Josh broke the silence. “Hey guys, look over here.” Cam turned to see what his brother had found. Off the dimly lit main trail was a tunnel branching away to the right. It was blocked with a rusted metal gate and a sign that read, “No trespassing. Off limits.” The passage beyond was shrouded in darkness. It was impossible to make out its size or how deep it went.
“Let’s go.” Without hesitation, Cam jumped the fence. Logan and Josh seemed to consider for a moment and then, one at a time, vaulted over, joining him on the other side. Here there were no trail lights.
“Man, it sure would be great to have a flashlight right about now,” Cam said.
“No kidding,” Josh said, under his breath.
“If only we had kept the loaners from the hike,” Cam said, reaching for the cell phone from his pocket. The other two men followed suit, but Logan, not having a flashlight app, quickly pocketed his.
“Never needed a smartphone before,” he muttered.
Cam arched an eyebrow, wondering why the dude lived in the dark ages, but didn’t say anything. That explained why he had all those maps.
The phone lights did little to cut through the darkness. The passage was long and the floors and walls were uneven, not worn by traffic like the public areas of the cavern. Every now and then there was a sharp dip or ledge in front of them they had to step over. After a good hour of winding through the darkness, ducking under low spots, and squeezing through crevices, they came to a dead end.
Cam cursed and stomped his foot. “Now what?”
“This doesn’t make sense,” Logan said. “This is the only section of the cave that could connect to where Jade’s at. Let’s keep searching this tunnel. Did either of you see any holes or side passages?”
“How could we? It’s way too dark to see anything,” Cam said. “All this meaningless wandering is doing nothing to get the girls back!”
“We have to keep trying,” Logan said.
Cam didn’t know how Logan stayed so calm, but he wanted to punch something. He couldn’t take these pointless efforts. He was about to retort when a flash of blinding light cut him off.
The flash must’ve lasted only a fraction of a second, but it transported him to another world, and he was there for several long minutes. At first it was so bright that he was lost in blinding whiteness, but his eyes adjusted, and he saw everything in slow motion.
Logan’s hand must have bumped his camera because the object was frozen in the air mid-swing. That was where the light came from. Logan’s mouth hung open as if he was in the middle of an exclamation, and Josh was a wincing statue in the bright light.
Scents came rushing at Cam that he hadn’t noticed earlier. The smell of Josh’s deodorant mixed with his light sweat. Logan’s cologne. The musty scent of the moist cavern. A pungent odor… Bat guano?
Taking advantage of the light, Cam searched the rocky cave surfaces surrounding them, the scene permanently burned into his mind. He saw piles of a black substance trailing down the wall and onto the floor in one spot. Above it, several small creatures hung with their wings folded in a small crevice in the rock. His eyes traced the tunnel back down where they’d come from until it wound out of sight. Then the super senses disappeared and blackness engulfed him.
“Cam?” Josh’s voice was the first thing he heard when he returned to the present. As soon as he realized what had happened, excitement surged through his veins, jump-starting his motivation to find the girls.
“Logan!” Cam yanked both men by the wrists and dragged them farther down, past the curve of the passage. “Do that again!”
“Do what?”
“Take another picture—make your camera’s flash go off.”
“Why?”
“Just do it!”
Cam wasn’t sure why he was so confident it would work. He’d never been able to recreate his déjà vu in the past. But they were out of options. He had to try, for Chloe and Jade. And somehow it felt right.
The flash blinded him again, but he blinked, and his vision returned, as clear and sharp as before. It worked! He memorized every form and crevice in the new portion of the passage within the light’s reach before his episode ended.
“Again!” Cam guided them down the passage, pausing only when his déjà vu kicked in.
He scanned every portion of the tunnel around them. On the fifth flash, Cam spotted a dark shadow on one side. “Guys, this way!” Low to the ground in a recess of the rock, he found a hole. It was hidden beneath a shallow ledge that jutted out into the passage. To anyone exploring, the hole would have most likely been entirely hidden or merely appeared as a shadow beneath the ledge.
Cam crouched to examine it further, with more help from Logan’s camera. He ducked under the ledge and into the passage where they were able to stand upright again. The tunnel beyond was narrow and sloped steeply, winding upward. Some places the ceiling dropped low and they had to duck.
They had traveled for maybe fifteen minutes when the passage widened slightly and forked, a new leg leading off to the left. After hesitating for a moment, Cam suggested they take the passage to the left. Logan and Josh let him lead.
The passage ended in a small chamber where the surfaces of the ceiling, walls and floor looked different than the rest of the cave. Instead of the delicate stalagmites, smooth ripples, and other natural formations lining the cave’s interior, the surfaces here were rough and seemed to have broken off in chunks, as if the room had been formed by explosives.
The chamber was blocked by a gate with steel bars. In the flash of light from the camera, Cam saw the rusted door, set into the bars with hinges. It was old and crude, but still strong. The room beyond was empty.
~
In the darkness, Ethan approached the blonde. The stubborn look on her face, as if she was daring him to try to hurt her, made him want to laugh out loud. He stifled the instinct and smirked at the very idea. It was all a façade. She was as weak as the rest of them. He could and would hurt her.
“I know you think you’re strong,” he said, breaking the silence. “But you’re sadly mistaken. You are just a weak little girl.” Right now he had the power. Things were as they should be.
He pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it open. The soft snap as the blade clicked into place whet his appetite like the appetizer before a five-course meal. His mouth watered in anticipation.
Taking a step forward so that she was within arm’s reach, he brought his hand up to her cheek, caressing slowly with his fingers and grasping her face tightly when she fought to pull away.
“You can fight if you want, but it’ll only make this hurt more.” He raised the knife until the tip met her left cheek. She froze in his grasp when the metal point touched her skin.
In one smooth motion, he pulled the knife downward, slicing through her delicate skin, leaving behind a long but shallow gash that reached from cheekbone to chin. Dark blood oozed from the wound, dripping down her face, her neck, and her shirt. It provided breathtaking contrast that had been lacking only moments earlier.
He was enjoying the visual effects of the dripping blood when he realized something was missing. She hadn’t flinched at the pain, let alone given the audible cry he’d anticipated from someone so outspoken. Confused, he studied her eyes as she stood blind before him. But all he saw was cold defiance.
Releasing her face, he grabbed her arm, placed the knife just below her shoulder and swiftly brought it down in a clean arc. Blood poured from the gash, just shy of her elbow. It dripped down to her hands and onto her jeans, but still, she didn’t react.
Irritated, Ethan closed the knife and grabbed her bound wrists. She attempted to pull away, but he held her hands in his strong grip. With one hand holding her still, he wrapped his other hand around her index finger and jerked it backward swiftly. A cracking sound confirmed that he had succeeded in breaking her finger. It hung to the side at an unnatural angle. Searching her face and still not finding the reward he’d anticipated, Ethan’s fury
ignited.
Logan didn’t know whether to be encouraged or discouraged by the discovery of the empty chamber. Was this where the kidnapper had been keeping Jade? It looked like the place she’d described, but where was she now, and more importantly, was she all right?
“What is it?” Josh asked.
The three of them clutched the bars, trying to see into the room beyond with only their cell phones.
“It looks like a type of crudely fashioned prison cell,” Logan said. “Exactly like Jade said. Weird.”
“What would a prison cell be doing in the caverns?” Josh asked.
“Especially this deep into the cave?” Cam said.
“I’m not sure,” Logan said. “I wonder if anyone even knows this is here. Looks really old. Maybe someone used to keep prisoners here.” Logan considered for a moment. “You know, I don’t think we’re as deep underground as we were earlier. We’ve consistently been making a pretty steep uphill climb since we found the hidden passage. Maybe the way we came wasn’t the original entrance to this place.” He shook off the intrigue brought on by his fascination with history. None of that mattered right now. “Cam, can you take another look at the cell if I flash the light again? The room I found Jade in had a small hole in the back wall, about six or eight inches in diameter. We need to figure out if this was her room.”
“I don’t need to check,” Cam said. “I know it by heart.”
“You have the entire thing memorized after one split-second flash?”
“Yup. There are pockmarks in the wall, but no holes anywhere.”
“Wow, you really do have a gift. Jade told me you were different, but… well, I guess I didn’t understand the extent of it.”
“You and me both,” Cam said.
What an amazing gift. It’s like a blind man getting sight.
They backtracked to the fork and continued down the passage. Logan tried to be patient, but his anxiety for Jade increased the longer he was away from her.
The path again rose steeply before them. They found another fork in the path and another chamber at the end. Again the opening was barred. And again, the room was empty.
~
Though reluctant to see him go, after Logan left, Jade was energized. His feelings had gently faded as he retreated back through the cave passage, but her own love for him still remained strong.
How ironic that she’d viewed herself as childish for having such strong feelings for him when in reality his love was so much deeper. All this time she’d wondered what he thought about her, and now she finally knew the truth.
The truth set her free. No longer did she allow herself to dwell on her fears. Instead, her mind was in full swing. Somehow the fullness in her heart did not inhibit her thoughts, but brought clarity.
In her head, she ran through everything she knew on the kidnapper, every word he’d said, and prepared herself to prod beneath the surface until she found his deepest feelings. As screwed up as he was, there must be some reason, something that drove him to act. She would sift through his emotions for clues that would help her solve the most important puzzle of her life.
Logan’s words made her wonder if she’d been looking at her situation the wrong way. Instead of trying to fight the kidnapper’s emotions, she needed to accept them. She didn’t want to internalize any part of him, but it might be the only way.
Drawing in a deep breath, she strengthened her resolve and prayed for the ability to separate her actions from the feelings that would soon be warring inside of her. She didn’t have long to wait.
~
When Ethan left Chloe, he was more than irritated. Her lack of fear and apparent total lack of pain were absolutely infuriating. There was no way any normal human would be able to take the break of a bone without the smallest sound, let alone a grimace. Something was wrong.
He had to leave before his emotions overtook him. If he blew up at her it would be because he’d given her the reins to control him. And that was something he would not allow. He was the strong one. She was weak. She might have to die, and sooner rather than later, but it would be on his terms.
Ethan paced the cavern passage as he attempted to regain control of his emotions. To calm himself, he focused on Kelsey, awaiting him. She would make dealing with the loudmouth worthwhile. Gentle and quiet, she hadn’t needed gagging. He didn’t have to bind her feet. She knew she was trapped. Kelsey wouldn’t dare fight him.
Ethan approached the cell, admiring her. He gazed at her pale face, her gentle features that were so familiar. Seeing her brought him back to a different time in his life. It made him remember how it felt to want a woman for a different reason other than to frighten her. Her eyes were solid black with no definition—the only way he could ever see them, since his vision was colorless. They were eyes that had gazed into his and flamed with passion. The delicate curve of her throat—his mouth had sought the spot that had always turned her to putty in his hands. Her dark hair fell around her shoulders—hair that he’d twisted his fingers into while their bodies moved together.
Ethan frowned. No, that had been another girl. But as he stared at this Kelsey, the faces of the two women fused into one. It didn’t matter. One was as good as the other.
Finally he would regain what he had lost.
Jade was huddled on the rock floor when clinking metal indicated her captor’s return. In an attempt to pacify him, she remained seated, hoping to portray a more deferential attitude than before. The gate locked behind him, and the footsteps came within a few feet from her. His emotions rolled over her like a tidal wave of anticipation.
“Hello.”
He wanted to talk, so she would talk. Being stubborn was no way to get out of here quickly. “Hi,” she said, managing a calm voice.
“So, you’ve decided to speak to me now?”
She sensed a slight smile in his voice. “Yes,” she said. His excitement reveled inside her.
“Good. I’m glad.” His location had changed. It sounded as if he were on her level now, possibly seated before her on the ground.
“It’s much nicer like this, isn’t it?” he said. “You and I, having a pleasant conversation.”
To that she had no response.
“Much more enjoyable than dealing with your loud-mouthed little fighter of a friend.”
“Chloe?” What had he done to her? The faint echo of the scream from earlier haunted her. Was Chloe all right? Had he hurt her? Taking a deep breath, Jade bit her tongue. Accusations wouldn’t save her friend right now, if anything could.
“Yes. Chloe.”
Revulsion bubbled inside her when he said the name. She nearly gagged on it, but instead took the opportunity to ask a question. “Will you tell me your name? Since I agreed to talk?”
“I suppose that’s fair. My name is Ethan.”
“I’m not afraid of you, Ethan.” It was only a half-truth, considering how afraid she had been only moments ago, before he’d been sitting a few feet in front of her. But at the moment her fear was locked away and she felt only his own eagerness.
“Is that so, Kelsey?” The smile was back. He was enjoying himself. She thought she detected a trace of something else, but she couldn’t put her finger on what.
“My name is Jade. You can stop calling me ‘Kelsey.’” A trace of irritation pricked inside her at that. He didn’t want to know her real name?
“Hmm. No, I don’t believe that works. I like ‘Kelsey’ better.”
She felt his momentary frustration calm, and again sensed that other feeling. She fought the alarms ringing in her mind and the thought of losing herself. She pressed deeper into him, probing. What was it? Grabbing with her mind, she tried to pull the emotion forward, but it shrank away elusively.
“’Kelsey’ fits you.”
There it is again. It surfaced every time he said that name—only for an instant, and then sank beneath his other desires. She realized why she hadn’t been able to identify it sooner—it didn’t seem to fit. In the midd
le of his demented thirst and vile intentions, a sense of wistfulness tugged at her. It reminded her of how she’d felt about Logan before she’d known his true feelings. How could such a thing survive in such an evil person? It must have something to do with Kelsey.
“Who is Kelsey?” she asked.
Again, that sense of yearning when she’d spoken the name. “No one you need to worry about,” he said.
In that instant, Jade was sure there had been a Kelsey. There was something behind that mysterious girl, and she had to figure it out. She had to draw more out of him.
“Was she the girl you said you lived next to you as a kid?”
“Not hardly.”
“Another girl, then? Or a woman?”
His emotions went calm them, as if he were deliberately controlling them. The feeling she’d been trying to tease out vanished, and her body went cold. She was playing games with a killer—what was she thinking? Panic began to take root in her mind. But she’d come this far, and couldn’t back down now, not even in the face of her own terror rearing its head. She swallowed and thought of Logan’s advice. She had to keep going.
“She must have been special to you. Do I remind you of her?” Her fear dissolved, and she could feel him again, that desire for power.
“You and she have a lot in common. She wasn’t afraid either.”
If only he knew how absolutely terrified she was, behind the veil of his own emotions. “What’s your fascination with fear?”
“Ahh, fear. Everyone has one. It makes you weak. All I do is expose the truth when I show people their fears.”
Empath: The Flawed Series Book One Page 21