Unbounded - The Escape Part 13

Francis stared, a horrified expression on her face that told me she was even more afraid.

Dragon stood and gripped the bars. I stepped back, knowing he'd have to touch me to use his ability. Fire licked around his fingers, but did nothing to the metal. "What are you?" he grated. Everything about him was pale, from his hair and skin to his eyes.

Willis touched his shoulder and the fire died. "Do it." To Francis he added, "Let the bugs go."

Their shields dropped slowly and hesitantly to the sound of tiny scurrying feet, and I knew it said a lot about their trust of Willis that they did it at all. Knowing Delia, I wouldn't. Then again, I hadn't been tortured and held prisoner for three months as they had.

Images came from them all at once. Dragon who longed for the woods he loved, Mandalyn who'd asked Guenter to father her child rather than allow her body to be used by the Emporium, and Guenter who had fallen so much in love with Mandalyn and his unborn baby that for the first time in his six hundred years of life he feared death. Francis, who was expecting a baby from the genetically altered sperm of Lew Roberts, the man Mari was impersonating, who both feared for and loved the child she carried. And Willis, who worried he'd just betrayed them all.

Tenika sent us, I told them, trying to focus in spite of the deluge. It was like being in the middle of a room with numerous large-screen TVs all playing at high volume. Only they were streams of sand thoughts instead of TVs, and far more realistic. To my surprise, fear wasn't the dominating emotion; determination to endure won hands down.

We've figured out how to impersonate them, I continued. We're working on an escape, but have been unable to make headway until today. We'll leave weapons in that planter. Maybe you can find some way to keep them with you.

They had a place, I realized from the thoughts. Behind one of the silver plates they pried from the side wall of their prison at night when the cameras wouldn't pick up the sight. I smiled at how Willis had first distracted me with the planter so as not to think about the real hiding place. My admiration turned to pity when I realized they had collected only one b.u.t.ter knife, a pair of scissors, and a piece of sharpened wood. Not much against a.s.sault rifles.

Do you know anything about a sixth prisoner? I asked. No one did. Well, keep an ear out. We'll be coming again, but I can't say when. Just be ready. I'm sorry there wasn't time to get a cell phone we could leave you. Ours held far too much information to leave within Emporium territory, especially since we would have needed to bypa.s.s the safeties to allow the prisoners access. But I'll be able to contact you once I'm inside.

You must be Ava's granddaughter. This from Willis, and I sent him a private affirmative response. Delia or no, maybe he deserved that much.

Raising my shields around my own mind, the cacophony shut off. "Come," I said to Mari and Oliver. "I've seen enough here."

Oliver rushed to open the door. I went through first and both guards outside came to attention. "I will see the director now. But we'll stay only a short time." I glanced at Mari.

"Twenty minutes," she said.

Not a lot of time to scope out the rest of the building, but it would have to do.

"This way." The Indian motioned forward. "Dr. Tunns is in the lab."

"Are there cameras in the hallways?" I opened my mind, once more pushing through his shield. Did it seem marginally thicker than the last time or was it my imagination? Maybe I was growing tired.

"Only near the sealed exits and the hallways outside the lobby. We also have cameras in the lab and in the cells. I can order more if you wish." He was telling the truth as he knew it.

"No, that's sufficient." As we approached the hallway with the planter outside the lab, I added, "I want to see the director alone. My companions will wait out here and you will join them once you show me inside."

He leaned over to open the door, glancing at my companions. "As you wish."

I swept through the door after him, as Mari and Oliver readied to dump weapons into the planter. There wasn't much more than a gun and knife for each prisoner, along with a couple of extra magazines, but these were far better than a b.u.t.ter knife. I didn't know how Willis and the others would retrieve them, but they had apparently worked out a system of sorts.

An Unbounded waited for me in the lab behind a desk, a woman, which shouldn't surprise me but did, given what she'd done to Francis. I had to remember that Dr. Tunns was an Emporium agent first and a doctor later. I saw in the Indian's mind that Delia had met her before so I didn't ask for an introduction.

"Delia," Dr. Tunns said, standing as I approached. Nearing Delia's age, she could have been my own mortal grandmother, from the white gray hair to the gentle wrinkles around her eyes. "Nice to see you again."

So we were on a first name basis, were we? I couldn't see any sign of her first name in her mind.

"Wait," I told the guard as he started to leave, wanting to be sure that Mari and Oliver had enough time to do their thing. "I need a drink of water."

"In that cupboard," Dr. Tunns said. "Please sit," she added to me, indicating a chair in front of the desk.

"I prefer to stand. I won't be here long."

"I thought you weren't coming for another week."

I watched the guard remove a bottle of water from the cupboard. "I wanted an update."

"I sent an update already." The reply was casual but there was steel in the doctor's voice that told me she'd known Delia a long time and didn't exactly trust her. Her shield was thick; I'd need the machete.

"I wanted a personal update," I amended. "And I was in the area."

The woman inclined her head in acknowledgement as I took the bottled water from the guard. "I'm sorry we don't have cold water in the lab."

"That's okay." I uncapped the bottle and drank before nodding at the guard to leave. "Well?" I prompted, unsure how to continue. I'd broken into her mind but there was nothing in her current thoughts that would do me any good. Almost as if she was purposefully thinking of mundane things to frustrate Delia, and too many questions about things I should already know would reveal my subterfuge.

Dr. Tunns sighed. "The two women are progressing nicely. For the one, we are almost a.s.sured of a sensing Unbounded, given the mother's summoning ability and the father's genetics. If the boy Changes, of course."

"You are sure it's a boy?"

"It's early yet, but the tests give every indication. I know you'd hoped for a girl, but that's one thing we can't do with one hundred percent accuracy yet. The other is a boy, too. We're about to begin postconception experiments on him in the hopes of increasing his chances of being Unbounded, but it's a dubious process. The pregnancy will likely terminate before the fifth month. But at least then we'll be able to start over with altered sperm. We had no idea she'd turn to one of the other prisoners in her effort to thwart us. Renegades of her generation are generally more conservative."

"You mean you messed up."

She stiffened. "As you told me the last time."

"What about the rest?"

"We sent ten altered samples of the pyro's genetic material to headquarters. Two have already resulted in pregnancies. We verified your findings that one of the combat Unbounded had an ancestor who was a blaster, so we're working on enhancing that aspect of his genetic material now before we send it along. In all, things are proceeding exactly on time."

"Any sign that we've been detected by the Renegades?"

"None that have been reported to me."

"Very well." I drank more water and took a step toward the door.

"As for the other, he's a capable technopath, but he has a strong sense of right and wrong and he's decided we're wrong."

I set my foot down carefully. Was she talking about the new prisoner who'd so far been kept away from the others? I couldn't pa.s.s up the opportunity to learn more.

"I am having about as much luck as his previous doctor," Tunns continued. "Which basically means no progress. Maybe after a few sessions with you, he can be put to use, but in light of your experiments with mind manipulation, I believe that too much force will render him useless for anything but his genes. I guess in his case nurture completely dominates nature." She sighed. "At any rate, in today's world technopaths are invaluable, so that makes it worth keeping him alive for his genes alone."

I wanted to ask who the man was and what we'd been trying to convince him to do, but I should already know all those things.

The doctor bent over and began typing something on a laptop that was connected to a large monitor on her desk. "You want to visit him now? I'll just check to see if he's awake. He went nuts on us earlier and we had to sedate him. I left a light on so we could observe him."

I moved around the desk so I could see the monitor. A live picture on the screen showed an unconscious man sprawled on a carpeted floor. I stared, blinking to clear my vision. No, it can't be. The light was dim, but I was certain I wasn't mistaken.

"Looks like he's still out," said Dr. Tunns. "With how much they gave him, I'd be surprised if he wasn't. However, he should be awake within the hour, or maybe two, if you want to wait." She gave me a mirthless grin. "Or would you prefer him unconscious?"

I wanted him any way I could get him, but without a private way to contact Ritter to gain more time, I couldn't agree. "I can't today," I said. "But I'll be back." I wanted to tell her not to mention my visit to anyone, but I couldn't think of any excuse that would fly. We'd have to come back for the hostages before Delia's next visit and hope that in the meantime she didn't become aware of our deception. "This is an unofficial visit anyway," I added. "I mostly wanted to check on the Renegade prisoners." I tore my eyes away from the screen and forced myself to walk toward the door, where I hesitated. "That reminds me. Please see that the prisoners have pillows and blankets. I want them to equate my visit with a reward. Besides, it's cold in there and we don't want anything to happen to those babies, do we?"

The director had climbed to her feet and followed my path. "The babies are fine, and given the rate of Unbounded regeneration, they won't feel the mothers' discomfort, but I agree that at this point we won't gain anything by depriving them further. Maybe it will actually help them become more compliant."

I shrugged and watched her open the door. "It's worth a try." With blankets the prisoners would not only have more privacy but more places to hide their weapons.

Out in the hallway, Mari and Oliver stood opposite the guard. Mari's mind screamed with relief at seeing me, but her voice was calm. "We need to leave now, Triad Vesey."

I nodded at the director. "Thank you for your report, Hattie," I said, finally discovering her first name in her thoughts.

"Next time we'll have refreshments here for you," she replied, her tone and her thoughts making it obvious that she did not appreciate the surprise visit.

How would Delia react to that? With anger? Amus.e.m.e.nt? The woman seemed to expect something, so I opted for amused disdain. "Make sure the tea is imported then. Americans still haven't realized the value of good tea."

I turned and preceded the guard down the hallway. This was it. We either would get out without trouble, or the rest of the guards would be waiting in ambush.

Stay alert, I warned the others.

Mari hurried to match my pace, steering me to the left when the hallway merged onto another. It was all I could do not to increase our pace because I'd suddenly begun to wonder if whatever was preventing me from contacting Ritter outside might also prevent Mari and me from shifting if it became necessary.

After a few torturous minutes, we arrived at the foyer. As we entered, I was able to maintain mental contact with the Indian guard, though the large guard waiting inside was closed to my probing. My anxiety increased. Something was definitely odd about this room.

One foot in front of the other, I told myself. There was no reason to believe the guard thought us anything but what we had presented ourselves to be. He and all the rest knew Delia, and I expected that would make them cautious about reporting her visit at all.

As we crossed the foyer, I scanned the monitors and other equipment on the long front desk. Was something there generating a field that strengthened mental barriers? Or perhaps created one? Strange that it didn't seem to make a difference to the mental connections I already held with those who'd entered the foyer with me. Once again, I wished Stella were here so we could pinpoint the equipment that might be responsible.

The second guard opened the outside door. "I'll call them down at the gate to let them know to have it open."

That made the gate sound farther away than fifty yards. "Very well," I answered, biting back the thank you that came unbidden to my tongue. Delia Vesey of the Emporium Triad did not thank anyone.

My heart thudded dully as I emerged into the cold night and realized a car was already at the gate. My thoughts flew across the empty s.p.a.ce, searching for Ritter and finding him on top of the building. He hadn't told me he'd found a way up there without being seen by the cameras or guards.

I guess we both kept secrets.

We're leaving, I said, pushing through his shield. Everything is fine.

His relief filtered to me. Cutting it close, he responded. He had no way of knowing I received his thought unless I acknowledged it, and for now I decided to let him stew a bit.

We pa.s.sed the other car on the way out, and once the gate was shut behind us, Oliver collapsed on the backseat, letting his illusions fade. I did the same, experiencing a great release.

"We did it!" Mari picked up speed as we drove down the street. She glanced over at me. "What's wrong? You look worried."

I was more than worried. "You were right," I told her. "I saw the new prisoner and he looks exactly like Patrick Mann."

EVERYONE WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET back at the safe house, except Jace and Cort who had stayed behind to watch the compound, but I had Mari drop me off a few blocks away. After so much time in everyone's thoughts, I needed to be alone for a while, and it wasn't likely we would do anything more tonight. I'd filled Ava in already on the phone, and they could do without me for an hour or so.

It was after one-thirty in the morning, but many of the bars were open and people still roamed the streets. Some walked casually in loud groups, while lone people or couples walked quickly, darting glances around to make sure they weren't followed. This wasn't a high crime area, but it was dark and anything could happen in such a big city. I absorbed through my pores as I walked, refilling my depleted reserves. I caught the faint flavor of peanuts and fried scones, an odd combination, but this was New York City after all. I wandered aimlessly for fifteen minutes, my mind shut tight against everyone. Only the life forces burned in my mind, alerting me if anyone neared.

My body healed quickly, regaining strength every second. The curequick no longer hummed in my veins and I missed it. No more for you, I thought. Not if I didn't want to end up like Ritter's adopted son, who was in a high security inst.i.tution in London recovering from curequick addiction.

I soon found myself back at the safe house. Pulling my strongest shield over my mind so as not to alert Ava of my presence, I punched in the code and put my palm on the reader next to the door so it would open. The computer would inform Stella I was there, but she wouldn't tell anyone. I rode the elevators up past the eighth floor, the last four of which were empty and not yet refurbished. Tenika hadn't seen a point with her group so decimated, but one day they would need the s.p.a.ce. Unless whatever the Emporium planned was more far-reaching than even we guessed.

Out on the roof, my acrophobia slammed down on me, as though the sky overhead had fallen on my shoulders. I forced back the fear, pushing it into the shiny black box in the corner of my mind. The weight lifted, but I knew it was still there, waiting to pounce if I relaxed my vigil. That was okay. I'd learn to deal with it, and I'd keep visiting rooftops forever as long as it meant I could make myself function despite the fear. I would not allow my flaw to endanger any of the Renegades.

I walked steadily to the edge, clear to the wrought iron fence encircling the entire rooftop. There had once been some sort of garden here, but it was lifeless now, the raised boxes of soil growing only a few hearty weeds. Someone had also kept pigeons in one corner, and it was to the old coop I headed, using a crate to climb up. The roof was flat and st.u.r.dy enough to hold my weight, though the creaking of the wood seemed to hint otherwise.

I sat crossed-legged, breathing in the searing cold that made me feel strangely alive. So what do we know? I mused.

Patrick Mann, or someone who looked like him, was being held by the Emporium. But Patrick Mann was also on television at the same time the new prisoner had been brought to the compound.

What else?

The vice president worried that his son was different.

I pondered that over for a minute. Maybe Patrick Mann really was different. Maybe he wasn't Patrick Mann at all. But when had the exchange taken place and how had the Emporium pulled it off? We knew they didn't have an illusionist. And not even Dimitri had heard of a shape shifter in all his thousand years.

I closed my eyes trying to search my own memories. Something bugged me about Patrick Mann, something that had occurred at our meeting. If only I could place it in my mind.

A clunking against the side of the coop brought me back to awareness. I reached for a weapon before I saw Ava's head appear. "I thought I would find you here."

I shook my head. "I almost shot you."

"Sorry." But there was little of repentance in my fourth great-grandmother's voice. She was completely dark to even my life force radar, which I had left partially unblocked to alert me to anyone nearby, so I knew she had intended on finding me before I had a chance to make myself scarce. Why she wanted me wasn't immediately clear. I could break through her shield because she'd had me do it several times during our practices, but I wouldn't do it without her permission, even if she'd purposely tried to surprise me.

"We've found something." Ava settled beside me, the coop groaning in protest. "You know that baby who was put up for adoption at the same time the Manns had their child? Well, the adoption agency was none other than the one the Emersons used to adopt their son five years later. The coincidence of a Hunter adopting a potential Unbounded in New York and using the same adoption agency as a woman giving birth in Ma.s.sachusetts in the same hospital where the future vice president's wife also happened to be having a child is not likely. So Stella dug deeper. She was unable to break into the agency's files, but she talked again to the birth mother and compared all the public adoption records around that time and others that weren't quite so public. She found the baby. His name is Howard Obstfield. He's in Virginia now, grown with three children of his own. My guess is the DNA will prove he's really the Mann's child and not that birth mother's."

"How soon can we test his DNA?"

"I've sent Marco to get that started, but as far as I'm concerned there's really no need. Obstfield's on the city council in Fairfax and well liked for his integrity, so we have plenty of good photos of him. He's a dead ringer for Mrs. Mann." She tilted her head. "That is, if he'd been a female."

"If the Emporium was going to give the Manns a baby with Unbounded genes, why get this other woman involved?"

"Our best guess is that she was one of their legitimate birth mothers, and they were using her labor to mask their presence at the hospital. Since the baby the Emporium gave to the Manns would have come from within their own ranks and not from a mortal birth mother, they would have needed to do something with the Mann's child. When the birth mother's baby ended up dying, we believe they simply put the Mann baby in his place."

"One less adoption to set up." Emporium Unbounded would certainly never deign to raise a child they knew for certain would be mortal.

"Right. Anyway, a day after these births, a premature baby was found dead in a Dumpster in nearby Rhode Island."

I wondered if the baby's death had been completely accidental, or if the Emporium had caused the birth mother to deliver early so they could be at the hospital to take the Mann's child.

Ava sensed my concern. "For what it's worth, they found heroin in the baby's blood."

That didn't make me feel much better. "So if Howard Obstfield is the Mann's biological son, the Emporium obviously put that Unbounded in his place-or a baby they hoped would Change. But then who do they have in the compound? Or does he have a twin?"

"I don't know, but twin Unbounded are extremely rare. Less than one percent of the regular rate for mortals, due to the gene's natural inclination to choose the strongest possibility of individual survival." Ava sighed and stared out into the night. I followed her gaze. Lights gleamed all over the city-from tall buildings, cars, traffic signals, and billboards, some blinking off or on with a curiously beautiful randomness. If I opened my senses, all the life forces of the people stacked on top of one another in such an enclosed place would make it seem as bright as day.

"Could the Patrick Mann at the fundraiser be an illusionist?" I asked.

"All our intel says the Emporium doesn't have anyone with that ability."

I let a few minutes pa.s.s until I remembered the other thing that bothered me. "Back at Emerson's when we met that sensing Unbounded, Lew Roberts, I thought I saw Mari shot, but afterward she was fine. I didn't feel her shift out of the way or anything, though maybe she blinked in and out so fast there was nothing to feel."