Impostor

by Winnacker, Susanne

  “Didn’t think I could do it, did you?” Triumph filled his voice.

  “I thought it might be you,” I whispered.

  He crouched in front of me, bringing his face close, far too close. So close that I saw the cold calculation in his eyes. I wished there had been madness there; that would have been easier to deal with.

  He sneered. “You think I killed you because you broke up with me and fucked that asshole Yates, don’t you?”

  I swallowed, stunned into silence. That wasn’t the reason?

  “That wasn’t why I killed you, but it’ll make killing Yates much more enjoyable.” He smiled widely. “You really don’t remember anything, do you? It’s been so much fun staring into your unsuspecting little face these last few weeks.”

  His mouth twisted with glee. He was clutching a long knife in his hand, the blade covered with blood. Red on gleaming silver.

  I tried to focus my attention inside, summoning a shift. If I could transform into a man—someone strong like Alec—then I could try to kick Ryan’s ass.

  He turned the knife absentmindedly, still watching me.

  “I want to understand,” I said, half pleading. “Why are you doing this?”

  I tried to summon my power once more, but the rippling in my skin was faint and stopped almost instantly.

  He moved closer, his hot breath spilling onto my cheek. It smelled horrid, like onions and alcohol.

  I started working at the rope around my wrists, trying to wiggle my thumb underneath it. It was too tight.

  “You,” he said like a curse. “I showed you my gift, trusted you enough to tell you what I was capable of, and you were scared. You treated me like an abomination.”

  He’d shown Madison his Variation?

  I realized that my own Variation might be my only chance of winning his trust, but telling him about it could rob me of my only advantage.

  “You know, Madison, at one point, I thought I loved you. I’d have done anything for you. Anything. I even killed that useless bitch Kristen for you because she wouldn’t stop talking shit. I hated her for how she’d been treating you. But you, you didn’t understand. You were scared and disgusted by me! You would’ve gone to the police. You would’ve betrayed me—again and again. So you left me with no choice, Maddy.”

  I swallowed when he ran his finger over the blade. He pressed the knife lightly against my throat. I stared at him, so scared it was hard to hear him over the pounding of my heart in my ears.

  “I’m sorry.” The words slipped out without my volition, like the automatic “bless you” when someone sneezes. I wasn’t even sure what I was apologizing for.

  “You are so clueless.” His lips curled.

  Something snapped in me. “Maybe that’s because you tried to kill me.”

  He raised the knife to strike, and I focused on my power with all my might. But still, nothing happened. It was as if I’d never had a Variation in the first place.

  A crack sounded from somewhere in the house and Ryan froze. The knife was almost at my throat.

  He jumped up and crept out of the room, leaving the door ajar. With the light from the corridor streaming inside, I could barely make out my surroundings. There was a bathtub with old-fashioned claw feet and a hole in the ground where the toilet must have been. Over the tub, on a small shelf, rested Devon’s hunting knife and my Taser.

  I closed my eyes and tried shifting. A rippling started in my toes and slowly traveled up my calves.

  A cry crashed through my concentration and the rippling died down. My eyes shot open. Ryan appeared in the doorframe, his hand twisted in blond hair. A streak of fog trailed after him like a lost puppy. He dragged the woman inside and dropped her as far away from me as possible, beside the bathtub. Her face was pressed against the tiles but something about her seemed familiar. Ryan tied her wrists and ankles together with tape. He turned her onto her side, and I saw her face for the first time.

  I gasped.

  Ryan’s eyes darted toward me. “What? Do you know her?”

  I shook my head, trying to wipe the shock from my face.

  His lips thinned in suspicion. “Are you sure? Why did she follow you here then, Maddy?”

  Kate stared at me, one of her eyes already swelling shut and a nasty cut on her temple. Had Major asked her to join the mission without telling me?

  “I’ve never seen her before,” I said.

  “You’re lying,” he accused, advancing with the knife.

  “I’m not! I don’t know her. Maybe she followed Devon here.”

  Ryan paused, his green eyes contemplating. “Devon.” His mouth twisted. “That would be just like the jerk.”

  “Why did you kill him?”

  Kate was trying to bore a hole into my head with her eyes but I didn’t look her way. I couldn’t risk making Ryan even more suspicious.

  “Because he’s been prying around too much, sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. I had to stop him. I led him here. He thought he was so damn clever but he would’ve never found me if I hadn’t let him follow me. It’s a pity that he’s dead though. I was planning to blame the murders on him. That’s why I killed that bitch Francesca.”

  Ryan grinned. He advanced on me, slowly, enjoying every moment of his sick little game. I forced my body to relax, even when he knelt down beside me and twirled a strand of my hair around his finger.

  “Why did you lead Devon here?” I asked, the words rattling in my throat.

  He paused with his finger on my collarbone. “Because this is my spot. Nobody ever comes here. I’ve been using this place for months to work on my gift.”

  “The fog,” I said before I could stop myself.

  He removed his hand, his eyes searching my face. “So you do remember?”

  I hesitated. “Some things. You can control fog.”

  “Not just control. I can create it. It’s part of me,” he said, pride lighting up his expression.

  “But what does that have to do with killing people?”

  I could feel Kate’s intent gaze on me. Of course, she’d realized by now that we were dealing with a Variant. Maybe she’d known all along.

  Ryan leaned back on his haunches, the knife balancing on his thighs. “Why should I tell you?”

  “I just want to understand,” my voice cracked and it wasn’t even pretend. There was little doubt in my mind about the outcome of this night. Kate and I would die.

  Fog gathered on the ground, twirling around Ryan, encircling his legs like a cat.

  “I’ve been hiding my talent all my life. I was ashamed. My father always told me I had to keep it a secret, that it was a bad thing, that I was a freak. But there are other people like me. People with gifts.” He spoke in a reverent tone, his eyes bright with pride.

  No kidding, I thought sarcastically. Two of them are in this room with you.

  If he wasn’t a psychopath, I’d have felt sympathy for him. I knew exactly how he felt.

  “And I will join them,” he continued. “They found me. They told me I needed to break all ties to my former life before I could join them. I had to make sure I got rid of anyone who might be suspicious about me, who might know about my gift.”

  That didn’t sound like the FEA. They would never encourage killing. Maybe it was the group of rogue Variants Holly had mentioned in her e-mail. But how to ask him without giving myself away?

  “So the victims all knew about your gift?”

  He shrugged. “Nobody else knew, but Dr. Hansen was concerned about my blood test results, and that stupid janitor had seen me creating fog. I can’t take any risks. Abel’s Army is too important for that.”

  “Abel’s Army?” I said. Kate looked like she knew what he was talking about. When she sensed my eyes on her, she lowered her face.

  Ryan chuckled. “Enough with the questions, Maddy.” He pushed a finger against my lips. I wanted to bite it but he moved his hand downward. His fingers trailed over the scar on my throat, across my breastbone, stoppin
g to rest on the pendant for a moment before he brushed across the A over my rib cage. “I love that I left my mark on you, Maddy. I’m kind of sad that it’s almost healed.” I shuddered at his closeness.

  “I doubt Abel’s Army will give a shit about your gift, loser. They have much freakier talents than you could ever imagine. Why would they want a little boy who can play fog machine?”

  Kate—she’d come to my aid. I’d never thought I’d see that happen.

  “What the hell do you know about Abel’s Army?” he demanded, his voice low.

  Kate pressed her lips together.

  He smiled and walked toward the bathtub. Kate tensed when he stood over her, but he just reached for the faucet and turned the water on, letting it fill the tub. His silence frightened me more than if he’d shouted and raged. My stomach tightened. He moved to the sink and took the Taser from the shelf.

  “You will talk,” he said. “Because I will make you.”

  With the Taser in his hand, he knelt in front of Kate. “So you really don’t want to tell me how you know about Abel’s Army?” Before she could answer or even shake her head, he touched the Taser to her side. Blue sparks flew and Kate screamed.

  “Stop it!” I cried.

  Electricity crackled again as Kate’s screams filled the room. I struggled against my restraints, my eyes burning. Ignoring me, he tased her again. I tried to shape-shift, but nothing happened.

  “Leave her alone!” I screamed, and this time he did. He staggered to his feet and lumbered toward me. Miniature lightning bolts crackled between the electrodes of the Taser.

  Every breath felt like a jagged flame inside my chest. When he squatted beside me, I shut my eyes, bracing for the pain. Something touched my lips and a scream was on the verge of bursting from my mouth when I realized he’d put tape across my face to shut me up. “I loved you and I killed for you and you didn’t care.”

  He smiled for a moment before my body exploded with pain. Fire shot through my side, into my chest and arms. I gasped against the tape, my throat constricting. Bile crowded in my mouth. Maybe I’d choke on my own vomit, a valiant way to die. He tased me again, and the touch was like flames licking across my skin. I screamed without a sound but he kept on going until my world was fire, blue sparks, and hot tears.

  Eventually, he stopped.

  “No talking,” he said before he walked out.

  CHAPTER 22

  * * *

  Taking deep breaths through my nose, I struggled against the pain. Kate was curled up in a fetal position across from me. I tried to speak through the tape over my lips but all that came out were incoherent sounds. At least they managed to draw Kate’s attention. She raised her head an inch, her eyes watery and half closed. Slowly she propped herself up on her elbows. I wriggled and shifted until I looked Kate straight in the eyes. For two years I’d avoided that like the plague, determined not to give her access to my head, and now here I was, inviting her to read my mind.

  If everything went as Ryan wanted, we’d probably be dead soon. There wouldn’t be time for regret. Or for Kate to kill me out of anger.

  The way her eyes flashed with fury, that was currently on her mind. She struggled into a sitting position, her eyes blazing. Despite the urge to look away, I kept my gaze trained on her. She blinked at me, sweat and blood trickling over her pale skin.

  Sorry, Kate. I can’t read your mind. What are you doing here anyway?

  She licked blood off her lips, coughed, and swallowed thickly like she was trying to find her voice.

  Did Major send you?

  She shook her head no and closed her eyes for a moment, her face draining of color. She looked sick, and her blouse was drenched in blood; her temple wound had bled a lot. “No,” she said finally, her voice raspy. “He doesn’t know I’m here.”

  Kate had disobeyed Major? Wow.

  “It’s your fault,” she continued. “I wanted to keep an eye on you and Alec. I know what happened. Holly’s mind is like an open book.”

  How did you find me?

  “I was sitting in a car outside the house. I thought you might go on another midnight stroll to meet Alec. But then I saw you running after that guy.”

  Why did you follow me inside? You must have known Alec wasn’t here. And just a few minutes ago you distracted Ryan from me. Why?

  “Not because I like you, if that’s what you think. I owe it to Major to do what I can. I’ve been neglecting my responsibilities enough in the last few days.” A coughing fit stopped her from saying anything more.

  The tub was full of water. We didn’t have much time before Ryan would return.

  We need to find a way to escape.

  She nodded and ran her eyes slowly over the length of my body before raising one eyebrow.

  I can’t shift. My Variation isn’t working.

  “Focus,” Kate whispered. Panic flashed on her face.

  I closed my eyes. How had I managed to get past my Variation block last time?

  Alec. But he wasn’t there, at least not physically. I let my favorite memory reclaim me, the memory I’d tried to forget in the last few days. Alec’s gray eyes, tender and loving, his lips soft and demanding, his touch like whispered promises on my skin.

  The rippling started in my fingers and spread like a wildfire in my body. My skin started quivering and then shrinking; my bones and muscles were next, growing smaller.

  I opened my eyes and for the first time I saw admiration, maybe even jealousy on Kate’s face, but it was fleeting and quickly replaced with a glower.

  The ropes hung loosely around my newly childlike wrists, and slipping out of them was a piece of cake. I stretched, my muscles aching. Letting the rippling sensation wash over me once again, I shifted back into Madison’s body.

  I made my way over to Kate and tried releasing her from her restraints. But my ropes had been easier to loosen than the tape. It stuck together and was much too strong to rip. Steps sounded in the hall.

  Kate’s eyes grew panicked. “Hurry! He’s coming.” My fingers fumbled with the tape, but without a knife or scissors there wasn’t a chance to remove it.

  The door swung open, almost hitting me in the head. I stumbled back, lost my balance, and collided with the sink. A pang shot through my lower back, making me grimace. Mist crept over the floor, reaching out for me like hungry claws.

  Ryan staggered toward me. I’d never realized how tall he was. He held the knife in one hand and lunged at me, but I sidestepped the stab, missing the blade by inches. I punched his arm and the knife clattered to the ground, the sound muffled by the growing mist. He gripped my hair and motioned with his free hand at the fog. Like ropes, it began to slither around my body. I struggled but its hold only tightened. It wound around my throat, cold and wet and constricting. I cried out but its grip was relentless. It strangled me. Strangled by fog. The mysterious way that two of the victims had died. Black dots danced in my vision. I could feel the fog pulsating around me as though it had a heartbeat of its own.

  I passed out before I hit the tiled floor.

  • • •

  The taste of blood in my mouth was the first thing I noticed once my senses returned. It took a few more seconds before the whooshing in my ears quieted down enough for me to hear what was going on around me: gasps and screams.

  I struggled against the sleepiness.

  Another piercing scream raised my hackles. The next scream stopped abruptly and all I heard was the splashing of water. I forced my eyes open. One of them seemed crusted shut with blood and no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t open more than a gap. Fog floated in the bathroom, a wall of milky white.

  I touched my throat and winced. The skin was tender. But there was another spot that ached even more. I glanced down at the hole in my shirt and the A on my skin peeking through. It was glaring red and oozing blood. Ryan had renewed the cut.

  Focusing my attention on the mist, I tried to make out what was going on.

  Ryan was holding Kate’
s head under water. She’d stopped struggling, her arms hanging limply at her sides. Summoning my strength, I staggered to my feet. Ryan let go of Kate and the rest of her upper body sank beneath the water’s surface. Waves lapped over the edge and flooded the bathroom.

  Dots of light danced in and out of my vision.

  I willed my body to transform but nothing happened. This couldn’t be true. What was wrong with me? Ryan was coming toward me, slashing the air with the knife. Why wasn’t he siccing his fog on me? Maybe he too was out of energy.

  I tensed my legs the way that Alec had taught me. I struck out into a high kick, but my aim was off and I almost lost my balance. With a deep breath, I tried again. This time I kicked the knife from his hand. It clattered to the ground.

  Ryan lunged forward, his hands closing around my throat like the mist had before, tightening until I couldn’t breathe. His nails burrowed into my skin. I gripped his arms, trying to pull him off balance, but he was too strong. My fingers dug into him, hurting him as much as I could.

  His grip was relentless. My lungs constricted and the blurry black dots returned to my vision. The olive green of his irises disappeared until there was only white. The fog densed, began to hum, snatched at my hair and skin. It would kill me. I didn’t have much time.

  A faint rippling sensation started in my legs and traveled through my body. I focused all my energy on the shift while more dots danced in my vision. The rippling increased and I felt my bones lengthening, my muscles growing. With a yelp, Ryan let go and the room cleared of mist. Stretching, shifting, reshaping, and then the transformation was over, and I was as tall as Ryan. I’d changed into Alec.

  “You’re—you’re one of us? Did Abel’s Army send you?” His irises had returned to their usual green.

  “I’m not a killer and I don’t care about your army,” I said.

  He staggered forward again, his arms extended. I blocked him and thrust my knee up, hitting him in the groin. With a groan, he stumbled backward and sank down on one knee, the knife inches from him.

  He grabbed it, his knuckles turning white, and advanced on me, weapon brandished. His gait wasn’t as steady as it had been before and only a few streaks of haze danced around his legs. He thrust forward like a snake serving its deadly strike. Fire seared my arm where the blade sliced open my skin. Immediately my sleeve soaked up the warm liquid.