Tears welled in her eyes at the sight of him. Since the incident, she had been to see him less and less frequently, the last time being almost two months ago, and whether it was because she could not stand to see him like this, or because she wanted to forget this whole situation and move on, she did not know. Whatever the reason, it had not become any easier to see him, and in her current desperate situation she wished more than anything that he could help her. But it was fruitless thinking. Even while he was conscious he had done nothing but harm to her. She hated to admit that her life had improved when he entered the coma.
She sighed, leaving his room, and walking down the hall, keeping an even, slow stride, hoping to have it done as soon as possible before anyone became suspicious. She peeked into the various rooms that she passed, seeing person after person lying in a hospital bed.
At last she found what she had been looking for and stopped. An old woman with thinning hair, a feeding tube in her arm and a breathing mask on her face was hooked up to a similar machine as her father. There were no visitors, no gifts, nothing that looked as if she had been awake in a long time. A prime candidate.
Her stomach churned as the reality sank in. I know she's old and probably never going to wake up, but I can't.
Sure, you can. We'll guide you through the process.
She screamed internally and wiped a tear off her face.
A few minutes later, Amy stumbled down the hall away from the old woman's room, numb, unseeing, the sight of the flatlined heart monitor burned into her retinas. She hadn't laid a hand on the woman, hadn't even entered the room, but knew she was as responsible as if she had smothered her with a pillow. That innocent person was gone from this world because of her.
She managed to find her way back to her father's room as some small part of her brain still remembered that she should be avoiding suspicion. She collapsed against her father's bed, sobbing, hating her life and the voices that tortured her.
You did well, a voice said. We're proud of you.
Now that it's done, can you tell me what that was all about? Why did you need me to kill someone?
Well, unfortunately, that wasn't quite enough. Sooo close, but we're going to need one more.
Are you KIDDING me? Amy spluttered, almost shouting out loud. I will never do that again. You hear me? NEVER.
Oh, that's okay. Thanks to the last one, we don't need your help anymore. And we have the perfect candidate right here.
Amy raised her head to look at her father. That is not even FUNNY. Fine, you guys win. Again. As usual. I'll go find someone else.
Amy turned to go, but stopped as she heard the heart monitor speeding up. “No!” She flung herself at her father as if hoping to shield him with her body. “No, stop this!” she shouted. “Stop! Don't! No!”
The heart monitor sped up faster. A doctor rushed in, accompanied by a nurse. “Another one?” he said, flustered. Upon seeing Amy, he turned to the nurse. “Get her out of here. We need to stabilize him immediately.”
The nurse took Amy's shoulder and pulled her away. Amy offered no resistance. The fight had left her. She sobbed uncontrollably. From behind her, she heard the machine flatline.
Oooh, that was perfect, a voice said. Enjoy your last few free moments. It's time for the real fun to begin.
All at once, Amy stopped crying.
13
A couple of days later, Thursday, Cole was somewhat rejuvenated as he looked forward to Asher’s arrival. He had felt alive and powerful when he was with Asher, and he craved that again, especially after his depressing return to his normal life. They had made plans the previous day that he would leave after school and reach Cole by that night. Asher had also mentioned that he had a surprise, which gave Cole that much more anticipation.
That school day passed in agonizing slow motion. He was still not on talking terms with Amy and every day he sat silently next to her or across the room alone at lunch was its own form of torture. To rub salt in the wound, he was offended that neither Martin nor any of the others who sat with them at lunch had asked Cole why he was eating alone. For that matter, none had spoken to him at all. He assumed Amy must have told them something that kept them away.
Michelle, on the other hand, was especially friendly and talkative that week, but somehow that was only making matters worse. He acted happy around her, and talked animatedly, even sending her a few playful telepathic messages during class, but it did not diminish his emptiness.
Asher, he told himself, was the solution to this rut. Without any particular reason, everything was riding on this brief three-day visit being the event that turned his home life around. Thus, Cole paced the living room impatiently after school, waiting for a call or a doorbell ring that would signal Asher’s arrival.
“You’re making me anxious,” Beth said, coming into the living room during Cole’s pacing.
“I can't help it. What time is it?”
“Not even eight. Are you this excited for Asher to arrive?”
“Just antsy,” Cole said.
“It's not escapism if it's in your hometown.”
“That's not what this is about.”
“How about you watch TV while you wait?”
“Fine.” Cole trudged to the couch and flicked on the TV. He perused aimlessly through the stations until the doorbell jolted him off the couch. “Got it!” he called.
Asher was at the door, holding an overnight bag with a backpack slung over one shoulder. “I didn't think that drive was ever gonna end,” he said, stepping inside and looking around. “You do not live close.” He dropped his bags and stretched his back.
“It is a trek,” Cole said. “I'm glad you made it not too late.”
“Yeah, I only stopped once. Maybe I should have stopped again. Can I use your bathroom?”
Cole laughed. “It's right over there,” he said, pointing down the hallway. “Around the corner, first door on the left.”
Asher hurried away and slammed the door behind him. A moment later, Beth emerged in the entrance hall. “Are those...?” she said, eying the bags on the floor. “Where's he staying? I hope he's not planning on...”
“Come on, Aunt Beth. He can stay on the couch or something.”
“I wish you would have warned me,” she muttered as she turned away, back to her room.
Asher returned a minute later, still stretching. “Ahh, that felt so good, I can't even tell you. Hey, I forgot to ask, I'm kinda short on money. Would it be all right if I – if I crashed here?”
“Yeah, no problem, if you don't mind sleeping on a couch.”
“Not at all. Thanks, man. And she's okay with it?” he said, indicating down the hall.
Cole nodded. “So. Were you planning on keeping me in suspense again about that surprise of yours?”
Asher brightened. “Oh, not at all. Turns out, drum roll, I figured out how to find people too.”
“Really?” Cole was simultaneously shocked, excited and horrified.
“Yeah, just yesterday. Isn't that awesome? Now I don't have to be just a tagalong. We can help each other out and even split up.” A broad smile stretched across his face. “With two people and my car, we'll find these missing people in no time.”
“Wow, that's great,” Cole said, feigning excitement while his head was still reeling. “Have you found anyone yet?”
“Nah, by the time I mastered it, I figured I might as well wait ‘til I got here. All I do is concentrate on someone's aura until I can make out their physical characteristics. It's subtle but I can kinda see them inside their aura. Is that how it works for you?”
“Uh, yeah, something like that.”
“Cool, cool,” Asher said. “Hey, I'm not tired. Wanna go out for a little while right now? My legs are starting to come back to life. I think I could go back in the car for a bit.”
“Yeah, I think I could go out,” Cole said, his hope and excitement renewing tenfold. With the two of them able to search independently, he felt as if they could
find a person an hour.
“Oh, hey, do you have someone you're looking for? That might help before we go searching, to actually have a goal.” He laughed.
“Oh, right, I need to show you what the person – people – look like. Come on.” He led Asher to Beth's room where she was reading. “Can we use your computer for a second and then go out for a little while?”
Beth put her book down and looked at Asher. “Hello, Asher. Welcome to my home,” she said, gesturing with mock hospitality.
“Hi, Beth. Thanks for having me over.”
Beth nodded and turned back to Cole. “Don't stay out too late. You need to go to school tomorrow and Asher needs to find some way to occupy himself during the day.”
“I'll have him home soon,” Asher said in a cheery tone. “And I don't mind watching TV during the day tomorrow, if that's all right.”
Beth nodded. “That's fine but you don't have to act all goody two-shoes around me. Just stay out of trouble and out of the way. That's all I ask.”
“Sure thing,” Asher said. “I'll stay out of your hair.”
“Good.” Beth beckoned to the computer. “It's all yours.”
Grateful, Cole pulled up the photographs of the young boy and girl, for whom he had been searching with Michelle. Asher stared at the pictures for a minute apiece, memorizing their appearance. “Got it,” Asher said. “Let's go.”
As Cole and Asher left, Beth called after them, “And don't forget to call the cops and leave, okay? You don't want to get mixed up in any of this.”
“We will. Don't worry about us,” Cole called back.
Together, Cole and Asher got into Asher's car and drove off. Meanwhile, Meredith, who had been paying close attention since Asher's arrival, decided to take a trip into Asher's mind, but when she attempted it, she was met with a solid wall. Startled, she retreated back into Cole's mind and began to explore the area for the missing children.
They drove around for over an hour with no luck until Asher, through a yawn, said he wanted to call it a night. After returning to Beth's house, to keep their spirits high, they discussed strategies to cover the most territory in the shortest amount of time. They pulled out an old map and, starting with the locations of the children's houses as hubs, drew a radius of the areas they wanted to explore. With the distance that their mental searches could reach, they calculated which blocks they could cut out without missing any areas.
They were still discussing it late into the night when Beth interrupted to make Cole go to bed. Grudgingly, he brushed his teeth, told Asher they would begin first thing after school the next day, and went off to the library. He tossed and turned, wishing he was out there with Asher, stopping crime and saving the day. He wished he could skip school the next day to practice their skills and find missing people instead of having to sit through another agonizing day before the weekend arrived.
He was also still torn about his feelings regarding Asher's newfound ability to locate people. If Asher could do it, that meant it was possible, but now he couldn't ask Asher how to do it without revealing that he had been lying. Would it be worth it to admit that to Asher? No, he had his mother. That was all he needed and he would figure out anything else on his own. He no longer required tutorials to learn how to use his abilities, he told himself.
His mind wandered back to his first train of thought, and now, too restless to lie there any longer, he crawled out of bed and tiptoed into the living room. “Asher?” he whispered in the darkness from behind the couch. There was no sound so he stepped to the other side of the couch where he found Asher stretched across it, one arm dangling, fast asleep. Cole hesitated, debating returning to his room, but instead lightly shook Asher's shoulder. “Asher? Asher, wake up.”
Don't do this, Meredith said. Go back to sleep. It's not worth it.
It's not a big deal, Cole replied. I can make up my own mind. Don't you want to help me save people?
I don't want you being left behind in school. Trust me, you won't like that. It will ruin your life.
It's only one day. When there was still no response from Asher, Cole shook him a little harder.
There was a sharp intake of air and Asher's eyes shot open, then blinked hard twice. “Huh? Oh, Cole, what's the matter?”
“Nothing. I just had to ask you something without my aunt around. Do you think you could pick me up from outside the building tomorrow after my aunt drops me off? I don't want to waste a whole day of your visit in school and I doubt she'll let me take off.”
“I don't know. I don't want to make trouble with her.”
“Just drop me back off before the end of the day and she'll never know,” Cole said. “Think of all the extra time we'll have.”
“Okay, yeah. Tell me how to get there. I can tell her I'm going out searching on my own for the day.”
“Awesome.” Cole gave Asher the address of his school, which Asher put into his phone to get directions. Excited, but also exhausted, Cole went back to his room and crawled into bed.
I really don't like you sneaking off like this, Meredith said. You should listen to Beth. She's your guardian now.
It's not like I do this all the time. I promise I won't do it again, okay? Good night, Mom. I love you.
Nice way to pacify me. You'd better not do it again. I love you, too.
Cole was asleep within a few minutes and slept soundly through the night.
The next morning, Asher, woken by the stirring in the house, joined them for breakfast. Cole sat across from him, exchanging sly, knowing looks behind Beth's back. Without saying a word, Beth made an extra portion for Asher.
“Thank you very much,” Asher said when he was served. “I really appreciate you letting me stay. I hope I'm not being a burden.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Beth said. “Can't have someone in my house going hungry.”
After they had finished eating, as Beth was putting on her coat, Asher said, “Oh, I can take Cole to school.” When Beth raised an eyebrow, he added, “It's the least I can do to thank you for letting me stay. I'll pick him up too. I wanted to go out searching for the day, so I'll schedule drop-off and pickup into it.”
Beth watched him suspiciously. “Make sure he actually gets there. And be there at exactly two forty-five to pick him up. Got it? If anything goes wrong, you'll answer to me.”
“Not a problem at all, ma'am.”
“Ma'am? What am I, your boss? Okay, fine, thank you,” Beth said, removing her coat. “So you can find people now too?”
“That's right,” Asher said, proudly.
“I'm not surprised. Okay, get going so he isn't late.”
Cole, stunned, followed Asher into his car.
“I thought this was a better idea,” Asher said, smiling, as they drove away. “I hope you don't mind me changing the plan on you like that.”
“Oh, no, not at all. This works a lot better. I should have thought of it. I take it we're not going to school at all now.”
“Not unless you want to,” Asher laughed.
Cole chuckled. “No, thank you.”
Let it be known from my powerless prison that I still disapprove, Meredith said.
I'm sorry, Mom. I know it's wrong of me to do this. I just wanted to make the most of this visit. We can really help people.
Using the route they had planned out, Asher and Cole drove around neighborhoods, Cole relying on his mother and Asher reaching out in whatever method he had figured out. Cole took the time to practice finding people on his own, using the technique that Asher had briefly mentioned. It was difficult without having any details and he had little success during the morning.
As lunchtime approached they began to get hungry, and decided to stop at the first deli that they spotted. A few more minutes of searching yielded a small corner store that sold sandwiches. Asher bought each of them a turkey sandwich, and they had barely eaten half when Asher's pocket began to buzz.
He pulled out his phone and groaned. “Oh, no it's your aunt.”
> Cole's eyes went wide. She can't know. How could she possibly know?
Asher answered, putting the cheery note back in his voice. “Hi, what can I do for you?” Immediately his face dropped. “I don’t know what you're talking about. I dropped him off a couple hours ago.” He grimaced and held out the phone. “She's asking for you.”
Dread and panic seized hold of Cole as he slowly took the phone and held it to his ear. “How did you know?”
“Your friend Michelle called. She was worried that you never showed up for school.” Her voice was the closest to hysterics as he had ever heard. “What the hell are you doing? Asher is to be out of here tonight, you hear me?”
“No, don't do that. It was my idea. Please, I'll go right now.”
“You'd better. And don't ever lie to me like that again. There will be consequences next time. Now get to school immediately or so help me God.” She sighed, letting the anger drop out of her voice. “And you'd better call your friend back. I don't know why but she sounded upset.”
“Okay. I'm really sorry, Aunt Beth.”
“You'd better be.”
“Can we go out looking after he picks me up from school?”
Beth exhaled sharply. “Do not pull any other tricks and check in by dinnertime.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Okay. Goodbye.”
The phone clicked dead. Cole raised his eyes to meet Asher's. “I need to get to school. We can meet up in a few hours? Keep going without me, okay?”
“How did she find out?”
“My friend called looking for me. I need to give her a call.”
“Oh, a her. Nice.” He winked. “Still sucks, but that's a better excuse. I hope this didn't cause too many problems for you.”
“It'll be fine.” Cole dialed Michelle's cell. She picked up on the first ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, Michelle. It's Cole.”
“Oh, Cole! I'm sorry if I'm bothering you. Your aunt said something about you skipping out on school to hang out with a friend.”
“Yeah, but I'm coming back now. I'll see you in a little bit.”
“Is... Amy with you?” Michelle said hesitantly.
Voices in the Night (The Dark Mind Trilogy Book 3) Page 13