“Mark Jones. Long time no see,” I said with a lightness I definitely wasn’t feeling. “What brings you here?”
FBI agent Mark Jones, the agent who was undercover in Trevor Mason’s organization. He saved Sam’s life, and found me in the woods after I was tortured. Honestly, Jones was the last person I expected to see in Necedah. “Alice called. She can’t come yet, but she wanted you to have someone here who knows you.” He glanced at Nickels with a slight arch of an eyebrow, questioning without words what he knew.
“Yeah,” I said with a slight smile. “It’s good to see a familiar face.”
In a move mirroring Nickels’, Mark rested a hand on my shoulder and asked, “Are you okay? Have you found anything?”
Nickels watched closely, something resembling hurt flashing in his eyes when Mark put his hand on my shoulder. I was as stunned as Nickels when I realized I didn’t flinch at the contact. “I’m as okay as I can be, Mark. And I was just telling Detective Nickels about my contact with the man who took Sam. By the way,” I interrupted myself. “Detective Nickels, this is FBI agent Mark Jones. He’s… he’s an old friend.” It was surprising to find that I meant it.
Mark might have been someone forced into my life, but he was another who took my abilities in stride. Like Alice and Hannah, he worried more about my well-being than the fact that I was a freak. He found me at my most vulnerable, and helped me. For that reason, a deep sense of security engulfed me when he approached. Safety and security were not things I was accustomed to, so when I could find it, I wanted more. My instinctive step away from him was due to worry that I’d be flooded with bad memories of torture and pain. Instead, seeing him gave me a boost of confidence and hope.
When I explained to him what I told Nickels, he raised his eyebrow at me, questioning whether there was more to the story. I nodded slightly, and made a mental note to explain when we were alone. “Sounds to me like we need to figure out where he was, so we can get some idea of who he is. Jason, you’ve been searching the woods for quite a while, is there any place you’ve found that made you think you were close?”
“There was one place,” I said thoughtfully. “I can’t explain it, but I haven’t been able to get it off my mind. There’s nothing specific to tell me why I think it’s important, and I don’t think there was a cabin nearby.”
Mark nodded silently, and I could almost see his mental note to visit that place in the near future. He turned to Nickels. “Detective, is there any kind of listing of who owns property in the woods? If there’s a list, we should be able to narrow down the names to a few who would make the most sense.”
“Honestly? There are quite a few little properties in there, and they change hands fairly often. I’m not sure if there’s a list. But I know someone who knows most of the people in town. He’s had contact with the majority of people who have cabins here. You may not like it, Jason, but we’ll have to go see Joe.”
A groan escaped at the thought of facing my boss again. But if he could help, it would be worth the awkwardness I knew would be there after his drunken behavior the last time we spoke. “Okay. Let’s go see my boss.”
THIRTY-TWO
Sam
After my confrontation with Hunter last night, I fell into an exhausted sleep. After pushing into Hunter’s mind more deeply than before, my hope was that my ability would make him forget most of the conversation. Once I felt the hint of fear in his emotions at the thought of facing Jason, I had my in. If I could cause the fear to grow, maybe it would be possible to convince him to let me go, in order to protect him from my brother’s anger.
So far I’d gotten mixed signals on the success of my attempt. I was pretty sure he remembered only a small portion of our conversation. However, the fear of facing my brother was now overridden by the desire to find out how it felt to fight through fear, and come out victorious. Still, his lack of experience with such a feeling could give Jason a slight edge in their next meeting.
The pain from my wrist was getting worse, and brought me back to myself. It was raw and bleeding, and I resolved to try convincing Hunter to switch wrists. Hopefully he would pad it with something first. Or at least give me something a little thicker I could use to pad it myself once it was on. Given a few moments to be focused solely on me, I started shaking. Despite the control I could wield over my captor, I was afraid. My control over him was not complete, and if he got really mad, I wasn’t sure of my ability to stop him from killing me. It was possible, if I pushed hard enough, I might drive him insane in the attempt to protect myself.
My growing power was also making me nervous. Making Hunter forget our conversation the night before made me feel more powerful and in control than ever before. Despite my position as his captive, I was able to order him out of the room, knowing he wouldn’t remember what was said. He was going to sell my brother. If he faced Jason and won, my brother would face a lifetime of tortures worse than Trevor Mason managed, and there would be nothing I could do about it.
I couldn’t let that happen. Somehow Jason needed to figure out Hunter’s abilities, so he could find a way to fight him. Jason is stronger than Hunter in regard to raw power. When it came to focus, Hunter might have him beat. My brother would need to keep pushing past his normal limits in order to come out on top.
An idea slowly formed in my mind. I could plant suggestions of fear into Hunter’s mind, and I’ve known him only a couple days. My brother had been a constant in my life for the last five years, and my mind knew his intimately. Could my ability somehow be used to contact Jason? Was there some way the connection I had with his mind could be reversed so he could feel mine? Obviously, I didn’t know enough about my ability to know the answer. I also had no idea how to start. But, it might be worth experimenting in order to figure it out.
Hunter was gone again, I realized while considering my options. His emotions were much easier to read when he was in the house, and right now they were faded enough that I knew he wasn’t nearby. I found myself wondering if Jason would call for help today. From what Hunter said, and the exhaustion and worry I felt from Jason, it didn’t seem like he had gone to anyone yet.
It could be a little frustrating, being Jason’s brother. He never told me the truth about how he felt. I was always his first priority—except when we moved here, that was mostly for his own sake. Not that I could blame him—but he still wouldn’t call for help when I was in trouble. He had so many resources available to him, but would only go to them when he’d worn himself to the bone. When he finally knew he couldn’t handle it alone anymore. I wanted to be mad at him, but it was the way he dealt with everything for as long as I can remember. He obviously never called for help when he was with our father, didn’t ask for anyone’s help when he rescued me from our father, and only went to Alice when things were at their worst.
At some point—probably when he was left alone with our father, a sin I could never forgive our mother for—he learned to rely on himself. At least, for the most part. Knowing our father, Jason couldn’t have gone to him for anything. Dear old dad was quick to anger and slow to help. If Jason asked for anything, he put himself at risk of injury.
Back then his emotions had been hidden from me. The way he reacted to certain situations now, led me to believe he’d been worse off with our father than I’d been. When Mason told him where we were, our father showed no interest in me. Another indication there was something he wanted from Jason that he didn’t want from me. Just what it could be, I wasn’t sure. Jason would probably never share.
Until Hunter came back, and I could try to convince him to adjust the manacle to my other wrist, I tried to move it over a different part of my arm. I stuffed as much cloth between the harsh metal and my skin as I could, without making it too tight. Then I leaned back on the pillow and concentrated on my brother, actively trying to feel for his mind instead of just letting the emotions come to me as they normally did. The anger I felt from him initially didn’t surprise me in the least. The deep sense of
security that followed, however, did. I frowned, wondering what could have happened to make the always-present fear fade into the background.
The feeling of protection began to envelop me, and I tried to send a different emotion along the invisible pathway linking our minds. It was a simple experiment, but if it worked, I might be able to send a message. I might be able to help protect my brother.
THIRTY-THREE
Hunter
Taking the car the morning after Jason saw it was a risk. I replaced the license plates, and added a decal to the window so it wouldn’t look exactly the same as the night before. He wouldn’t have had a good look at the color, but he could have seen what kind of car it was. It was a pretty common vehicle, so I wasn’t too worried. Or so I told myself.
The strange feeling of apprehension still came over me each time I considered facing the other man, but the emotion was so odd I simply ignored it. I also fought against the worry that I might lose. I got a couple hours of sleep after challenging Jason last night, and planned to get a good picture of what he was up to today. My first stop was a coffee shop across the street from the police station. I wanted to see if Jason would decide to go for help. If not, I would go back to Jason’s house to follow him. Chances were good that, if he wasn’t at the police station, he would be in the woods again. The more I know about my prey, the better qualified I become to hunt it. Upon arrival at the coffee shop, I ordered a plain black coffee and a cruller, and settled in to watch the police station. My order arrived just before Jason parked his car on the road in front of the building. My breath quickened in anticipation of future altercations. As I watched one of the detectives, a man who’d been at the scene of my most recent crime, joined him. They spoke for several minutes, Jason acting nervous and fidgety throughout the conversation.
If possible, Jason tensed even more for a moment when another man approached. As I watched, he visibly relaxed, even smiling slightly at the new arrival. Jason had another ally. It may be necessary to watch and get to know this new man. The newcomer held himself confidently and, even though there was no visible badge, he seemed like law enforcement. What kind of law enforcement, I wasn’t sure. Either another detective, a fed, or something else; it was hard to judge. He dressed casually, but still in decent khakis and a long sleeved button up. Even from across the street a sharp intelligence was evident in the way he took in his surroundings, and how he interacted with Jason.
Jason still seemed… not quite happy, but maybe relieved to see him. Why he’d been so tense with the detective, and so relaxed with this new man, I couldn’t even begin to guess. It became obvious from the reactions of the other two men that Jason was telling them about his missing brother.
The newcomer raised an eyebrow at Jason, and the younger man gave such a slight nod that I wasn’t sure if the detective noticed. Interesting. The two obviously had some kind of history, and were keeping something from the detective. Although, from the slight frown on the detective’s face, he wasn’t as in the dark as the others wanted him to be. The three men climbed into one of the cars, Jason looking very unhappy, and drove off. So I wouldn’t lose them, I rose and threw away my cup, watching the direction they went as I got into my own vehicle and followed.
Following them was easy. None of them showed any sign of knowing they were being watched. And, even if they suspected, even Jason didn’t know what I looked like. It was unlikely that they would think I’d risk following them through town, but it was still worth being careful. Only a few minutes passed before the other men stopped, and got out of the car. They went into a small office that Jason apparently had a key to. Glancing at the door, I realized how he’d gotten involved in my business. Across the glass in bold, white letters were the words: PRIVATE DETECTIVE. There was smaller lettering across the bottom, probably the name of the owner of the agency and the office hours, but that was unimportant.
A private detective. Strange how the regular police seemed to be okay with his involvement in the case. From what I heard, cops don’t much like private eyes getting into their business. Apparently Jason is good enough at what he does to make him a welcomed part of the case. Which could be bad for me. Most likely he used his abilities, which apparently match mine, in order to be better at his work.
The good news, for me anyway, is that he still doesn’t know about my abilities. He likely has no idea why his attempt at using his powers on me didn’t work, and was probably confused and scared that his normal tactics didn’t work. The tickle of fear at the back of my mind worked its way forward again. He came so close to getting through my defenses. The flow of raw power from the younger man was impressive.
One thing was certain: our next encounter would not end without injuries.
THIRTY-FOUR
Jason
The ride to my office was over too quickly, and I could admit—even if only to myself—that it was good to not be returning by myself. I wasn’t sure what kind of reception to expect from Joe, and was not looking forward to seeing him again. But here we were, ready to face my drunken idiot of a boss, and hoping he would at least be sober today. A little bell rang when the door opened, and there was a shuffling sound from the back room. If he actually left his wife, he was probably sleeping back there.
“Joe!” Nickels called out loudly, making me cringe. “Come on out.”
Joe came out of the back room, graying hair mussed, and a few days’ worth of untrimmed beard growing on his normally clean-shaven face. Usually he only got this scruffy when he was working a case, but apparently going on a bender was cause to stop shaving also. And from the smell of booze leaking out of every pore in his body, he kept up where he left off the last time I saw him.
He glared at me, and I couldn’t help but shrink away from the fury in his eyes. Only having Mark standing in front of me kept me from running right out the door. “What?” he barked angrily. He shifted his glare to Nickels, who glanced between Joe and me, a hard look on his normally friendly face. From the tension in Mark’s shoulders, he also picked up on the exchange.
Ignoring the tension for the moment, Nickels spoke, “Jason has been working a case with us, and we may need your help.”
The drunken man grunted and raised his hand toward me. “What? The boy wonder not good enough for ya?” The sheer hostility in his voice was a little surprising. Until recently, we got along just fine. He even got to the point of complimenting my work, if it was something complicated that I figured out.
“Actually,” Nickels’ voice was hard, mirroring the antagonism he heard in the other man. “Jason has been doing a great job. We just have a question he can’t answer, because he hasn’t lived here long enough to know. And I happen to know that you have files or lists on pretty much everyone who’s ever had property in these woods. That is what I’m looking for. If you hand it over, we’ll get outta your hair.”
Grunting, and apparently unwilling to pick a fight with the detective, Joe went to his filing cabinet and sifted through the surprisingly organized drawer. “Here.” He shoved the files in Nickels’ face. “Now get out!”
Without waiting for a reply, he stomped back to the cot in the back room. Taking a deep breath I stepped toward the door separating us. “Joe.” I waited for him to look up, the sneer still evident. “I quit,” I said and turned, walking out of the office without a glance back to see if the other men were following. Leaning on the wall outside I sighed heavily, but was sure quitting was the right thing.
“You okay?” Mark asked, leaning next to me. A glance upward was all it took to see the concern on his face, which matched the tone of voice.
Nickels leaned on the wall to the other side of me. “Did he hurt you, Jason?” he asked calmly. There was a hard tone to his voice that made me look at him sharply. “I saw the look he gave you, and how you reacted to it. Should we be arresting him?”
Letting my head drop again, I shook it briefly. “No. He didn’t hurt me. The last time I went to the office he came in drunk, and was accusin
g me of having an affair with his wife. Ironically, I’m probably the only person in his life who wasn’t.” My chuckle was devoid of humor.
“You were right to quit,” Mark stated, echoing my thoughts and making me even more confident resigning was the right choice. “When that kind of behavior starts… well, you know what it leads to.”
Better than most. “Thanks, Mark. But now I’m out of a job. Can’t really afford that right now, and I don’t have my PI license yet.”
Nickels shrugged, obviously agreeing with the choices made so far. “Finish helping us on this case and you’ll be fully qualified to take the exam.”
It seemed like they were going to keep talking, and I had a little brother to find, so it was time to forget the job situation and get back to the search. “Thanks, Scott,” I said, surprising both of us with the second use of his first name that day. Apparently, the first wasn’t a fluke. Was it possible I was beginning to truly trust the detective? “What’s in the files?” I asked quickly, unwilling to delve into the new comfort I felt with the other man.
Opening the file, he scanned it quickly. The first page was simply a list of names, which was followed by pages of information on each person. “Was this just a hobby for him, or were all these people involved in his cases at some point?” Mark asked, surprised by the information in the files.
“Hobby,” Nickels and I said together. “He is nothing if not nosy,” I said. “But for now it’s helpful.”
“Maybe,” Nickels said, sounding less sure. “But we still don’t know what we’re looking for.”
That was true, but at least we had a starting point. “Let’s get back to the station,” Nickels said. “There’s some work I have to do, and you and Mark can start on this.” He raised the files. “My office work won’t take long, and then we can canvass the cabins to see which are in use right now.”
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