Say hi to your mom for me." Emma watched me as I sluggishly shut the car door, slowly making my way to the front door. My stomach still burned whenever I stood up straight. Emma waited a minute and then sped off. I was relieved to finally have some time alone in my bedroom. Agent Squires brought with him a whole new truckload of problems. Someone knew my secret. Someone wanted me dead.

  As I reached for my house key I noticed something unusual. The door was slightly ajar. My whole body stiffened as I poked my head in.

  "Mom?" My voice bounced through the foyer. It was the only sound in the house. I heard nothing – no footsteps, no noise in the kitchen. The lights were still off. My mom wasn't home yet, unless she was quietly napping in her room.

  I had strict orders to go home and stay there. It was the safest place for me, or so Agent Squires claimed. Against my better judgment I shut the door behind me and threw my stuff on the floor. I had Agent Squires' phone number in my pocket anyway. I flipped on the lights and went to the fridge for some water and an aspirin. I could feel a migraine stirring behind my
eyes. The sharp pains made me long for sleep. I just wanted to leave this day behind.

  "Mom?" I dragged my feet up the stairs. I got more and more tired with each step. "Mom, are you up here?" No answer. I sighed and turned the corner to my bedroom. My eyes stared down at the cream colored carpet.

  I looked up and stopped. My muscles tightened and my chest went heavy. I tiptoed forward and scanned my room. It'd been torn apart. From the curtains by my bed to the clothes in my closet, everything had been destroyed. I knelt down and picked up a ripped sweater.

  "Who rips apart a sweater?" I was in shock. My bedroom looked like a tornado had blown through. All my things were scattered, and out of their usual places. My eyes went wide. Had I just missed the intruder? I turned around, and with a pounding heart I listened for a sound – any sound.

  My thoughts turned to one thing – a phone. I had to get to a phone. I tiptoed. The only sound upstairs was the sound of my heavy breathing. I peered around the corner, keeping my body up against the wall. Still no one in sight.

  I made a break for the stairs. My feet hit each one so hard that it made the railings shake. The phone was lying on the kitchen counter. I reached for it, squeezing it tight. My fingers started hitting numbers as if they had minds of their own. The number connected and the line started ringing. The ringing filled my ears, helping me calm down. You're okay, Bridget, I thought. Everything's going to be fine. Whoever broke in is gone now and . . .

  There was a creak upstairs. I carefully set the phone down, listening intently. There were footsteps upstairs, but they were so quiet I could barely hear them.

  "Hello? Bridget?" The voice on the other end of the phone yelled.

  "Rory?" I whispered. My voice quivered and Rory immediately asked me what was wrong. "I think . . . I think there's someone here." I could barely speak. I had to force myself. Another creak and I put the phone down. I panicked. My legs wouldn't move – they were frozen. What a great time to become the cliché girl I always criticized in horror films.