I felt another wave of nausea wash over me and tears spring into my eyes. I looked back into the box and stared down at a girl’s severed, bloody head.
Reed punched his fist into his hand. “Alana!”
Episode 26: Sending a Message
The limo sped down the freeway, Marsha’s wails blaring—shrill and painful.
Reed held her in his arms and stroked her hair, rocking her against him. “Shh…it’s okay, babe. We’ll find him. We’ll find him and tear him apart.”
“She was just a baby.” Marsha cried into his chest. “She was just a baby.”
My mind flicked to the setting that it would go to when I was locked in The Foundation. The setting that muted the world around me and numbed my whole body in a rubbery, nonsensical way.
Sam sat blankly with the box on his lap, his eyes set in shock and horror. “I failed. I failed.”
Luth leaned over and pulled out a bottle of scotch from the small liquor cabinet at his feet. “Don’t blame yourself. He’s an impulsive man. He could never just—wait for a minute.”
Mr. Drake looked out the window. “When he finds out you’ve double crossed him, you’re dead. We all are.”
I studied Mr. Drake’s face and my muted setting turned to a trickling cold starting down my back and spreading out to my legs. I didn’t like to think of the powers I possessed being used to kill people—even someone like Nicholi—but this made everything different. “I won’t let him kill any of us.”
Marsha’s wails reduced to a whimper.
Jake looked out the window. “He killed her because the computer codes were messed up. He did this to send a message.”
Mechanically turning in his seat, Sam looked at Jake. “What do you mean, the codes were messed up?”
Jake didn’t respond to him, his gaze fixed on the box in Sam’s lap.
Luth let out a breath and rolled his eyes, sucking down a drink and putting up a hand in the air between them. “You didn’t deliver all of the coins, Sam. That’s what Nicholi needs right now. That was his original deal with you. He knew that once he had all the coins, he could get the codes unlocked. Getting the computer was just a bonus for him.” He lifted the bottle and took another sip.
Mr. Drake kept his gaze on the freeway and I noticed the limo was in the HOV lane, going faster than what should be legal. “We should just leave. We should pack everyone up and leave.”
Rob took the bottle out of Luth’s hand and slammed it to the floor. I noticed he had his intense face on. The intense face that meant he would die before he let anyone he loved get hurt. “What’s his end game, Luth? Tell us what we need to know to deal with him.”
Luth exhaled and kept his voice steady. “I needed that right now. You have no idea how much I needed that.”
Jake turned next to Luth, his face contorting into rage, and he pinned Luth against the seat with his elbow. His jaw flexed. “You haven’t given us answers, Dear Old Dad. And we need some.”
Luth grabbed at Jake’s elbow, trying to push him back.
Jake pushed harder for a second longer, then pulled his elbow back. “Talk. Start with where we are going. And what was all that 72-hour talk?”
Luth hunched over and growled at Jake. “We’re going to a building right outside of Denver International Airport. It’s used for shipping cargo and supplies.” He glanced at the box on Sam’s lap and then back to Jake. “The problem is—I thought he needed all of the children from the original seven. He can’t get your powers in his nice little orb until the moon is in its full phase. See—that was the part you were all missing with your clever equinox theory. It’s all connected to the phases of the moon. And the phase we need to unlock the spells starts in three days. But he needs the coins because the coins are conductors. I didn’t think he would kill Alana, yet.” He stared at the bottle on the floor. “He’s been lying to me too.”
Reed held Marsha against him. “You’re speaking in riddles, Dog. And I’m about tired of riddles. Tell us something useful before I tear you apart.”
Luth leaned back into his seat and exhaled loudly. “Do any of you know the power Nicholi’s daughter possessed?”
I felt my heart start to pick up in my chest. The girl. The portrait of the little girl I had to draw over and over again. Her straight, black hair. Her big, almond-shaped eyes. “No.”
Mr. Drake leaned forward, his eyes pulling into slits. “He wouldn’t divulge that to us.”
Luth nodded. “Yes. He wasn’t proud of it. You see,” he swiped the air in a gesture at me, “Thomas got the daughter that brought things to life. She touched a picture and it materialized. She drew a butterfly, a bird, a tree; they all came to life for seconds in miniature. It was delightful. But…his daughter’s power was quite the opposite.”
Sam let out a breath and I turned to him. He held his hands protectively over the box and tears streamed down his face. “Death. Her power was death.”
Luth tilted his head forward in acquiescence. “Yes. Molly had the gift to kill things. Isn’t it funny that the thing Nicholi wished for—to control people—was magnified in his daughter to bring death…the greatest control of all? She killed things. And this enraged him. I had been on with The Foundation for a few years at this point. It was a marvelous time; we were trying to figure out how all your powers would change the world and make it a place of plenty. Make it a place with the New Order that would be utopic.”
Drake scoffed. “Yes. Utopic.”
Karen’s voice was soft. “But a real utopia is impossible.”
Luth let out a sigh and his face sobered. “Nicholi walked in on her having a tantrum one day. She was only four and Jasmine, Nicholi’s wife, was trying to calm her down. But—Molly already had her hand firmly in place against her mother, turning her to stone. It was something we had talked about—how to control this little girl that could simply touch something and it would die. Sometimes it wouldn’t, but if she was angry or sad or upset…” Luth breathed a sad sigh. “And by the time Nicholi could stop her, using his own mind sway to break the connection—Jasmine was dead.”
Rob pulled his arm back from around me and stared at Luth. “And what happened to Molly?”
Luth turned a sinister look to Rob. “Nicholi had used too much mind control to try to break the connection between her and her mother. You see, if Nicholi focuses his power for too long, it scrambles the brain. It was a fine line between making people agreeable, and taking away their will.”
I shook my head as realization set it. “He fried her brain. He fried her brain and she couldn’t function any longer.”
Luth picked up the scotch bottle, put it to his lips and lifted it back. Then he wiped his face and threw the bottle back on the floor. “She died three days later. Now everything is about the resurrection—everything is about getting his daughter and wife back. He’ll do anything, sacrifice everyone else, and ignore all signs that everything will be destroyed if he goes through with it.”
Reed kicked the scotch bottle on the floor. “So he wants to bring back his dead daughter and he needs a coin stuck in their mom’s head. I get that. But, you still haven’t told us why you’re on our team now. I mean, I know Jake’s your blood, but you haven’t seemed to care up ‘til now.”
Jake flinched. “It’s true.” He looked at Luth. “Why now? What’s this whole new world order crap? What does that even mean?”
Mr. Drake turned away from the window and cleared his throat. “It means Luth’s realized Nicholi can actually do it. If he gets the power of all the coins, and Lanie, and channels them through the orb, he’ll have God-like power. He’ll have the power to do what he wants—create his version of the perfect world.”
Chills went through me and my body started to shake. “You’re not making sense.”
Luth nodded. “Bring anyone back.”
>
Rob made a choking sound. “So we’re bringing him Lanie, the orb, Mr. Drake—we’re giving him everything he needs to finish us off. Luth…”
The limo turned off the freeway, heading for the airport. A large building with vans pulling in and out of it came into my view. The limo turned toward the building.
Mr. Drake pounded the car door with the orb. “I couldn’t see through the sway because it’s all true—isn’t it? That’s why I couldn’t see that this is a trap.”
Luth held Drake’s eyes in a serious look. “I need to save her.”
Drake started in his seat, turning his whole body to Luth. “But do you want to save Lanie’s mother?”
Fear breathed to life inside of me.
Luth closed his eyes.
Drake pulled the lock up on the door and flung it open. “That’s what I thought.”
He dove out the door, rolling down the hill.
“No!” Luth reached out, grabbing at air. “Stop! We need him! Stop!”
The limo driver pulled to the side of the road. Cars whizzed by and I could barely see Mr. Drake’s form running toward the other side of the freeway.
“Stop him!” Luth looked at Reed. “You’re faster, stop him and bring him back.”
Reed crossed his arms. “Tell us the whole truth.”
Luth reached over and shut the door. “Go, keep going.” He turned to Reed. “Don’t you get it? If we don’t show up, it’s all lost. Our chance is lost.” He pulled his hair with one hand and a crazed look came across his face.
The swirling colors in my mind came to a stop. Luth couldn’t lie with Drake around, so the plan had been to bring us here all along…to save someone. But that person was not my mother. And if not her, then who? “You have betrayed us. Why?”
Emotion surfaced on his face and he laughed back into the seat, a crazed, psychotic laugh. “You’re ruining it all!”
The limo pulled into a stop in front of one of the warehouse doors. The door began opening.
Luth focused on Jake. “I want Ruthie back, that’s all I want. And he isn’t going to give her to me now.”
Jake’s face opened in surprise. “What?”
Men in black suits started moving toward the limo from the warehouse. Their expressions were blank and their mouths were set in a straight line.
A loud scream of pain came out of Luth and blood spurted from his mouth. “He knows I’ve...failed. I’m sorry.” He turned pained eyes on Jake. “Save her, Jake. Tell her...I love her.”
Episode 27: Outgunned
The blood boiled red—a mesmerizing dark pool collecting around the lapel of Dr. Luth’s jacket. The doors opened and a noiseless swarm of men began reaching into the car.
Karen screamed. Jake punched into the suited men. Reed’s fist crunched against bone as he leapt from the limo.
There were three things that crossed my mind in the same millisecond; my friends and my brother were in danger, my mother was somewhere in that warehouse, and I could kill them…all.
I closed my eyes and pictured the men falling to the ground along with Nicholi—where ever he might be in the warehouse.
An immediate silence roared like the sound after an explosion.
“Lanie.”
Rob’s voice made me open my eyes.
Sprawled out on the seat in front of me and covered in blood from being drug across Luth’s body, Rob’s glasses were half off his face. “Did you just do that?”
A booming ‘boo-yeah’ sounded from outside the limo. “Yeah—you blood-sucking, zombified mummies! Take that!”
Jake pushed a suited man off of him and out the limo door. He turned, and the look he gave me was a mixture of heavy uncertainty and fear. “Are they dead?”
I could feel the bile rising inside of me, wanting to be sickened by what I’d done. But I wasn’t. I inhaled deeply and let myself bask in a moment of victory. “No.”
Marsha kicked a lifeless, suited man out the other door of the limo. She pushed her hair out of her makeup-smeared face. “Thanks.”
I nodded. “Let’s go find Nicholi.”
I started to get out, but Jake didn’t move. He stared at Luth’s limp body.
“Come on.” I put a hand on his shoulder.
He glanced at my hand and then held me with his blue eyes, glistening with emotion. “Why would he say he needs to save my mother? I found her body. She’s dead. I saw her.”
My heart constricted in my chest and the vulnerability in his voice made me instantly forgive him for not telling me about giving the computer to Sam. I hugged him briefly. “It’s okay, Jake. We’ll get answers—I promise.”
I followed Jake out of the limo and stopped beside the others as they surveyed the mess.
Karen looked at me uncertainly. “Did you do this to Nicholi, too?”
I shrugged and walked down into the sloping garage, searching for signs of Nicholi or my mother. “I tried.”
Jake wrapped his hand around my bicep to stop me. “Lanie, hold up. Let’s think about this for a minute. We don’t know what Luth was talking about—but we know this is a trap.”
Sam flanked my other side and pinched the front of his forehead. “He can mind control people.” He gestured back to the men on the ground. “That’s obviously what he did with them.” Sam blinked. “You need to be careful, Lanie. You don’t know what he can do to you.”
Rob and the others joined us. “If he wanted to control Lanie, he would have already. It must have something to do with ruining us—he doesn’t want to fry our brains like he did with Molly.”
Reed moved behind me and gave me a soft slug in the shoulder. “Lanie’s the bomb. She’s tougher than him. We’re unstoppable.”
An echoed clapping sound moved toward us out of the garage. “Oh, that is impressive. I mean, it’s amazing what you can do when you’re pushed to it, Lanie. All those months at The Foundation toughened you up—gave you gumption. And the rest of you—Luth obviously enlightened you with highlights from my past.”
Cold fire pushed through my chest and down through my hands. It hadn’t worked on him. My powers didn’t affect him. A different kind of fear went through me. I couldn’t stop Nicholi—I couldn’t protect my friends—or my mother.
Nicholi’s beard as Stewart was gone. And he looked thinner. Not lean kind of thin—but wiry thin.
I tried to stop him from moving toward us and felt a sharp, needled pain go through the top center of my head.
He stopped walking and a smile swept over his face. “Oh. Does that bother you?”
The pain intensified and I fell to my knees. “Ah!”
Rob fell down next to me. “Lanie.”
The pain increased like a button on a volume speaker being turned up.
“Ahh!”
Shouts of pain resounded with my own and I saw the others fall to the ground next to me.
And then the pain stopped.
I heaved in a raspy breath and looked around at the others.
“I could fry your brains.” Nicholi’s voice was soft and thoughtful. “But then I wouldn’t get what I want. You’re outgunned here, kids. Come on Lanie, get up. You too, Sam, we’ve got some mind hopping to do.”
I looked up into his calm face.
He huffed out a breath and disgust filled his features. “I see Phillip managed an escape. He always was good at running. He could never stand to face the truth of anything. That’s okay, he’ll be back. I’ve got some leverage.”
Thoughts of Mr. Drake’s son, Tim, flashed into my head. Nicholi must have taken him. I kept my voice as even as I could. “He’s just a kid…”
Nicholi shook his head and let out a sigh. “I’ve been trying to spare you. I’ve been trying to get this done the easy way. Do you think I want to
be the bad guy? Really? I like you. I wanted to give you a choice. I know we got off on the wrong foot after the incident with your father, but I thought eventually I’d just let you decide your own fate. However—”
“Your power grew with the spells in the book. You unlocked the code before me. You didn’t even need my help.” Rob’s voice was tight.
I turned to my brother, seeing Karen clutching the pavement, her eyes scared—like an animal caught in a trap and afraid to move because it might mean pain.
Stewart cocked an eyebrow at Rob. “I did need you. You did well. You have been like a son to me.” His face broke into a sneer. “But you didn’t tell me when you cracked it—did you? I had to hear it from Sam. All the work we had put into it together—and you didn’t call me first?”
“Ahh!” Rob’s whole body shook and he dropped completely to the ground.
“Stop!” I stood, my legs wobbly.
Marsha lunged for Nicholi like a tiger attacking its prey. “Murderer!”
Nicholi immediately flicked his attention to Marsha and she dropped mid-air and yelled out in pain.
But Reed was faster. He landed a punch across Nicholi’s face, who then fell to the ground.
“Payback’s a—” Reed’s face contorted with pain and he crumbled on top of Nicholi before he could finish.
All of them cried out in agony.
I felt my insides getting soft and slimy; helplessness making me weak. “I’ll go with you. Just stop it!”
The wails of pain stopped instantly and Nicholi pushed Reed off of him and stood. “Please don’t make me hurt you. Don’t you see how much it pains me?”
The sound of sirens in the distance caught my attention and I turned to see a line of police cars heading down the exit off of the interstate.
Nicholi looked up and twirled his hand in a circling gesture. “I guess it’s time to go.”
The Secret Page 18