The Secret

by A. Taylor, Taryn

  But it was gone.

  Forcing myself to push the thick covers back, I looked at the clock on the night stand—9:43 AM.

  “She’s here?” I heard the faint sound of Mr. Drake’s voice from downstairs.

  Rushing out of Jake’s room, I ran to the loft overlook, feeling myself relax at the sight of him.

  Jake walked out of the kitchen, holding a glass of orange juice in one hand while he handed another to Mr. Drake. “It’s been crazy.”

  Nodding, Mr. Drake took a sip of the juice.

  And then it hit me. How come Mr. Drake never seemed to be around when the important stuff happened—the confrontation with Dr. Luth, when Nicholi had been here as Stewart, and when Rob had gotten arrested? I glared at him, thinking.

  He also didn’t seem like he was in a hurry to uproot his family and run. Why? Mr. Drake had to be working with Nicholi. That was it!

  As if sensing I was thinking about him, Mr. Drake frowned up at me. “Hey, Lanie. Sorry to hear about your brother. But Jake was just telling me he has one of the best defense attorneys in Colorado on the case.”

  I didn’t stop glaring at him. “Are you sorry?”

  Spitting the orange juice back into his glass, Jake coughed.

  I moved to the stairs, descending them thoughtfully.

  Furrowing his eyebrows at me, Jake said, “Mr. Schneider just called. He wants us to meet him in front of the jail in an hour. He said he needs to discuss some things with us.”

  Looking Mr. Drake up and down thoroughly, I nodded my head at Jake. Granted, Mr. Drake didn’t look like much—but the best spies were always the ones that you least suspected.

  Rocking back onto his heels, Mr. Drake gave me an annoyed look. “How come I feel like you’re deciding something about me, Ms. Hart?”

  This overwhelming urge to punch him coursed through me. I crossed my arms to keep them down. “Are you feeling guilty about something, Mr. Drake?”

  Mr. Drake looked between Jake and me. “What is she talking about?”

  Giving me an exasperated look, Jake gently took my forearm, pulling me out of Mr. Drake’s view into the kitchen and out the little sliding door into the cold air. “Just a sec, Mr. Drake.” He shut the door. “What’s wrong?”

  The wind bit into me and my heartbeat accelerated. “It’s Mr. Drake. Don’t you see? He’s Stewart’s spy.”

  Jake shook his head and then stopped, the corners of his eyes creasing. “Maybe.”

  Pulling away from him, I pushed back my thick hair. I knew the curls were totally out of control after having slept. “It’s him. Think about it. He’s the missing link. They were never together at the same time and Mr. Drake has refused to leave. He has to be Stewart’s lackey.”

  Running his hand through his hair, Jake turned in a little circle away from me. “But why would my mother have contacted him? No. Think about it, Lanie. If Drake is with Stewart—he wouldn’t have had the book. Your own father wouldn’t have been led to him. No, it can’t be him.”

  The seal of the sliding door yanked open. Marsha stuck her head out, hair and makeup perfectly in place, but a sour expression cancelled out her beauty. “Have either of you seen Sam?”

  I looked at Jake, fear settling into my stomach. Sam still wasn’t back?

  Jake shrugged, pushing past Marsha and back into the house. “I’m not his babysitter.”

  Easing past Marsha’s glare, I followed Jake.

  Jake plowed into the living room, a determined look on his face.

  Mr. Drake moved away from the front window. “What’s wrong?”

  Jake stepped face to face with Mr. Drake. “We need answers, Mr. Drake.”

  Marsha stomped her foot and glared at me, her nostrils flaring. “No one’s seen Sam and he was with you last. What did you do to him?”

  Mildly insulted at the fact that her tone made it sound like I was a predator and Sam had been my prey, I snorted back a laugh. “What did I do to him? Your brother isn’t exactly the doormat type.”

  I crossed my arms, moving my attention back to Mr. Drake. I tried to push down the nagging worry that was making my stomach more upset than it already was. Sam was good at playing games—this was probably a game too.

  Reed came down the hall dressed in jeans and a nylon black shirt. He took in the scene and a resigned look crossed his face. “What’s going on now?”

  Karen came rushing down the hall, her dress from last night still on and an iPad in her hand. Her makeup was even more smeared and her eyes were bloodshot. She looked like an image of the walking dead. As she stopped in front of me, a key fell to the floor. “It’s gone.”

  Confused, I turned to her. “What?”

  “Marsha gave me her key to open the safe, and it’s gone.” Her whole body started to tremor.

  Turning on Marsha, I felt the anger inside of me start to redden my cheeks. I shook my head in a calm fury. “Where is the computer?”

  Marsha picked up her key, disbelief and disdain on her face. “It was there. I’ve been in my room the whole time.”

  Mr. Drake moved away from Jake. “What’s missing?”

  Reed clenched his fists. “Rob’s computer. He cracked the code for the book before he was put in jail.”

  Mr. Drake’s eyes went wide. “He cracked the code? The rest of the spells are accessible?”

  Taking Marsha by the forearm, Jake studied her face. “Think hard. Did you leave the room at all last night?”

  Marsha yanked away from him and frowned. “No!” But her face fell instantly. “Except to get a glass of milk because I couldn’t sleep.”

  My head was spinning and I tried to think of what to do next.

  Jake’s phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Lanie, we have to go meet Mr. Schneider now.” He looked at the others. “Meet at the Facility in an hour. Marsha, try locating Sam’s GPS through his phone. Now.”

  Jake slipped into the Mustang, thrusting a hot chocolate into my hands. He’d insisted on running across the street to the gas station to get me something to eat—even though I didn’t want anything. “I got your favorite. I thought you needed something to sustain you after this morning. And, since you won’t eat, I figured sugar and chocolate are the next best thing.”

  Pulling it to my nose, I breathed in deeply and smiled at Jake in gratitude. “Where do you think Sam is?”

  Jake sipped on his drink, not looking at me. “You seem mildly obsessed with Turner’s whereabouts. Maybe he left. Now—that would be something to hope for.”

  I rolled my eyes. “We need to know who has the computer.”

  Jake still didn’t look at me. “I know that.”

  “You know I was forced into going to prom with him.”

  Jake took another sip and his voice was quiet. “I saw the way you kissed him that day, Lanie. And no one made you do that.”

  Mr. Schneider’s limousine pulled in front of the jail. I bit back a retort and climbed out of Jake’s car.

  Mr. Schneider gave us the ‘I’m running for congress’ type of grin and reached out to shake Jake’s hand as we started toward the entrance of the building. “I think you’ll be pleased.”

  I felt my stomach knot. It didn’t seem like the stars were aligned in our favor at the moment and I had a hard time believing something good was going to happen when my brother was in jail. I stopped walking. “What’s happened?”

  Mr. Schneider motioned to the jail entrance and kept walking. “I’m better than I told you. All the charges are being dropped against your brother.”

  My heart started to beat wildly inside of my chest and I followed him through the double doors. “What?”

  Mr. Schneider pulled ahead of us, saying a few words to the officer at the check-in point.

  The officer l
ifted his eyebrows in clear surprise and picked up a phone.

  Mr. Schneider stepped back to us. “My people found some proof of evidence tampering. It appears that someone put a piece of evidence in Tamara Fuentes’ car after the homicide occurred. This item was not logged in at the time they processed the car. It only appeared when they were preparing the car to be put into the police impound.”

  My breath caught in my chest as I saw Rob being ushered down the hall. “Rob?”

  As he looked up at me, the recently clean cut and freshly-shaven man from last night was gone, replaced by a five o’clock shadow and a sheen of sweat over his face. But he broke into a smile when he saw me. “Hey, sis.”

  I waited for them to buzz him through and went into his arms, holding back a sob. I couldn’t believe he was getting out. “You’re free.”

  Mr. Schneider moved next to us, patting Rob’s back and preening. “I told you—I work fast.”

  Jake shook his hand. “Thank you, Mr. Schneider.”

  I shuffled to the door, tucked under Rob’s arm. Relief washed through me, but worry over what I had to tell him was quickly taking over. “I can’t believe you’re out.”

  The crisp, Colorado air surrounded us, and the bright sun warmed our faces.

  Rob paused, inhaling deeply and closing his eyes. “You have no idea how good this feels.”

  Mr. Schneider and Jake joined us. Mr. Schneider laughed and gave Rob a final pat on the shoulder. “Yes, freedom enhances the senses. Good luck, Mr. Hart.”

  Rob turned, shaking Mr. Schneider’s hand. “Thank you.”

  Mr. Schneider gave us a wave and fixed his sunglasses back into place. “I have to go—more justice to be done in the world, eh?”

  Jake put his arm around me, waving to Mr. Schneider. “Thank you.”

  Rob turned to me, searching my face. “What’s wrong?”

  I frowned. “It’s that obvious?”

  Rob looked between Jake and me. “You better start talking. I don’t know how many more surprises I can take after being charged for murder and then released in less than twenty-four hours.”

  A police car pulled in front of us, blocking our path.

  I squinted into the sun, trying to see who it was.

  Officer Boyle stepped out of the car, a smile on his face. “Well, it looks like you got out pretty quick there, Mr. Hart.”

  Rob’s eyes held hate, but he only shrugged. “I’m innocent.”

  Officer Boyle tipped his hat. “Yes, right. That’s what they all say. But here is what I know. A woman is dead and I will make sure her killer pays for what he’s done.”

  Rob nodded. “I happen to agree with you. Whoever did it should pay. But it wasn’t me.”

  Officer Boyle pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and twirled it between his fingers. “We’ll see. But I was thinking, doesn’t it seem a little suspicious that there are four teenagers living together in some renovated warehouse outside of town?”

  Heat sprang inside of me and I had to look away from Officer Boyle to keep from imagining him flying across the parking lot.

  Jake put gentle pressure on our backs and pushed us toward his car. “Have a good day, Officer. Let’s go.”

  “What do you mean—Nicholi is Stewart?” Rob leaned forward between the seats in Jake’s Mustang, yelling at me. His face looked white and I saw his hands start to shake. “And my computer is gone?”

  My stomach gurgled with unsettled sugar and chocolate and I wished I had accepted real food for breakfast.

  Rob plunged himself back against the seat. “Gaaa…”

  I turned around in my seat, facing him. “I’m sorry, Rob.”

  Tears started down his face and he brushed them away angrily. “Take me to Mom. Take me to Mom and have Sam meet us there. I want to see what this ‘going into her head’ thing is all about.”

  Pulling out my phone, I went to the text that Sam had sent me last night. “No one knows where he’s at, but I’ll try texting him.”

  Jake swerved onto the road that went to the Facility. “He’s already on speed dial?”

  I frowned at Jake’s comment, but didn’t say anything.

  Sam texted me back almost instantly. ‘I’ll be there in a little bit.’

  I shrugged. “I guess he’s found.”

  Jake parked the car and turned to me angrily. “He just texted you back?”

  Rob pushed out of the car and started running for the front doors.

  Ignoring Jake, I swung my door open and took off after him.

  Rob slowed in the hall as he turned the corner to Mom’s room. “Where are the security guys Stewart hired?”

  My heart constricted in my chest and I pushed ahead of Rob into Mom’s room. “I’m sure she’s fine, Rob.”

  Mom’s nurse, Cameron, stood next to the bed, shock evident on his face. “I was just going to call you.”

  “What’s happened?” Rob moved in front of me to Cameron.

  Mom’s bed was empty.

  Grabbing my stomach, I felt the nauseating chocolate start to ascend and pushed it back down with a hard swallow.

  Cameron threw his hands in the air. “I came in to do a vitals check and she just...wasn’t here.”

  Episode 24: Order

  “What do you mean, she’s gone?” Rob’s eyes were frantic and he moved to the bed, punching the pillows onto the floor. With his dirty tux and red eyes, he looked dangerous.

  Jake stepped through the door and, taking in Rob’s angry face, immediately came to my side.

  Cameron shook his head. “She just disappeared!”

  Rob stepped toe to toe with Cameron. “A coma patient doesn’t just disappear.”

  Wiping the sweat off of his forehead, Cameron pressed the middle of his nose. “When I came in, she wasn’t here. I notified security. I’m so sorry, you guys.”

  Pain started in between my temples and I felt myself start to shake. “How can she be gone?”

  Another nurse and doctor crashed through the door, both out of breath.

  Rob took the doctor by the lapels of his jacket. “What kind of place is this? Have you lost complete control? Where is my mother?”

  Swirling shades of the pink and white polka-dotted dress my mother had been wearing began to smear against the racing canvas of my brain. My compulsive blinking took over and I couldn’t stop the faucet of tears that started to flow down my face.

  Jake pulled me against him, putting his hand gently on my head. “Shh. It’s okay, Lanie. We’ll find her.”

  My mind shifted to a muted level. I tried to block out images of Mom lying helpless.

  Mr. Drake walked into the room, with Reed, Marsha, and Karen following him. His eyes went wide. “What’s happened?”

  Pulling myself away from Jake, my attention went to Mr. Drake. “He’s taken her.”

  Rob stopped arguing with the doctor and turned to me, all the energy going out of him. “Yes…he’s taken her.”

  Mr. Drake scowled and looked at Mom’s bed. “Who? Where?”

  The room felt hot and the ache in my head started to breathe fire behind my eyes. I looked at Rob and then turned to the doctor. “Leave.”

  He cleared his throat. “The police have been notified, our staff is combing the grounds right now—”

  “Leave!” Rob’s voice exploded through the room.

  Swallowing and looking a little bit afraid, the doctor put his hand out, gesturing for Cameron and the other nurse to go. “I’m so sorry. We’ll find her.”

  The door shut and Reed stepped in front of it, leaning back. His face was sober and his eyes were angry. He reminded me of the perfect soldier. “What’s been happening, Lanie? We know there’s more to all of this than you are telling us. And I figure you need to te
ll us everything before we can help you find your mom.”

  Karen ran to Rob, clinging to his dingy suit. “Rob…”

  Gathering her to him, Rob’s breathing was loud and sharp.

  I started talking fast, focusing on Mr. Drake. “One of Sam’s gifts is being able to go into people’s heads. He took me inside Mom’s head last night and she told me that Stewart is really Nicholi.”

  Marsha gasped and Karen gripped Rob tighter.

  Reed kicked his heel into the door, making a small dent. He looked down at the door. “Crap.”

  I searched Mr. Drake’s face, watching for a reaction. A reaction that might tell me if he was working with Stewart or not.

  The edges of his eyes crinkled and he looked away from me, his voice pensive. “Damn it.”

  Rob moved beside me, his angry tension pulsing through me in waves of red and black, like tiny vibrations that made my own anger increase. “What do you know?”

  Mr. Drake shook his head. “I should’ve realized it. The week Stewart was here. It was like I had the flu, except I couldn’t even function. I was in this psychedelic haze. The only way I can explain it is that I would go from a dream-like state to feeling…less psychedelic. But I couldn’t get a clear focus. Shelia and Tim weren’t like that. They only had the regular flu. I hadn’t thought of it until now. But that was him. Yes, he was doing that to me.” His hand pulled his glasses off and he rubbed his eyes. “Which means his power is stronger now.”

  I leaned forward, intently gazing at Mr. Drake. “Why isn’t the mind-warping happening to us right now? Why isn’t he controlling all of us?”

  Mr. Drake shrugged. “I don’t know.”