Unbounded - The Escape Part 20

Later, I told myself. Worrying about Jace wouldn't get either of us anywhere. Better to focus on healing and getting out of here. Reaching out, I began absorbing. I'd been more than full before the attack, but now even the effort of thought sent hunger pains raking through my stomach.

Wait, what was that? A small, shiny, black snake coiled in a corner of my mind. I dropped my shield and tried to push it out, but it eluded my grasp. A present from Delia, I a.s.sumed. But what was it? A way to control me or to spy on me? A time bomb ready to destroy at some given point in the future?

Regardless, I wasn't going to sit back and let it control me. Time pa.s.sed as I considered the snake. It seemed to be of the same construction as the one in Patrick Mann's mind, only smaller, as though made for concealment. If I hadn't been lying there in the dark taking careful a.s.sessment, I might have missed it altogether.

If I couldn't get rid of it, I wouldn't be able to return to the Renegades, even if I escaped. I would never know if this little present would get them all killed. Then again, if I could hide it, lock it away so that I couldn't access it, maybe Delia couldn't either.

Piece by piece, I constructed another black box like the one that housed my fear of heights. I'd learned to lock it away so that I could function, so why not the snake? And since I couldn't grasp the loathsome thing, I'd build around it. The construction process was slow and tedious, especially the bottom of the box, where I had to push back the illusion of a floor to build under the snake. When I was done, the seamless box glowed as shiny as the snake ever had. I pushed at it tentatively and found I could move both the box and the snake inside it. I could see no signature other than my own. It would have to do until I reached Ava.

Exhausted, I pulled in more nutrients through my pores, receiving the sensation of alcohol and peanut oil. Well, whatever gave me energy. When I felt strong enough, I left off conscious absorbing to search for any clue to my whereabouts.

A presence glowed brightly not far from me, but the absence of a shield and thoughts signaled an unconscious person. Wherever I was, I wasn't alone as I'd first a.s.sumed.

Reaching beyond my immediate vicinity, I found the consciousnesses of the five Renegade prisoners, which meant Delia had me taken to the compound. Why? She knew I wasn't the real biological daughter of Stefan Carrington, but she had gone to lengths to hide this fact and my true ability from him, so she should have taken me to him.

Unless she wanted something more from me.

I sat up quickly, my head spinning. How long had I been here? Had they already performed tests? Impregnated me? Given where I was in my cycle and how long both Unbounded sperm and eggs lived, it wouldn't be impossible, especially as I thought of the two gravid women prisoners they were already monitoring. Bile rose in my throat as I pulled the borrowed hotel uniform skirt as far down as it would go and tucked my knees to my chest.

A quick intake of breath several feet away helped me put my panic under control. "Who is that?" It was a man's groggy voice, one that was familiar somehow.

"My name's Erin," I said into the darkness, "and I seem to be the prisoner of some very nasty people. Guess you are, too. What's your name?" He was Unbounded, that much I could tell, and by the fear and mistrust radiating from him, he had no idea who I was. I suspected he was the prisoner Dr. Tunns had shown me on her monitor, but it was entirely possible that they had captured others since my last visit.

He hesitated. "So you aren't with them?"

"No."

"Then what did you do to get tossed in here?" He wanted to believe me, but he was afraid the Emporium was playing with his mind. He half thought I was an illusion his fevered brain had conjured up to torment him.

I had nothing to lose by telling the truth, and it was far easier to remember. "Actually, I was trying to kidnap the vice president's son, Patrick Mann. He's one of them and with the president on his deathbed, the vice president will be moving up. My friends and I were trying to protect the vice president because something about his son isn't right."

"You have no idea." A note of irony entered his voice.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. Because I'm Patrick Mann."

So he was the prisoner I'd seen on the monitor. I scooted closer to him on the carpet. "We kind of figured the other guy was a fake. That was why we tried to grab him. What are you doing here?"

Now that he'd decided to take a chance, the real Patrick Mann was full of information. "A year ago, I decided not to pursue politics," he told me. "I wanted to start an information business of some kind. I'd always loved working with computers, but suddenly I understood everything about them."

"You'd Changed." As a technopath, he'd have made it huge in computer software.

"That's when they first approached me-a woman who claimed to have given birth to me and a man who was supposedly my uncle. They said my father had been killed in an ongoing war involving near immortals and it was time for me to step forward and do what I'd been put in place to do."

"What was that?"

"To become my father." He hesitated before continuing. "I know it sounds crazy, but they've figured out how to use these really impressive nanites to completely change someone's appearance. Not just subtle changes, but a total makeover. I mean, it's easier with people who are the same height and have other similarities, but really they can do anyone."

To hear our suspicions verified so casually astounded me. "So they wanted you to become a puppet president."

"Something like that. They'd find a way to get rid of the president or they'd a.s.sure that my father was elected next. Either way I'd step in. Apparently, since I knew my father and politics so well, I'd be able to fool those closest to him for however long they needed. Even my mother. They said it was my duty, a legacy given me by right of my birth."

"I'm guessing you decided not to go along with the plan."

"No. My parents-" He made a choking sound. "I mean, the Manns taught me that it was important to make a stand for what we really believe, even if it came with a cost. Betraying them wasn't an option. I love my parents. I want them to be proud of me even if they never know the choice I made."

"They will know," I said. "We'll make sure of that. But if you're Patrick, who did I just try to kidnap?"

A sharp, bitter laugh. "I don't know. But oddly enough it makes me feel better, less forgotten. They told me my parents hadn't cared enough to look for me, that they didn't accept our disagreement about my career choice and wanted nothing to do with me." He paused and let out a sigh. "I didn't believe them, but after so long, it's hard not to begin to wonder. I mean how could the vice president's son go missing and no one notice? Now it makes sense. Of course they used their nanites to put someone in my place. They were going ahead with the plan, with or without me. And now that we're talking about it, I think I might have some idea as to who the guy is. For weeks straight they had this one man come in and talk to me for hours. Then suddenly he was gone. He was also a technopath."

"He's had a whole year to become you and get to know your father."

"They're going to kill him." The anger in Patrick's voice grated on my ears. "My father, I mean. They never said as much to me, but I know that was the plan after I became him."

"No. We're getting out of here, and we'll stop them. My friends will come for us."

"How will they know where to look?"

With the machine shield in place around the compound, Ava wouldn't be able to contact me, even if they suspected I was here, but I took comfort in the fact that they would eventually come to free the other prisoners. I couldn't tell Patrick that because the room might be bugged, and I didn't want to freak him out yet by speaking in his mind, especially with the possibility that Delia and her a.s.sistant were still around.

"They'll come," I said. The belief would be a natural one and wouldn't give anything away no matter who overheard me.

"I just hope it's not too late."

His words sent a chill crawling over my skin. "How long have I been here? Do you know?"

"Well, you weren't here when they brought me back from their so-called therapy this morning, and they usually bring me something to eat once a day around what I think is dinnertime. Or maybe bedtime. Hard to say when they keep me in this room with no windows or light. They haven't come yet."

I forced myself to relax. Since we'd been at the hotel until well after three, if he was right that meant I hadn't been here long, maybe only a few hours.

We sat in dark silence for a few minutes, with me probing for other life forces in the building. Besides the five prisoners, there were four other Unbounded that I could sense, with one of them being the guard outside our room. With another guard watching the other prisoners, that left the director and two others who were either doctors or more guards. That didn't mean Delia and her a.s.sistant weren't here, as their impenetrable shields would hide their life forces completely from my view. So possibly six inside. There would also be at least two guards in the lobby where I couldn't get past the machine-generated shields and however many more soldiers around the perimeter of the building. There was no sign of my brother, though they could have taken him elsewhere if he'd been captured.

Unless he'd been really and truly killed. The Emporium hit team definitely meant business and their swords weren't just for looks. The idea sent a wave of nausea careening through my stomach. No, I won't believe that. Delia had said Ritter was headed to the room. Both he and Jace had to be okay.

Faint steps outside what I a.s.sumed was the door urged me to my feet. I needed to be ready for whatever happened. Too soon for a rescue, I thought, but that didn't stop me from wanting it to be one.

Patrick also climbed to his feet, his hand brushing mine like a kiss of frozen snow. "Probably just the food."

"No, there're four people out there, plus the guard."

"How do you know?"

"Later." I was suddenly trying not to panic because I'd only sensed three people out there but I had seen from the guard's mind that Delia and Lew were also present. And now that she was this close, I could feel her impressive shield. Her mental signature screamed out to me. Instinctively, my hands ran over my body, but all my weapons were long gone.

"If they take you," Patrick whispered in my ear, his voice low and urgent, "don't believe anything, even your own thoughts. Some of them can see inside your brain. Not every thought, but they get enough to manipulate you. They push in their own thoughts until you believe they're yours. If I grit my teeth and tense my head until I feel a rushing sound, sometimes I can hide from them-for a while anyway." He was doing it now, and his shield was stronger than many I'd seen. I was sure I could get in, once I was more rested, but it was interesting that he could keep Delia out.

I nodded, though he wasn't able to see me in the dark. I couldn't even be amused at his telling me information about creating shields that I already knew. "Thanks."

Light sliced across the carpet as the door opened, revealing not a room with bars like the one the other prisoners shared, but a simple room with no furniture. The overhead light switched on a heartbeat later, and a tall black man peered in, an a.s.sault rifle in his hands. I knew him at once. He was Edgel, the man who blamed me for his mortal daughter's death. When he determined we weren't a threat, he signaled his companions and came all the way through the door, moving to the side of the room, his weapon still ready.

The light was dim enough that it didn't take long for my eyes to adjust, but next to me Patrick was still blinking and squinting. He had healing greenish bruises on his face, which I a.s.sumed were from his "therapy." Obviously they'd given up trying to convince him and were now focused on ferreting out any last information about his life that he'd been able to withhold. He did look like his impersonator, but the blue eyes lacked the coldness of the imposter's and his mouth was slightly more generous. It was a mouth that had laughed a lot. He was gentler all around, despite his long internment, and it made him more appealing.

Delia slid into the room as graceful as the first time we'd met, her customary gray dress flowing like a robe around her. Large brown eyes dominated her narrow face. She was a striking woman with a regal carriage even for an Unbounded, but the soft light couldn't hide the age creeping into her skin. The strong smell of an herb came with her, scratching at my nose and permeating the room. I'd forgotten to emulate the aroma when I'd impersonated her, and it felt so strong to me that it was a wonder Dr. Tunns hadn't suspected. Terror bounced off the walls, radiating from not only Patrick but also from the guard still in the hallway.

Lew came in behind Delia, his brown eyes glistening almost as darkly as his mental shield. He'd lost the ridiculous clothing from the hotel, and now wore black slacks and a shirt, the b.u.t.tons open at the collar. Dr. Tunns followed Lew into the room, her aging face impa.s.sive.

"h.e.l.lo, Erin." Delia smiled and I felt Patrick tremble slightly beside me. I understood exactly what he felt. She frightened me worse than anything I'd ever faced. However, I'd always known this day would come, that she and I would do battle. I'd prepared myself, but I didn't feel ready. I didn't know if I'd ever feel ready, no matter how I reinforced my mental barrier.

"h.e.l.lo, Delia." I made my voice light. "How nice to see you again. Well, actually, it's not really nice at all, but I tend to lie under stress."

She gave me a thin smile. "Still not ready to accept your fate? It was sealed the moment you walked into your father's office three months ago."

"My father? Are you still propagating that story? I guess lying is something you also do well."

Her lips pursed. "As Stefan's daughter, you are safe in the Emporium until he gives the word. I can use that." She took another step toward me, her straight posture loosening. "Look, I realize we didn't get off to a very good start, but you are young and you will have a lot of years to learn that we are doing what is best for all our people, both ours and yours."

"What about the mortals?" I felt her push against my fragile shield and clenched my fists, fleetingly wondering if I could smash one into her face before Edgel shot me. Thankfully, my shield held. Good, she couldn't get inside, not as long as I concentrated.

She waved my words aside. "They will soon know their place."

"You mean when your fake Patrick Mann a.s.sumes the vice president's ident.i.ty after he steps in for the president?" Let her worry about how much we actually knew-not that there was much we could do to stop her.

"I see you've done your homework." Delia permitted herself a small smile. "When I think what we could do together, Erin, it astounds me. You are the only Unbounded alive besides me and Lew who has taken your ability to the next level. I believe it's only the beginning. With study and alterations, we'll be able to make everyone use their abilities to benefit the cause."

Should I lead her on or tell her where she could shove her false camaraderie? The latter was really tempting, but probably not wise given my position. Better to keep quiet. Besides, I found her comment about making people use their abilities interesting. What she talked about was easily attainable to me since Mexico, not by using someone's body and forcing them to act for me as she did, but by channeling their talent and using it as my own. Was she unaware of the possibility? Or maybe it was something she couldn't do. Hope flared through me. I wasn't as strong as she was in mentally controlling someone's physical body, but what if I broke through her shield and channeled her ability? Could I be a match for her?

"It's time to announce to the world that we exist," Delia went on, unfazed by my lack of response. "No more hiding in the dark or pretending to be our own descendants. No more planting drugs to hide our battles or mourning our dead in secret. No more worrying about identification software that could ruin our lives."

Something in my heart twisted at her words. No leaving our mortal families or visiting them in secret to avoid suspicion when neighbors finally notice you don't age. No worrying about the Emporium slaughtering your family.

"We want that as much as you do," I said, "but not at the expense of the mortals. They aren't ready." What I really meant but wouldn't admit was that the Renegades weren't ready to protect mortals from an Emporium suddenly unleashed upon the world. And I was beginning to see that coming out wouldn't make Renegades any safer from Emporium attacks, not if people like Delia and Stefan were in charge. "We won't let you hurt them."

She let out a sigh of exasperation. "Don't you understand yet? They don't have the right to decide anything. We inherit the world, not them. In a hundred years every one of them will be dead. They are already halfway to dust. Inconsequential."

"In three hundred years you'll be dead as well," I retorted.

Her eyes glittered dangerously, and I knew I'd hit a sore spot. "My legacy will thrive. I have earned rights because of my centuries of hard work, the devotion I have given to our kind. We are G.o.ds to the mortals. It is time we take our rightful place as their rulers."

I remembered Keene's statement about the mortals not giving in so easily. "They'll fight."

"Oh, I'm not saying there won't be uprisings. The discovery of that drug in Mexico could have helped us control the rest of the world, but the delay your interference cost us there shouldn't be too detrimental in the overall picture. It's only a matter of a few careful changes in the law, a few more appointments of our people to certain positions. Once we've completely disarmed the mortals and secured our own rights, we'll be ready to make the announcement. We have already invested billions in school education and in medications that will both ease our entry into society and give us a way to control the population. It will only be rough for a short time." She offered a mirthless smile that made me shudder. "Then they will cease to matter. As for overseas, it is high time to use some of that good old American muscle. Mortals are always so willing to waste their short lives on a cause."

She meant war. And not just war but global war, with mortal lives thrown away to further Emporium rule.

Dr. Tunns, who up until now I'd only given cursory notice, pushed past Lew to stand beside Delia. "Are we about done here?" There was no fear in her, but her voice was carefully modulated to show no expression.

"Director Tunns is right," I said. "There must be a reason you came to talk to me, unless you've suddenly gained a conscience and plan to let me go. Let's get on with it already. Why are you here? If you don't have a good reason, maybe I can find a comfy spot on this low-grade carpet and have a nice cold nap while you work it all out."

Delia eyes narrowed. "Oh, I have a reason. You will come with us. Now."

"And if I refuse?" I couldn't resist saying.

"Then I will have Edgel shoot you and drag you to the lab." Her eyes almost begged me to resist.

Dr. Tunns gave an impatient grunt. "Come on."

"Leave her alone!" Patrick stepped forward, finding his voice and his courage. His mind shield was tight, but fear oozed from him so tangibly I was sure everyone in the room felt it, sensing or no.

I hadn't liked the vice president before, but I had to admit that since this whole thing began, I'd changed my mind. Anyone who could raise a man like the real Patrick couldn't be all bad. I put a hand on his. "Thank you, but I want to go. I need to talk with her. Delia and I go way back." Well, as far back as anything I knew about the Unboundaried, or Unbounded as we now termed ourselves. "I will be back for you, I promise."

I felt rather like an idiot making any promise at all, but I couldn't help the a.s.sertion. The arrogance was in my genes.

He glared at the others, nostrils flared, resembling the fake Patrick Mann more than he had before. "Okay, but remember what I told you."

"I will. Thanks."

I moved forward as Delia stepped aside to allow me to leave. Dr. Tunns and Lew followed, while Delia and Edgel took up the rear. In the hallway Delia paused and said to the guard who had stayed in the hall during our conversation, "Shoot him." When he didn't move fast enough, she pushed the guard closer to the still-open door. "I don't care where, just shoot him. He needs to learn a lesson."

"No!" I stepped toward the guard, only to have him level his rifle at me. Edgel did the same.

"Lew," Delia said calmly.

In a fluid motion, the slender Lew drew out a pistol and fired through the door. I tossed out a shield in Patrick's direction, but he collapsed, hands gripping his chest. I was too late or too weak. I'd never know which.

And just that quickly I'm inside you again, Delia said in my mind.

I CURSED HER UNDER MY breath and struggled to push her out and repair the damage she'd done to my shield while I'd been distracted, already knowing I was too weak because of the mental explosion at the hotel.

Wait, I didn't have to be strong, not if I used her ability. Unless she could keep me out of her mind altogether. I hadn't been able to get inside Lew's shield at Emerson's, but maybe Delia's connection to me left her vulnerable. Even as the thought came, I pushed it away, replacing it with others. Anger, worry about my brother. Patrick being shot. If I didn't focus too closely on any one idea for long, she wouldn't be able to tell the important ideas from any others in the sand stream of my thoughts.

"After you," Delia said with a laugh.

Against my will, I started walking. My first urge was to fight her compulsion as I'd done the first time we'd talked privately, but I needed to reserve my strength so I let her force me onward.

Delia turned to the guard. "Bandage our guest and give him some tonic. I'll need him well tomorrow."

Anger grew inside me, but I didn't let it take over. Concentrate, I told myself. I knew from my own experience that she couldn't see my ideas unless they were pa.s.sing in my current thought stream so I was careful not to think about anything that might endanger our rescue plan for the prisoners. Then again, she might try to mess with the stream, forcing it to go as she wanted, to rip the information from me. I had to get her out sooner rather than later.

Her shield glistened like polished black agate, pristine and impenetrable, but there had to be some way in. We were already nearing the lab when I found it, a tiny, almost imperceptible flatness in her shield where part of her consciousness stretched toward mine. A thrust of my mental machete weakened it further, but I still couldn't get inside. Delia didn't react to my efforts, though I knew she must feel them.

"When we brought you here earlier today," she said as we entered the lab, "Dr. Tunns took the liberty of doing a few tests. We now have the results and we're going ahead with a procedure. It will be more comfortable if you don't fight us."

"What procedure?" I glanced between her and the doctor.

Delia looked at Lew and back at me. "We need more sensing Unbounded, Erin. With careful genetic experimentation, we may eventually be able to bring back some of the lost gifts, which has been a goal of ours for decades. In fact, we have experienced a few successes so far."

I was aware of that. Brody Emerson was a prime example, but as far as I knew the Emporium was unaware of his exact ability. "Like what?" I asked, not letting my thoughts dwell on Brody.