Hunted (24 page)

CHAPTER 36

“Caitlyn?”
Alex’s anxious voice, thin with exhaustion, reaches me.
“Why haven’t you answered me? Damn it, if
you don’t answer me soon, I’m coming to find you.”
Just Alex this time.

“No, I’m okay.”
I break off a stalk of Mrs. Vespa’s aloe vera, and squeeze the juice onto my neck. Its coolness eases the pain.
“Daniel was in your mind when you asked where
I was. I think he was making you ask. I had to be careful.”

“Geez. I knew I felt off, like I was sick, but—Caitlyn,
are you all right? Did he find you?”

“I’m fine!”
Daniel could have killed me. He has more training than me, and with the power he’s absorbing, it should have been easy. But he didn’t.

Why didn’t he?

Because he wants me to join him in taking over the world? I know he can’t believe that I don’t see how “right” it is.

I’ve got to stop him.

I remove all traces of the dark, metallic lust for power from Alex’s mind, then wrap my copper shield around him, 313

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too, sealing him off from Daniel. I do the same with Rachel and Mrs. Vespa. I don’t know how strong it’ll be, or if it’ll last, but it’s a layer of defense that they didn’t have before.

“Caitlyn?”
Rachel reaches blindly for me, her worry boosting her fading energy.

“I’m here.”

“Things are bad. People are dropping all around me.

Do you know what—?”

“It’s Daniel. I’m trying to stop him.”

“Tell us what we can do to help,”
Alex says.

I hesitate. I just want to lie down and sleep. But I can’t.

And if I feel this way, how much worse must Rachel and Alex feel?

“Damn it, girl, don’t hold out on us. Don’t you trust us
by now?”

“Of course I do. That’s not it.”
I rub my aching head.

“I’m afraid.”
Of Daniel. Of not being able to protect Alex and Rachel. But pretty soon I won’t be able to protect anyone.

“Then let us help!
”

“You can draw from us the way Daniel is drawing from
the others, can’t you?”
Rachel says.
“You can use us to
make you stronger.”

I bite my lip so hard my eyes water.
“I don’t want to
ask you to do that.”
But deep down, I wish I could. If I’m going to stop Daniel, I need to have help. But how can I drain my friends? How can I put them at even greater risk?

“Damn it, girl, let us decide what we’re willing to do!”
Alex says.

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I rub the back of my neck. I want to. I want to so badly.

“Tell us where you’re at.”

Daniel’s still draining people, funneling energy to other Paras close to him, then to some throughout the city, even the entire country. He’s clearly been working on this for months. I feel his triumph as more and more Paras persuade Normals to turn on each other, kidnap law enforcers, mentally or telekinetically force ParaTroopers to shock or shoot each other. None of this would be happening without Daniel at the center, dispersing energy to others. But it is happening, and it’s bigger than I realized.

“Caitlyn?”
Rachel says.

“The library. I’m in the library. In Mrs. Vespa’s office.”

“We’ll be right there,”
Alex says.

I send to Mrs. Vespa, letting her know they’re coming, and then I try to look better than I feel.

e

Mrs. Vespa knocks. “I’ve brought your friends.” I open the door. The first face I see is Alex’s, his warm brown eyes smiling at me. My heart jumps like a tam-bourine against my ribs.

They all crowd in, closing the door after them.

I want to wrap my arms around Alex, to feel the warmth of his body against mine.

Rachel smiles lopsidedly at me. “Things are pretty bad out there.”

I nod.

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Mrs. Vespa clutches at the door handle. “No sign of the enemy yet. Becca’s long gone. But Jarred Temple mentioned that he has a video that proves you’re a Para. Something about the fire. I haven’t told him you’re here.” Her face is anxious. “Well, I’d better go; I don’t want anyone to notice I’m gone.” She leaves.

I push my glasses up. I have to focus.

“Hey! What happened?” Alex grabs my hand and turns it over, staring at the oozing welt on my palm.

I tug my hand out of his grasp. “It’s nothing.”

“I wouldn’t call that nothing,” Rachel says.

Alex grabs my hand again. “Caitlyn—”

“Daniel did it—with his mind. I told you this is serious stuff.”

“Does it hurt?” Alex asks softly.

“I’m fine.” I study them. “But this is what the power of the mind can do. So if you want to leave, I understand.” Alex shakes his head. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy.”

“Me either,” Rachel says. “You’re stuck with us.” Hope rushes through me, and with it, some energy I didn’t know I had. “Good.”

Alex lets go of me. “Tell us how to bring your brother down.”

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CHAPTER 37

Angry claws dig into my scalp. I whirl around as the door bursts open.

“I knew you were up to something!” Becca looks around at us. “I just
knew
it! Wait until I call the troopers down here!”

“You have no reason to call them. Not unless you want a fine,” I say quickly. “They’re not Paras.” Becca sneers at me. “But you are—right, new girl? I could smell you a mile away.”

The room feels too small.

Alex crowds toward her. “I think you’d better leave.”

“I’m not leaving until I have at least one of you to take in.” Becca snaps the door shut behind her. “I’m collecting my reward.”

“You’re disgusting!” Rachel spits.

“Better than Para-lovers like you,” Becca says. “At least I can sleep at night.” She glares at me. “I won’t let you hide your nasty self behind Normals anymore!” Becca’s anger drives itself like spikes through my 317

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mind. I touch my necklace, pull my copper armor tighter around myself.

“What are you doing to her?” Alex asks, jabbing his finger in Becca’s face.

“I’m not doing anything,” she huffs.

“Yes, you are; I can feel it—hot needles in my scalp.” His words rock me so hard that I almost lose my balance. How can Alex feel what I feel? Normals can’t do that.

I stare at him, unable to make sense of this.

“You shouldn’t be protecting her,” Becca tells Alex snottily. “I didn’t think you were that stupid. Don’t you know how dangerous Paras are?” I can hear Daniel’s metallic voice shuddering through hers.

“I’m not dangerous,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

“But the person you’re working with is. Daniel, right? Or did he give you some other name?” Becca’s mouth slackens. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Liar!” Alex shoves his face up near Becca’s.

I touch Alex’s arm. “It’s okay.” I look at Becca. “Do you know who you’re helping?”

“Not you, you Para-freak!”

“She’s not a freak!” Rachel says. “She’s a better person than you are.”

Becca laughs. “Then you don’t know her. You’ve gotten sucked in by her lies. Did she tell you she can read minds?” She looks at their unblinking faces. “Reading minds is bad enough. But what this freak can do is worse.

She can put things into your head like they were always there. Make you believe you’re the one who thought them.” 318

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I shudder. “I’d never do that!” But Daniel has. Oh, Daniel. How could you?

“Yeah, you would. That’s how you lure people into trusting you.” Becca looks at Alex and Rachel, her mouth twisted in disgust. “Think about it—she comes here from god-knows-where, near the end of the school year. That alone should make her an outsider—yet suddenly you’re all buddy-buddy with her. She’s done a mind job on you. I’ll bet Caitlyn Ellis isn’t even her real name.” Uneasiness pours off Alex and Rachel, doubt and loyalty fighting each other. Alex looks at me sideways.

I feel like I’m breathing through a lungful of blood, drowning in it. “I didn’t lie! Not about anything except my name—and that was only to protect my mom and me.” I take a shaky breath. “I’m not using my power against you.

That’s not something Paras do. Well, not most of us. I didn’t ask you to get involved. I don’t want you to get hurt.

The only time I used my gift on you was to protect you from Daniel.”

Alex shoves his hands into his jeans pockets. “What’s your real name?”

“Caitlyn
is
my real first name; I never changed that.

But we had to keep changing our last name so the troopers wouldn’t find us. My original birth certificate read Caitlyn Isobel Waters. But I’m still Caitlyn.” Becca throws back her head and fake-laughs. “What a load of—”

I reach for her arm.

“Hey! What’re you—”

Fragments tumble through my brain—a younger 319

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Becca, crying into her mother’s empty nightgown; the minister droning on about the danger of Paras; Becca’s father shouting that her mother was a freak.

I sift through the memories and draw the ones I need to me.

Mr. Temple, directing Becca into an empty classroom.

“I know you’re a loyal citizen, Becca. ParaWatch has been informed that a dangerous Para is coming to our school to recruit others. I need your help to stop her.”

“I’ll do anything,” Becca says.

“Good. Now I’d like you to meet someone. He’s going to work undercover at our school.”

Daniel steps out of the shadows. “Hi, Becca. We’re dealing with a perverted freak. Someone who manipulates innocent people the way your mother did. It could be dangerous. You sure you want to help?”

“You couldn’t stop me.”

“Okay, then. I want you to watch her, see who she befriends. Report directly to me or to Mr. Temple.”

“Why not just turn her in?”

“She’s too powerful, too sneaky. We have to go about this carefully. Listen—I want you to think angry thoughts at her, anytime you’re around her—the angrier the better.

Keep up a constant barrage.”

Becca wrinkles her nose. “Why?”

“Trust me, it will hurt her. At the very least, it’ll distract her. As a telepath, it’s her biggest vulnerability.” Becca rubs her chin.

“If you don’t think you can handle it—,” Daniel says.

“No, I can do it.”

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I let go of Becca’s arm. She staggers back, bumping her head against the door.

“Didn’t you wonder how Mr. Temple knew about me ahead of time?” I ask. “The boy he introduced you to—he’s not just a Government Para. He’s a renegade Para who wants to destroy Normals. He’s trying to take over the world. That’s why he wants me.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Didn’t you notice they knew exactly what to say to you? Daniel was feeding off your most painful memories to convince you to help him. He wanted you to help him before the other Government Para—the one who was actually assigned to this area—found out about me. Did Daniel push you to act fast?”

Becca’s breath rasps loudly in the room.

“Well?
Did
he?”

“You’re not natural!”

“I’m not
un
natural. I’m just different from you. And believe me, Becca—I’m not the bad guy here.” I feel Alex and Rachel relax. “Haven’t you noticed people fainting, falling asleep? Or turning against each other, especially the troopers? That’s Daniel’s doing. You’ve been helping the wrong people, Becca. You’ve been helping renegade Paras.” I send her a flash of Daniel, giving her a sense of his power.

Becca’s lips turn pale. Then she slumps to the floor.

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The metallic echo is gone. Daniel’s taken his energy back from Becca. He must have felt her doubting him.

Rachel claps her hand over her mouth and stares at Becca on the floor. “Oh, my god. And I thought she was just a Para-hater and homophobe.”

“What do we do with her?” Alex asks.

Darkness slithers across my mind, the lust for power curling through me. “We leave her. I have to stop Daniel.”

“You said you can use us,” Alex says. “Well, here we are.”

I step over Becca, then lock the door. “I’ll need you both to keep contact with me, help me amplify my gift.” I flop down on the chair, my legs trembling. Alex and Rachel drag boxes of books over and sit on either side of me. I grab Alex’s hand, then Rachel’s, ignoring the pain as her skin presses against the welt on my palm. “I’ll need an anchor. Someone to pull me out if I stop breathing.”

“Caitlyn!” Rachel cries. “You can’t—”

“I
told
you it’s dangerous. Daniel’s got a lot of power.

He’s been trained to hurt others—maybe even kill them—

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using his gift. And he
knows
me. He can use that to exploit my weaknesses.”

“I’ll be your anchor,” Alex says quietly. “How do I pull you out?”

“Use my name, call to me, reach for me with all your heart and mind. Don’t let go of me; I’m going to need your strength.”
I don’t even know if a Normal can be an anchor.

But I have to try.

“What should I do?” Rachel asks.

“Quiet your mind as much as you can. Focus on sending me copper light if you can imagine it. I’ll do the rest.”

“Caitlyn, are you sure—?”

“I’m sure,” I say. “Try not to interrupt me unless you absolutely have to, okay?”

They both nod.

Alex leans over and brushes his lips against mine. His lips are warm and soft and smell like mint. “For luck,” he says.
“And love,”
his mind-voice says.
“Come back safe.

We need you. I need you.”

My lips tingle where his touched mine. “For luck,” I say.

Rachel squeezes my hand gently, sadness mixing with her admiration for my courage.
. . . not sure I could do what
she’s doing . . .

I close my eyes, breathing deeply, their weakening energy adding to mine. I drift up past all the voices, the cacophony of sound and emotion and shapes.

There! The shriek of almost uncontrolled power and the dark lust threaded with metallic scent—it’s Daniel.

I’ve got to end this!
I reach toward him.

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The power pulls at me, snatching my breath. And then I am there, facing Daniel, seeing him as clearly as if we’re in the same room together.

“I knew you couldn’t stay away,”
Daniel sends, smirk-ing.
“You want the power, too. I know you do.”

“Stop draining them, Daniel. Let everyone go.”

“You know I won’t. They don’t deserve to live their little lives. But join me, Caitlyn, and I’ll spare the lives of the
Normals you love the most. Even Alex.”
I bite my lip. I don’t know how to stop him.

He looks at me sadly.
“Can’t you see all the good
we’re doing? Haven’t you heard the reports? Troopers
shooting each other, ParaWatch members reporting themselves, officials resigning. We’re making real change. We’re
taking back the city, the entire country, making it safe for
Paras again!”

I swallow.
“It’s not real change, Daniel—not when you
force someone to do it.”

“Sure it is. Freedom is freedom, however we get it.

Normals have spilled too much of our blood. They owe us.”

“Daniel—this isn’t you!”

“Isn’t it? It’s exactly who Mom thought I was. She
sacrificed me for you.”

“What are you talking about? She loved you!”

“Yeah—loved me so much that she gave me to the
enemy. Think about it, sis. You’re the one who’s been on the
outside all these years. Not me. If she loved me so much,
why didn’t she come find me?”

“Mom and I looked for you for days, even though people were hunting us. And we never stopped looking for
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you—every town, every city, we’d look—and Mom would
ask the Underground about you. She never gave up hope of
finding you.”

Daniel’s eyes flicker.
“You’re lying.”

“I’m not. You’re her son. My brother. And we loved
you.”
I don’t know if I can go on. I push the thoughts out painfully.
“It’s my fault Ilene took you. I am so sorry. I’d do
it all differently if I could.”

“Would you? You’ve had freedom. You haven’t had to
bow down to Paras and Normals who aren’t so powerful or
as smart as you—”

“No, I’ve just been on the run most of my life. With no
home, no friends. No safety.”

As we’re talking, I can feel Normals’ energy weakening for blocks around. I feel their life force being sucked out of them.

“Let them go. This isn’t about them. This is about you
and me.”

Daniel laughs—an angry, unhappy sound.
“What do
you care? You think they care? You think they even notice?

They’re just Normals. Not one of them has a gift, not like we
do.”

He’s trying to distract me from the power building up around me, making the air heavier.

I draw copper light up from my feet, feel it gather in my hands.
“No one deserves to be used. And that includes
you.”

“You think I’m being used?”
Daniel jabs his chest with his finger.
“I’m the one using them!”
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“You’re making all the decisions?”
I tilt my head, looking at him.
“What about Ilene? Don’t you follow her
orders?”

“Ilene?”
Daniel laughs.
“Ilene doesn’t have a tenth of
the power I do. She may have taught me, but she follows
me now. I want you to join me, too. Together we’ll be unstoppable. But if you won’t join me, then I want you to suffer the way I have.”

Power is shuddering all around me, shaking with the energy Daniel’s drawing from people. Strands of negative energy flow from Daniel toward me, coiling and uncoiling, getting ready to strike. To drain me.

A dark strand whips against my mouth, and I taste salty blood.

“Caitlyn!”
Alex’s voice.

I ignore him. Got to focus. Hope. Laughter. Love. The right of every living creature to live. Healing, community, the Normals who’ve helped us. I pull these toward me, and throw them at Daniel. Black shadows move in front of my eyes.

He blocks me with the strength of thousands, then sends his fury shrieking toward me.

Dark strands lash at me, slicing my flesh, trying to bur-row inside me. They wrap around me, stinging through my clothes, crushing away my breath.

I scream as my skin splits open. Scream as darkness bursts through my mind. I keep sending love and healing to Daniel, reminding him of what he can be. Reminding him that Mom loves him, too, no matter what.

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He jerks back like he’s been bitten, but the love does not hurt him the way his draining of my power hurts me.

Love is not going to stop him.

I can’t see anymore; I can only feel the darkness as it shakes my body, squeezing at my heart. I gulp my own energy, struggling to breathe. I send my thoughts to Daniel to make him see—life matters. All life!

Darkness pushes into my chest and lungs.

“Caitlin!”
Alex cries.
“Caitlin, come back!”
His voice yanks me out of the darkness like a fish on the end of a line.

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