Chapter 11
S anders and Ania were led by Riff from the apartment into the basement of the building and now out onto the parking level, but she felt the creepiness all around her. “You know that he’s watching us, right?”
“Your father’s other goons are trying to, and your human tracker is trying as well. I’m sending a confusing signal in order to stop the tracker,” Riff shared, “but I’m not sure it’s working.”
She watched, as Riff carefully slipped into an unlocked vehicle, hot-wired the car in front of her, and then opened the doors for them to get in.
Inside, she sat down and whispered, “I had no idea it was so easy to steal a vehicle.”
“I think that’s the second time you’ve mentioned something along those lines.” Riff laughed. “Would you rather that we ask permission and let everybody know where we are?”
“No, because they’ll already be out there waiting for us,” she muttered.
It was a daunting thing to realize just how far her father had been willing to go, in order to keep her in his life. Yet she knew it wasn’t out of love. The emotional aspect didn’t even enter the equation. This was all about his ego now. As they slowly drove up and out of the underground parking lot, she took a deep breath and sank into the back seat, trying to look a whole lot older. Or at least smaller.
“Nice trick,” Sanders noted, from the front seat.
“Not that it’ll fool anybody,” she murmured.
“At a quick glance, it will,” Sanders stated. “How’s your own ability?”
“You mean, my tracking ? I’m not a tracker at all.”
“You may be, but all you’ve been doing so far is telepathy,” Sanders pointed out. “Maybe you could recognize the energy of whoever out there is tracking us and give us a heads-up.”
“Even if I could, what good would that do? I can’t scramble his signals.”
At that, Riff looked at her. “Are you sure about that?”
“No, of course I’m not sure. I’ve never tried anything like that.”
“Exactly. If ever we had a time to see if it would work, we would really appreciate you trying it now. We could really use any advantage we can get.”
She frowned at that but sagged back against the seat and closed her eyes. She tried to remember the little bit that Sanders and Terk had told her about keeping her energy calm. Not knowing what she was doing or if this was a time to keep her energy calm or not, she opened up the little bit of a window that she had into her telepathic ability and muttered to Sanders in the front seat, “Since I have a link to you that’s well established, I’m not sure how this will affect you.”
He responded, “Don’t worry about it. You do you.”
She had to laugh at that, or she would have if the circumstances weren’t so dire. But she understood what he meant and closed her eyes, reaching out and looking for the tracker. If she could contact him, she knew she couldn’t stop him from doing what he was doing because he was part of her father’s team, but, if she could get his signature… At that, another voice broke into her head.
That’s an excellent way to do it , Terk noted, if you think you’re up for it. Also remember to stop him dead in his tracks from following you back because he’s also looking for you. Therefore, his energy will try to glom onto yours, as well .
She understood that. Most of that. But how do I stop him from following my energy back? she whispered.
If he locks on, you’ll have to find a way to shake him off. I’m not sure what that’ll take in this case, but it’s really not negotiable. Otherwise he’ll have your energy signature. If he can get locked on your position by following you, then everybody around you will be in danger .
Great , she muttered. So maybe this isn’t a good idea at all .
It’s a wonderful idea,… if you can pull it off , he replied warmly. Kudos to you for trying .
Yeah, but, if I screw up, it’ll be way worse for everybody.
We’ll deal with that if it happens, but, if you can throw him off, then maybe you can get away this time, without his finding you.
She could only hope so. She closed her eyes and reached out to whoever was tracking her, and when a soft, almost shocked voice called out in her head, Ania smiled.
A man called out, Who is that? What are you doing?
I’m not doing anything , she murmured. You are. You’re the one who’s hounding me to death, tracking me, making my life miserable, and for what? Helping my father to keep me a prisoner? She felt his shock that she could reach out to him. Just think when my father finds out that you couldn’t even hide from me , she noted, with a laugh. You’ll be much better off telling him that I have no skills at all .
I don’t dare do that. He already believes you have skills.
How did he find that out?
First came a moment’s silence. I’m not sure , but I think from your mother .
Such hesitation filled his tone that she truly wondered herself. Maybe, and maybe not. Maybe somebody else said something . It doesn’t matter .
Of course it matters , he argued. The fact that you even opened up to me,… I don’t understand . He was equally bewildered and worried.
You know what it’s like to be hunted , she said. If you didn’t work for my father, your life would be so much different .
There is no life without working for your father. You know that , he stated bitterly. It’s not as if I have a choice either .
Yet you do have a choice , she said. Maybe not a choice you like, but you have a choice. I have no choice at all. I’ll either be a literal prisoner or a hunted prisoner. You could tell my father quite clearly that I don’t have any abilities and that, even with all the tracking you’ve been doing, you haven’t seen any evidence of my having any abilities at all .
And yet you’re talking to me right now , he declared in an odd tone.
Didn’t you know you could talk this way? she asked him.
No , he snapped. I’ve only been able to send out energy. Why is it that you can talk to me like this? he cried out, almost in anger.
Maybe because I have to , she replied. Maybe because you haven’t given me a choice. I’m sitting here, trying to have a real life, and I don’t want to be hunted. So it’ll be up to you to tell my father that I have no skills after all .
These skills that you don’t have, as in the ones that you’re currently using?
Yes, it’s called lying. But it would also cement your position, as being the only one with these abilities . At that, she realized she’d caught his attention. You haven’t been thinking this through, have you?
I guess.
If he brings me back, you’ll have to give up some of that cachet regarding being very good at what you do , she explained. Because, if I can do this, who knows what else I can do? But, as soon as my father realizes that I’m better than you…
Nobody said you were better than me , he pointed out.
Perhaps, but I found you. She laughed. You didn’t find me .
But we did, we did find you , he clarified. I can’t always be perfect. None of us can.
Of course not, but you would get an awful lot more time to develop and to hone your skills if you were… the one.
You’re just trying to make me give up on you.
It’s to your own benefit to do so , she noted, because you would continue to be his favorite, and that relationship would give you all kinds of extras in life. Would it not?
Of course. Of course it would, but I can’t just lie to him. He would know .
Not particularly, if you ask me. I have known him much longer than you, and he may be good, but he’s not that good, she murmured. He’s just frightening, so people crack .
Why do you not want to come work for us? he asked in genuine puzzlement.
Because it’s not pleasant for me. I have been detained in house arrest, and he’s drugged me, and, even now, my abilities have suffered because of it.
Have they really? he asked, almost eagerly attaching to her words.
Absolutely, and that’s something he won’t understand or at least won’t acknowledge. That’s too bad for him because it is exactly what he’s done. He is responsible for this . Such a harsh bitterness filled her tone that he seemed to relax.
But your gifts can’t be badly damaged if you’re still doing this.
Yet they are, and I’m not able to hold this connection for long. So, it’s up to you. What do you want for your life? Do you want to be his special pet who can do things and have time to work on them, develop them, and increase your skills? You know that if you can prove to him that you have better skills, he will do anything he can to help with your training .
Yet there is no training , he stated, as if he’d heard this argument time and time again. There is no training that I can do to improve this .
Why is that? she asked. You really think you’ve done everything you can?
Like you, I have also been given a plethora of drugs.
Silence. The same drugs you fed to Sanders then?
Yes, they used me as a guinea pig first. Then early on I decided it was better to work with them.
Of course. So you weren’t the only prisoner being tortured and abused.
He hesitated, not sure what to say to that.
No need for you to lie to me. I’ve already spoken to Sanders.
Is he okay? he asked curiously.
He’s lost his abilities because of what you did, and that’s a problem , she shared. To him, it’s like having his senses completely cut off from everything else around him .
Yes, I had that feeling for a while too, but mine did come back.
His didn’t , she declared. Perhaps because you raised his drugs on a regular basis .
We did. Not by my choice. It was your father’s decision .
You know my father doesn’t like to lose, but, if you’re seen as the only one to have these abilities, you’ll have increased opportunities and could win in a big way.
Until he finds out that somebody is better.
Yet you would have the time to enhance your skills and potentially be better yourself. Maybe more so than me.
He hesitated at that, as if still unsure.
I can’t keep this up , she repeated. Her fatigue was real, and she needed to let go. She needed him to see that this would be his future. It took everything I had to do this now, and it took other people’s abilities to lead me here .
Can they help you, these other people, to get your energy back?
No. But they have been able to give me a boost, so I could contact you. You have to tell my father that I have nothing he wants , she whispered, knowing her own energy was failing. And now I have to go .
Wait , he cried out. We can help you .
No. You did this to me. You and my father did this to me , she said, with tears that she did not fake because she had had so much heartbreak from all they had done to her. I didn’t deserve this. I didn’t do anything to you, and yet you still did this to me. Now whatever I thought I might have is gone, including my mother and my aunt . And, with that, she quickly shut down the link.
She sagged back, feeling the exhaustion running through her.
But Terk’s voice was strong in her head. Now that was brilliant. Good job. It never even occurred to me to do that. You played it just right .
She smiled. Did I though? I don’t know if he believed me .
Even if he didn’t, you’ve given his mind something to consider, something that may make this easier for him, if he really was the only one… And Terk’s voice trailed away.
If he’s the only tracker , he will do much better if he can convince my father that he’s special and that he’s the only one and that it was my father drugging me that cost me my abilities. That way, maybe anybody else my father gets his hands on will have it easier in that regard at least .
Of course. He’ll also be much better prepared, more assured, for your father will take more prisoners, won’t he?
Depends on if they can find anybody else with gifts , she noted, with a laugh. I get that you seem to think a lot of us are out there, but I sure as heck haven’t ever found any. The only one I ever had any contact with over here is Sanders .
Of course , Terk murmured. Yet I have quite a team, and there are lots of us, and I know there are more the world over. Maybe not lots, certainly not even one percent of the population, probably far less , he admitted. I don’t know what the actual numbers would work out to be, but that isn’t important. What matters is making sure that those who need help get it .
She nodded slowly. I’m ready to help with that, though I’m not exactly sure what I can do .
You do realize that you just reached out to him telepathically, knocked on his mind, even though he didn’t know who it was or why you were there, right? And he had no defenses against your ability to talk to him. That ability is something I can always use. Because, if you can do it in that vehicle, while you’re driving through town , he pointed out, you can do it from anywhere, even from here .
Does that mean I get to stay at the castle and not do all these trips? she asked. Because I don’t think I’m cut out for this .
You might not be cut out for it , Terk noted, but you’re doing a damn fine job. Don’t worry about any of that now. We’ll figure out where you belong and what you’ll do when you get here. There might even be time for learning other things, after you sort out all this damn paperwork .
At that, she started to laugh. Is it really that bad?
No, it’s not that bad , he corrected. My wife has been trying to keep up with it . Yet a note of humor filled in his tone. But she’s carrying twins, and I know that it’ll go downhill very quickly. When I told her that you had an accounting degree, she got pretty excited, so you can imagine how well she’s enjoying and anticipating your arrival .
Ania smiled. Tell her that I’m on my way, I just don’t know how long it’ll take to get there .
Oh, I’ve already told her , Terk shared comfortably. No worries. We’ll get you here, safe and sound. Just keep the faith .
*
“We’ve got company,” Riff noted suddenly.
Sanders straightened and nodded. “Same vehicle as before?”
“Yeah. The airstrip’s not too much farther ahead.”
“Will we make a run for it?” Sanders asked.
“Oh, I suspect we will,” Riff replied. “The problem is that I don’t know if the pilot’s aware of just how dangerous our approach will be. I don’t want them to take out the pilot just because he’s helping us.”
“So, abort again?” Sanders asked, looking behind him to see Ania, curled up, sound asleep.
“It’s not ideal, but if it’s necessary,… we may have to. I don’t want to get the guy killed.”
“Yeah, I agree,” Sanders replied. “If we could slip through one of the open borders and steal a car on the other side, that could be a workable plan C,” he murmured. “I think we’ll have to take it.”
With that, Riff swerved suddenly and headed down some backroads away from the airstrip, and Sanders felt his heart sinking, knowing without a doubt that their plan to fly out of this airstrip would not work.
“Better wake her up,” Riff ordered.
“You don’t have to,” she muttered. “I’m here, very awake since you started with those quick turns.” She shook her head. “What’s the problem?”
“The problem is that we’re being followed, and we’re too close to the airstrip,” Riff explained. “Being that close, we have to ditch that plan.”
She groaned. “Dang, and here I thought we were so close this time.”
“Close but no cigar, as they say,” Riff shared cheerfully.
“Where are we going now?” she asked, looking out the window. “Good God, it’s like we’ve stepped into into a horror movie. It’s too dark out here.”
“Yep, but we’re really close to the border,” he stated. “So, if we could get across at one of these open points in the backwoods, we can come out on the other side and carry on.”
“Without a vehicle?” she asked.
Riff laughed. “Do you seriously think I can’t get us another vehicle?”
She flashed him a grin. “I’ve learned a lot on this trip, and that is a skill I may need to learn myself.”
“You absolutely should,” Riff agreed, with a shrug. “Anybody who gets into the kind of troubles that you do definitely needs any advantage you can get.”
She was left gasping at his instant retort, but she had no time for a comeback, as they were tossed from side to side, while Riff drove through the bushes at top speed. “Good God,” she muttered, “how can you even see out there? It’s pitch-black, and you don’t even have the headlights on. We could hit a tree and crash any second now.”
“Yeah, well,… remember how I live in the shadows?” Riff asked her. “I can see out here just fine.”
At that, Sanders blinked, staring at Riff in wonder. “Now that would be a very good skill to have,” he muttered.
“And you can probably learn that one too,” Riff suggested. “All this takes is some time, and you must have a chance to get to a place where you can unwind, recover, and learn this stuff, which is, as you know, what we’re all rooting for.”
Then, just as suddenly, Riff pulled to a stop in a pile of thickets. “Everybody out. Move it, people. I mean now .”
Very quickly, she was out the door, shivering in the darkness, as Riff shut down the vehicle and pointed. “We’re going in that direction, so stay close. If you get lost, just keep going forward. We should be able to tell you if you’re losing your sense of direction.”
“Says you,” she huffed. “I have the sense of direction of a gnat.”
He grinned. “This will be another chance for you to test out your abilities then.”
She groaned at that. “Yet how come it’s draining me to the point that I’m really struggling to use them?”
“We can discuss that later,” Riff replied, as they raced forward, “but, right now, you don’t have time. Do what you can to ensure you’re not being followed, and I’ll find you guys in a few minutes.” And, with that, he quickly disappeared into the shadows again.
She swore, even as Sanders grabbed her hand and whispered, “Come on. Let’s go.”
“How does he just disappear like that?”
“I’ll say it’s a part of his charm,” Sanders quipped, a note of laughter in his tone. “But it’s also a talent, one I would really like to learn myself,” he muttered. “He may not be the friendliest guy I know, but he’s definitely got the skills when you need them. In my book, that’s worth everything.”
She wouldn’t argue with that. Sanders may not have night vision like Riff had, but Sanders could see just fine in the moonlight.
He urged her on a bit faster. “The vehicle will have stopped and has probably found ours by now,” he shared, “so we need to stay ahead of them.”
“Says you,” she muttered, stumbling behind him. “If they’ve gotten this far, what are the chances they’ll find us, just like Riff managed to find this location.”
“Probably depends on your father’s tracker. If he’s any good, then I guess they might find us. If he isn’t, then he probably won’t,” he muttered. “So, we have to just hope like hell he’s not that great.”
At that, she added, “Oh, in that case, I should tell you something.” Then she proceeded to tell him about her telepathic conversation with her father’s tracker.
Sanders studied her intently. “So, you talked to the guy who’s tracking us?”