The Sensorians: Trust

by Brigitte Morse-Starkenburg

  I shrugged my shoulders but felt a little embarrassed for my negative attitude. He picked up on that immediately of course. It was his turn to let out a little sigh.

  “It has helped me countless times in investigations. I can see emails people write, pick up phone numbers, see people's reaction behind me, signals that were not meant for me to see. It's like having an extra pair of eyes, but better. I can literally flip between people's visions to keep track of people or situations unfolding. It's amazing.”

  I clearly hadn't really thought it through properly, but Rob was right. It would offer incredible options if I were able to control it. I really hadn't seen it that way, I'd just thought of it as a nuisance. I apologised for my less than enthusiastic response from earlier.

  “Would you be able to help me control it? Any tips on how to access it?”

  “You need to think back to what feelings you had when the episodes happened and concentrate on those emotions. Start with physical contact first. Once you have that under control and can make it happen when you want, move on to remote visual hacking. It's more difficult and it takes a lot of practice, but you'll get there if you really want it.”

  He got up to leave, but not before he demonstrated a little remote VH.

  “You could have told me I have a bit of green stuck to my front teeth,” he laughed.

  “Useful as a mirror too. Start practising, girl. Text me if you need some advice.”

  Rob had been right in that it really didn't take me long to gain some control over it. It was difficult at first, not really getting anywhere. But once I worked out how to tap into those very extreme emotions I had when the hacking had happened previously, it became fairly easy. The jolts became less severe each time I did it, and I was able to VH anyone I touched without much effort after only a couple of days. Zack was over the moon.

  “This is just brilliant. You are something else Eliza. You're a natural when you decide to put your mind to it.”

  “I'm not quite there yet, Zack. I can only sustain it for a short time and I'm nowhere near any remote hacking. Don't get too enthusiastic. It's of limited use at the moment.”

  I tried dampening his enthusiasm just slightly as I didn't want his expectations too high. Not sure it worked though as he completely ignored my comment.

  “We have a meeting scheduled with Markus at 5pm today. Most of the leadership is going to be there as they want to assess your state of mind.”

  “My state of mind is just fine,” I grumbled. “But I really need to speak to you before that meeting, Zack. You've got to tell Zaph that you need to see me on my own. I don't want her there, but I don't want to raise suspicion. I'll explain later.”

  I expected Zaph to arrive at my room any minute now, and didn't want to get caught talking about her. I was right, she practically burst into the room, not bothering to knock anymore.

  “Oh. You're here,” she grumbled, spotting Zack. I could swear I detected jealousy still. Silly girl.

  “Yes. And on my way out. Eliza, I'm expecting you in the small meeting room in half an hour. Alone,” he ordered as per my request.

  Zack threw Zaphire a warning glare as she was about to protest. She shut up straight away.

  I nodded my acknowledgement, raising my eyebrows slightly at Zaph. True to his word, he got up and left us in peace, so we could catch up. Zaph was in no mood to talk and within five minutes we ended up in the shower together. I loved every minute of it. Zaphy was amazing.

  CHAPTER 15

  Zaphire

  Eliza left in a rush, hair still wet and dripping but she didn't care. I guess she didn't want to upset Zack by being late and get reprimanded. She's had enough of those and knew it was better to just try and follow Zack's orders to the letter. It made for a much easier life.

  I decided to find Brody, even though I was meant to finish off some work. I had spotted him in his room and wanted to catch him before he might leave. I didn't need to worry. He'd ensconced himself on the sofa, feet up and listening to some music. He must be off for the rest of the day as he wore nothing but a pair of joggers and an old T-shirt full of holes, ready to just slob about.

  “Hey, Zaphster. What's up?”

  He invited me in with a wave of his hand. He wasn't going anywhere, lying back on the sofa after he half heartedly sat up to see who'd entered his room. I wasn't sure how to broach the subject subtly so I just crashed into it.

  “What's going on with Zack? Does he talk to you at all?”

  Brody considered this for a moment and I could sense his reluctance to spill the beans on his friend.

  “Not really,” was his short answer.

  I realised I needed to work a bit harder to get anything out of him.

  “It's just that I'm worried. He's behaving recklessly, very unlike him.”

  “What do you mean?” still not giving anything away.

  “The girls...,” I prompted.

  “Oh that.”

  Brody sighed. Clearly still feeling uncomfortable talking about his friend.

  “He's just letting off steam, Zaph. He'll get over it.”

  “Get over what?” I pounced. “Does he still have a thing for Eliza? I knew it!” I started pacing through Brody's room, letting my emotions run wild.

  “Calm yourself down girl. What the hell! He's dealing with it, isn't he. Leave him to it,” Brody warned.

  “But he's not dealing, is he? He's just screwing! Taking advantage of all these girls! Disgusting!”

  I couldn't help myself. I full on shouted at Brody, who started to look agitated. Highly unusual for him as he was the most laid back and calm guy ever. He actually got up and strode over, grabbing me by the shoulders and pushing me down to sit on the sofa.

  “For fuck's sake Zaphire. You're being ridiculous. Yes, he's acting out of character, but he's not taking advantage of anyone. He specifically targets the girls who just want to have some fun, just like him. He can smell from a mile off the girls who'd be vulnerable. He clearly needs to take his mind off...,”

  He stopped and looked sheepish.

  “Exactly,” I said bitterly.

  So, my girlfriend fancied my brother, even though she claimed it was purely physical, and my brother was in love with her. Much more than he dared to admit. Great. This was going to test my ability to trust them beyond anything I had endured before. I loved her and I adored my brother, but could I live with this impossible situation? I really missed Sam. She would have been able to help me think through all of this.

  Brody stood a little helplessly by my side, sighed deeply, regained his calm and sank into the sofa next to me. He wrapped his arm around me, making me feel instantly much better.

  “Look. Zack can't help how he feels, but you can trust him. He would never do anything to hurt you. You know that. Eliza is off limits. He'll get over it. He's strong like that.”

  “I know, I know. I just wished it wasn't this complicated,” I sighed.

  I left Brody to his slobbing and retreated back to the office, to finish off the work I had left earlier today. I immersed myself fully in the case and soon was thinking of nothing else. In no time I was done and dropped my report off at Markus' office. Just as I left from there I bumped into Eliza. She looked exhausted. I would kill to know what Zack and her had discussed, but I knew I wouldn't stand a chance of finding out unless he wanted me to.

  “Let's go and grab a cuppa,” I offered and Eliza accepted gratefully. We only had just under an hour before our meeting with the team and both of us could do with a little break.

  Markus, Michael, Lois and Zack were already in the conference room when Eliza and I arrived, feeling somewhat refreshed due to our down time. There was a slightly tense atmosphere, but nothing much out of the ordinary, and I didn't pick up any weird vibes between Zack and Eliza. They could be masking though as I didn't feel, smell or see anything much being emitted by either of them, which was a little suspect. I saw Zack had noticed me checking them over and he stared me out, challengi
ng me. I didn't quite know what to make of it all, but decided to concentrate on Markus for the moment, even if it was just to avoid Zack's intense stare.

  “Rick is getting increasingly hard to track, so we need Eliza to get in there as soon as possible. We're losing control of the situation, because we just don't have enough information. We have arrested a couple of his associates but they are not giving anything away that's useful. Rick's been extremely clever as to what information he lets people be part of. He knows if we captured any of them they wouldn't be able to lie to us. We haven't identified any Sensorians working with him, but that's not to say there aren't any. He could have recruited from other countries or we just haven't found out yet. I take it Rick hasn't contacted Eliza yet?”

  Zack, Eliza and I all shook our heads in denial. Michael shifted uncomfortably on his feet, he was working up to say something he knew was controversial. Markus looked up, eyebrows lifted.

  “Or that you know of...,” Michael challenged, avoiding Eliza's eyes. Lois' eyes widened somewhat.

  Eliza's heart rate spiked and she was about to challenge him back. But Zack put a hand on arm to calm her down. I was about to speak up for myself, feeling personally attacked, but Zack was too quick and responded in his usual authoritative way.

  “Michael. Eliza's not hiding anything from us. I shouldn't even have to say this but Zaphire has been with her and would have realised if contact was made. You're not pulling into question Zaphire's aptitude and commitment, are you?”

  “No, no, not at all,” he replied hastily, not quite successful in hiding his guilt when I caught his eye. Michael recovered quickly though.

  “But the question had to be asked. We need to see firsthand reaction to these challenges, uncomfortable as it may feel. Don't be offended.”

  I was though. I knew their methods and I shouldn't be feeling personally affronted, but it was kinda hard not to. I tried to disguise my unprofessional feelings as much as I could, but I knew both Eliza and Zack had picked up on it.

  “And? Are you satisfied now that there has been no contact? So can we move on and actually do something constructive now?” Zack questioned.

  The slightly prickly undertone wasn't missed by Markus who threw him a miniscule but warning glare. So many things were communicated by body language and scents, you had to keep your wits about you to avoid missing anything important.

  I was with Zack. We just needed to move past this and focus.

  “Any ideas as to how we're going to get Eliza in contact with Rick safely?” I started off the conversation to get the ball rolling.

  I thought I picked up a slight moment between Eliza and Zack, but I must have imagined it as they were both occupied separately, looking through some documentation relating to Rick's whereabouts.

  “We could move up North and join Laura and Frank's team? Be closer to the action?” offered Zack tentatively. Laura had moved up there to help Frank organise the team a few days ago.

  “That's definitely an option. It would make it easier for him to try and contact Eliza. He'll know if you moved there. I'm sure he's got close tabs on Eliza's movements one way or the other.”

  Michael nodded in agreement with Markus' comment.

  “They could do with some extra hands up there, so it's probably the most sensible thing to do. All three of you plus Brody can go up there and be of use. Then we can take it from there and see if Rick will make a move.”

  All of us agreed. I was a little surprised not to hear more from Eliza, considering she had such strong views on what moves Rick was likely to make or not when we were still at her mum's. I assumed Zack must have had a word with her about it in their meeting earlier, and possibly forbidden her to comment too much.

  CHAPTER 16

  Eliza

  Zaphy and I spent an amazing evening, night and morning together. I tried to make it extra special for her and told her a thousand times how much I loved her. Little did she know that if my plan worked, it was quite possibly the last time we would spend time together like this for a long while. She knew something was up, but I let her fill in the details herself. Whatever she was thinking, I doubted she could imagine what the reality was going to be.

  It had taken me all my effort to convince Zack to agree with my plan. The idea had formed in my head at my mother's house, and I'd made up my mind. I pleaded with him to trust me and trust me implicitly but only when he realised I would do it with or without his consent, he begrudgingly conceded. He clearly wasn't happy about it, but once he had committed he embraced it wholeheartedly. We perfected the strategy together, although we only had control over the first part. After that it was a waiting game and if Rick wouldn't bite, it could backfire quite dramatically. Zack was putting his career on the line. If this was going to go pear shaped one way or the other he, in his own words, would be 'fucking chained to a desk job for the rest of his fucking life' or even end up in prison. Plus he was convinced if Zaphire found out the truth she would blame him for everything and hate him forever. And I could end up branded a traitor and imprisoned for the rest of my life, or worse, dead. Only time would tell.

  The meeting yesterday had just been a show on my part. I knew my own plan was going to be the most likely to succeed, but as I'd thought, Zack was convinced Markus would never allow it. They just didn't trust me enough, or maybe thought I wasn't strong enough to get involved with Rick alone, without proper back up and support. In their eyes I would either be swayed to work with my father, or be somehow manipulated to do so. They were clearly underestimating my loyalty and commitment to stop my father executing his dangerous ideas, even though I had fears about the dire consequences my father would face. Anyway, I knew that for the plan to work it was of utmost importance that as few people as possible knew about it, ideally just Zack and me. Rick would sense a trap if too many reactions weren't genuine to what was about to happen.

  The hardest decision had been not to involve Zaphire. My heart bled when I thought about her reaction and what she would think of me. I practically had signed a death warrant to our budding relationship. She would never be able to fully trust me again, but it had to be this way. Zack had tried to convince me to include her, but her reaction would be the one that Rick was most likely to focus on and it had to be real. There was too much riding on it.

  I also couldn't deny that part of me didn't want her involved purely to protect her. If it all went wrong, at least she wouldn't have to suffer the consequences. I didn't tell Zack this though, but I knew he sensed it. He didn't challenge me over it, he accepted his role in this.

  The first part of the plan had to be executed in a public space with as many witnesses as possible for word to get out. It had to be in the lunch room. We were lucky as it was particularly busy today. Zack and I had engineered to be at some distance from our friends, pretending to be in some discussion or the other and this is where it all kicked off. The show was about to start.

  “What the hell! I've had it up to here with your pathetic orders! I'm not doing it Zack!” I threw my arms up in the air, raising my voice, but not quite shouting yet. It had attracted some attention already. Zack stayed calm.

  “What's this Eliza? Are you refusing my order? I thought we'd moved past this stage.”

  “I can't do it anymore! You can stick your orders where the sun don't shine. I'm done with it. I'm done with it all!”

  We had full attention. You could hear a pin drop. People's curiosity spiked and a nervous energy arose.

  “Piss off, all of you! Stop listening! You morons!” I roared.

  “Eliza. Calm down. This is your last chance. Apologise to me and everyone in the room. Now.”

  Zack stood tall and imposing with the hardest, sternest look on his face I'd ever seen and never in a million years would I have dared to defy him, if it wasn't part of our plan. He was amazing. I swallowed hard, because even though I knew it wasn't real, I found it hard to stand up against him.

  “Go to hell,” I hissed. “I want out! I wa
nt to go home! I can't do this anymore! You can all do one!” I shouted, throwing my arms wildly about, my fingers jabbing at Zack's face.

  Next thing I knew Zack had twisted one of my arms behind my back but I just managed to kick back and got his knee. I wished I hadn't done that. Within seconds I was on the floor, both arms behind my back and a knee firmly lodged in the small of my back. Shit. Pain raced through my body. The physical pain compounded by the angry vibes in the room nearly crushed me. Gasps echoed around the room.

  “Mankuzay. You're back in isolation. You're fucking way out of line. How dare you defy me like this and insult everyone around you. For fuck's sake! I thought better of you,” he sneered angrily in my ear, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

  He had lost his calm exterior and showed me the full force of his anger. Mostly acted but my well aimed kick had riled him. I could feel it so others must have too. Perfect.

  He roughly hauled me on my feet and moved me through the room, arms still behind my back. That's when I spotted Zaphire's distraught face. She made her way towards us. I avoided her eyes. I didn't think I could keep this up if I looked at her.

  “Zack? Eliza? This doesn't make sense. What the hell happened?”

  She exuded complete desperation and bewilderment.

  “Get the fuck out of the way, sis.”

  Zack pushed his way roughly past her.

  “Eliza?”

  “Don't speak to her. That's an order Zaph.”

  I just caught a glimpse of her face, her beautiful eyes distraught and confused. It made my insides churn and bile rose to my throat.

  “I hate you all!” I managed to choke out before Zack shoved me out the door.

  “Did you have to fucking kick me! My knee kills!” he whispered angrily when we were safely out of earshot.

  “It was instinct. But it did make it look real though!” I said a bit too triumphantly.

  Zack tightened his grip on my arms and hoisted them up a little higher. I squealed in pain.