Lethal Influence

by Susan Bohnet

  Chapter Fifty-eight

  “Cole is a hybrid?” It was Anthony, the surprise clear on his face. “He has all the Trebladore markers: the gold fleck, the height. How can he be a hybrid?”

  Lincoln looked at Jessip as the silence in the room grew. His face was hard, his expression grim. Lincoln glanced down at Cole. “He will regain consciousness soon. This isn’t the first time he has used his abilities, those strange abilities that come with being a hybrid.”

  Jessip’s lips thinned as he pursed them together, a fissure of fear skittered over his face. Peripherally, Kai noted that Beth was standing silently, listening.

  It was Rick who spoke next. “How could he have slipped by us?”

  It was like a live wire jolted Kai. “Yes!” His eyes searched Jessip’s face. This was a man he had revered and respected his entire life, a man who had become like his father when his own had died so suddenly. It was at Jessip’s side that Kai had learned about Influencing humans and how important it was to the future of the human race. He said to Jessip. “How did he slip by and what would you have done if he had been detected sooner? You are testing the DNA of suspected hybrids all the time, aren’t you? And Paul is the lead geneticist who, with his team, roots out the hybrids. But what do you do with them?”

  “We take care of them,” said Jessip, standing inches from Kai, his eyes still on the silent form of the boy.

  “What does that mean?” challenged Kai. He remembered the fear in Aunt Jean’s eyes when she reassured him that he was not a hybrid. Did she know something? Did she know what would happen to a child if it were a hybrid?

  “We take care of them,” Jessip repeated. His voice was low and Kai’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Do you take care of them the same way you took care of Harrison?” Kai hissed.

  Jessip suddenly straightened and Lincoln and Leo seemed to freeze. Jessip said. “What do you know about Harrison?”

  “I know you abducted him from his front yard several days ago. And he hasn’t been seen or heard of since … either inside or outside of Headquarters. No one knows anything about where he disappeared. What did you do to him?”

  Jessip stepped back from Kai and moved to the side of the room, closer to the small desk he had been sitting at earlier. “We sent him home,” he said.

  “Home?” The surprise in Lincoln’s voice was evident. So, Kai thought, Jessip hasn’t told Lincoln everything, even when he was grooming him as his heir.

  Jessip turned back toward the man he had had such high hopes for. “Yes … home.”

  “Do you mean all the way to Treblane? You can do that?” Leo said, still crouched on the floor beside Cole. Leo and Harrison had been very close, as close as brothers, and Kai knew Leo worried the most about his missing friend.

  Kai glanced once at Beth, not wanting to draw anyone’s attention to her, and found that she was holding her breath with her gaze glued to Jessip. He wanted to touch her, to hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right. He wanted to whisper in her ear and remind her to breathe before she fainted.

  “Yes, we sent him to Treblane. When we find Trebladores,” here he hesitated and glanced meaningfully at Lincoln and Leo, “who aren’t suited to the mission here, we send them back to Treblane.”

  “What happens to them there?” Kai demanded.

  “Nothing,” said Jessip. “They are integrated back into society and can choose to live any way they wish. They have complete freedom, except they can’t return to Earth, or go to any other planet we are currently working on. They have to stay on Treblane.” Now Jessip looked with kindness at Leo. “Treblane is a beautiful planet, Leo. Harrison will be happy there. It is a lot like Earth and has all the amenities we enjoy here, even more, actually.”

  “Is that where you send the hybrids then?” Kai asked. His gut was telling him the answer was no, but he hoped otherwise.

  Jessip took a deep breath and turned to Kai. He began to speak twice and stopped himself both times. Then he said, “The hybrid children die young. They don’t reach the age of six months.”

  “Naturally?” Kai said.

  “Most die naturally, yes. There’s something in the genetic makeup of a hybrid that causes the child to die. We make no effort to save them.”

  Kai looked down at Charles and felt the anger rise through him. Lincoln was responsible for this Trebladore’s death. He had actually ordered Cole to do it, knowing what the results would be. Kai looked up at Lincoln to find the other man was watching him. Lincoln grimaced and then turned his cold gaze on Jessip.

  “What if they don’t die naturally?” Lincoln said. “Why don’t you tell Kai what you do then?”

  Jessip gave Lincoln an angry glare. “Then we take care of them,” Jessip said again. Only this time Kai understood exactly what he meant. The icy fingers of truth settled on Kai’s back. “It is painless, and the parents never know what happened,” Jessip continued.

  Cole suddenly shifted on the floor, his head turning and his eyes opening. Lincoln nodded to Leo and smiled at Cole as Leo helped the boy to a sitting position.

  Kai watched them, seeing for the first time, what his own experience must look like from the outside. “I thought hybrids who survive infancy are rare. They obviously do sometimes slip through the cracks. How could you not know Cole was a hybrid?”

  Jessip glanced at Kai and his look spoke volumes. Kai just didn’t know what those volumes were saying. “He has the gold fleck, Kai.” Jessip said. “We’ve never seen a hybrid with a gold fleck before.” Kai sucked in his breath, holding it as he watched Jessip’s eyes move around the room. Did Jessip suspect anything? Kai felt the sweat break out on his forehead and he resisted the urge to reach up and wipe it away.

  “Well, we do now,” Lincoln said, the words causing every eye in the room to return to the still, silent form of Charles. Jordan rested the dead man’s head gently on the ground and Jessip moved to snatch a thin blanket from the couch, placing it evenly over the body.

  “And you never found out that a hybrid could kill with their minds?” asked Kai.

  “We never allowed one to reach maturity,” Jessip murmured.

  Kai glanced at Beth and saw the look of fear enter her eyes. He knew where her thoughts had turned. What would the Trebladores do to Kai if they knew he was a hybrid? Would they ‘take care of him’? He wondered the same thing, but his concern had more to do with Beth’s safety than his own. She now knew all about the Trebladore Society and their purpose here on Earth. They would want to silence her.

  “Why have you forced Kai to come here? And what are you doing bringing her here?” It was Lincoln who spoke, his gaze, hard and relentless, resting on Beth. His look was scathing and Kai wondered at it. Why would he hate Beth so much? Because Kai loved her? But that didn’t make sense. If he was afraid of the possibility of Beth and Kai producing a hybrid he would be afraid of Cole. And if he knew what hybrids could do with their minds, he must have suspected that Kai was a hybrid, too.

  “You ask that question as if you have a right to demand an answer,” Jessip said.

  “I have the right,” snarled Lincoln. “I have the power here, Jessip. You may be Master of this region, but I will be Master of this planet.”

  “Master of the planet? What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about taking a more forceful path to bringing these stupid, violent humans to their destiny.” Lincoln stepped forward and spread his arms, “We know what we are doing here. We know how to create a world where everyone gets along, where there is no poverty, no war, no violence. We live that kind of life on Treblane, and we try to teach it to other planets. We have done it for thousands of years, Jessip. And on every planet we have lived and Influenced we’ve succeeded. But not this one. This one’s different. We can’t get through to them, Jessip. We can’t Influence the ones in positions to make a real change. We need
to stop those who are running the show here. We need to stop the leaders who advocate for war. We need to stop the men and women who choose violence over cooperation. And we need to stop them permanently.”

  Silence settled over the room as though the energy from Lincoln’s passionate speech filled every cranny.

  Lincoln’s eyes came to rest on Kai’s. “Don’t you see, Kai?” he said, dropping his arms to his sides before pointing at Beth. “You love this woman. You want to have a life with her. And why not? Why should you be forced to turn away from someone you love because the Master says you have to?” Now Lincoln turned back to Jessip and Kai saw the thick upper lip curl in derision.

  Jessip stepped forward, his shoulders hunched, his face lined with fear. “Hybrids can kill us, Lincoln. Don’t you see the danger in that? And they can kill … with their minds! We should all fear them.” Jessip swallowed and shook his head, his eyes traveling over the people gathered in the room. “Trebladores don’t kill, Lincoln. We don’t harm — we Influence. And our Influencing, while perhaps not done in the open, is only that — Influencing. The point is that the human mind has the right to make a choice with the Influence we offer. They don’t have to do anything we try to Influence them to do. They aren’t compelled. There is no force. They still make the choice to reject our Influence and do the cruel, evil, demented things they want to do.”

  “Yes!” hissed Lincoln, his gaze steady on Jessip’s. “Don’t you see, Jessip? Don’t you see how the hybrids are our ultimate weapon? With their abilities we can infiltrate the leadership’s councils, those who make the life-and-death decisions around the world. Instead of attempting to Influence them we can become the ones who are making the decisions. We can work our way into their positions of power; have a hybrid eliminate them, then put a Trebladore in power. Make it so that all the leaders over the entire planet are Trebladores. Use the hybrids to make them stop! Stop killing each other. Stop torturing each other. Stop destroying the planet they live on.” Kai saw with surprise that tears glistened in Lincoln’s eyes. The other man blinked and shook his head. “You are afraid, Jessip. Afraid of half-breeds like Kai and Cole. Afraid because you can’t control them!”

  “Kai is a hybrid too?” Anthony interjected. His eyes turned to Jessip. “Is that why you had us bring him here? Is that what this is all about? You told us it was because he was breaking the rules, courting a human.”

  Jessip didn’t answer Anthony. Instead he turned to Lincoln.

  “How long have you known, Lincoln?” asked Jessip.

  Lincoln’s smirk was self-satisfied. “I had Kai tested long ago.”

  “No, you didn’t,” said Kai.

  “I didn’t ask your permission and I didn’t need your cooperation. I had a few strands of your hair after the fight we had out in the parking lot. I had the connections of Headquarters. It was a simple matter of making a request of the right people.”

  “That’s why you can kill humans!” said Leo.

  At his words, complete silence descended on the room.

  “Have you actually killed a human?” Jessip said, his voice scratchy.

  Kai glanced at Beth. Her wide, innocent, idealistic eyes were riveted on him. This would be the end of their relationship. When she found out what he had done she would turn away from him. And who could blame her? Certainly not him. He was a murderer. An alien who murders humans.

  “More than one,” said Lincoln. “We’ve been doing a great thing for humanity. Kai has killed the very worst people we can find.” As Lincoln spoke, Cole gave him a look of admiration, hooking his thumbs into his belt loops, his chest thrust out, chin raised. A satisfied smile came to the boy’s lips.

  Kai turned to Beth. She shook her head like she couldn’t believe it, but then met Kai’s eyes. He turned his gaze away, then brought it back to hers and nodded. Her eyes were wide, unbelieving. He saw her lips move as she said Ronan’s name. It wrenched his heart to see her so disillusioned, but there was relief in the revelation, as well. He had hidden so much of himself from Beth. Finally, to have nothing left to hide was freedom. He saw a tear, a single tear, spill down Beth’s cheek. Freedom came at a terrible price.

  Chapter Fifty-nine

  Jessip moved to the desk and motioned to Rick. Rick pulled Beth toward the door. Kai swung back fiercely with his elbow, catching Anthony in the neck and sending him reeling backward. Then he darted forward. Jordan rose from his spot next to Charles and moved to obstruct Kai’s way.

  “Beth!” Kai screamed.

  Beth, wriggling against Rick’s hold, turned fear-filled eyes to Kai and mouthed the words “I love you”. The bottom dropped out of Kai’s stomach. Strong arms reached out and wrapped themselves around his chest and Kai heard Jessip’s voice in his ear. “This is necessary, Kai. You can’t break the rules without paying the price. I’m sorry.”

  Kai glanced back at Jessip and saw that the other man had tears in his eyes that ran freely down his cheeks. Kai turned to Beth and met her eyes. “I love you,” he called, struggling futility against Jessip’s solid hold.

  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lincoln move back, placing himself between Leo and Cole.

  “What is going on?” Leo cried, stepping in front of Lincoln, his head swiveling between Beth and Kai.

  “Beth is human, Leo. She knows about us now. Jessip knows how dangerous she is to the Society. She needs to be taken care of.” Lincoln’s voice was harsh, his breath ragged.

  Suddenly Cole slipped around Lincoln and Kai saw the steel in the young boy’s face.

  “Beth!” Cole called. Beth looked up at her name, her eyes resting on Cole’s. Kai saw Cole straighten, his eyes boring into Beth’s. Jessip’s hold on Kai tightened momentarily and then the other man’s arms dropped away from him, as if a spring had been loosened. Kai swayed on his feet, hearing Lincoln’s voice calling, “No!”

  As he felt the familiar sizzle run down his spine, he juddered back. He wailed and rushed forward. But it was Rick who caught Beth as her lifeless body collapsed suddenly in front of him and Kai jumped to avoid stepping on the unconscious Cole, also slumped on the floor.

  “Beth … Beth!” Kai knelt over her and took her in his arms. She was heavy, lifeless. “Why?” His sobs came with violent force. She was everything to him. He’d disregarded every taboo for a chance to be with her. He’d won her back from the lies that had almost pulled them apart. And when she knew absolutely everything, she loved him still. How could she be gone?

  He looked at Cole, still lying unconscious on the floor. Lincoln and Leo had gone to him and the other Trebladores moved forward now and surrounded the three of them. Lincoln looked at Kai, his eyes filled with regret.

  “Do you see?” It was Jessip, his voice high and reedy, his face suffused with color. “Do you see why we fear the hybrids, Kai? We can’t control them. They act instinctively with very little thought. They are ruled by their emotions and not their minds. They are dangerous to both humans and Trebladores.”

  Kai looked down again at Beth. Her face was so peaceful, the eyes closed, the mouth soft and vulnerable. A tear glistened on her cheek and Kai reached out to wipe it gently away. He felt a terrible rending in his heart. It hurt to breathe, to move, to think, to see. Pain, big and heavy and solid, sat on his chest and squeezed the breath out of him.

  He was aware of movement across the room. He glanced over and saw Leo help Cole rise to a sitting position. Kai glanced at Lincoln, meeting his eyes silently, his lips pulled tight together. Kai could see that Lincoln was sorry; that the other man had not intended for Cole to hurt Beth. It struck Kai that Lincoln had plans for Beth. He would’ve used her as leverage to secure Kai’s cooperation.

  Kai gazed down at her again and took a deep breath, feeling the flush of emotion slice through him as he did so. Tears ran freely down his cheeks.

  “Kai.” It was Lincoln. “Kai. I’m so sorry.”

&n
bsp; Kai looked at Lincoln, his eyes meeting the other man’s regretfully. He glanced at Leo, saw the horror written on the young man’s face. Then his eyes found Cole’s and he saw confusion. He took in a deep breath and let the anger rise through him. Jessip was right. Hybrids were a danger to everyone … humans, Trebladores, and hybrids themselves. He felt the pain escalate up through his spine, saw the world tilt, shift sideways, and then shift fleetingly back as Cole collapsed again to the floor. Kai saw Lincoln calling something, his hands stretched out toward Kai, his eyes filled with panic. And then he saw nothing else as the world became suddenly dark.

  ——<>——

  When Kai regained consciousness, it was to the sight of Jessip sitting by his side, his head in his hands. Kai snorted, a short, sharp sound that surprised even him.

  Jessip raised his head and Kai saw that the other man’s eyes were red-rimmed, the circles under them emphasized by the harsh lights of the room. Kai looked around. He was alone with Jessip. The others had gone, taking the dead with them. No … there was Beth, her body lying on one of the couches as if she were asleep. Kai could hear his own ragged breathing in the silence of the room.

  “Where did they go?” he said to the Master. “What happened?”

  “You killed Cole, Kai.” Jessip said, his voice catching. “You killed Lincoln’s magic weapon and without that weapon Lincoln was as vulnerable as anyone else. We took them away to the holding rooms, he and Leo. I don’t think Leo was privy to all that Lincoln was planning. I don’t think many were.”

  Jessip’s hair was standing on end, silver fragments sticking out to the side. He looked like he had aged a decade in the last hour, white skin pulled tight over his cheekbones, shoulders hunched, deep lines etched in his forehead. Kai pulled himself up until he was sitting beside Jessip, his body a parody of the other man’s position.

  He looked at Beth, lying so peacefully across the room. He felt hollow. It was like he didn’t have a heart anymore. He was dead inside. “What is going to happen now?” he said.