Hunting the Shadows (12 page)

“He’s up in the trees.” It wasn’t the answer he was going for, but it worked. He found her under a large tree, belly down in the dirt, her body half concealed by thick brush.
Good girl
, he thought,
keep low.

“Stay where you are. I’m going to draw whoever it is out.”

J.C. crawled, keeping his mind open. He rolled when a bullet slammed into a tree inches from his face. “Now you’re playing with me,” he called out. That bullet could have easily killed him. A bit to the right and it would have. A smart man would have been terrified, but after being shot at on a regular basis, those kinds of threats didn’t mean much anymore.

Either he wasn’t the target or the shooter had really bad aim. He wasn’t sure which one he preferred. But this was going to end.

“J.C., don’t do anything foolish,” she whispered, but he heard the worry in her tone.

“I’ll be fine.” Foolish? He had better things to do than wait around in the dark. Anyone who knew him knew to aim to kill—otherwise he would have their life. Him or them. That was the way the dice rolled.

* * *

He was going to get himself killed.

Amy lost sight of J.C. as he’d taken off, leaving her to wait for his return. Gunshots echoed in the distance, loud blasts that shook the air, punctuated by long silences. In the back of her mind, she knew she should stay still. But J.C. was out there alone with no one watching his back.

Pressing herself flat to the ground, she crawled from the brush, thorns tearing at her clothes and scratching her skin. She scanned the treetops, searching for darkened shapes that could be the shooter. Finding none, she maneuvered slowly over the terrain, keeping her eyes open for signs of movement. The narrow path split into an open area as the tree line receded.

Amy edged toward a wall of rock, keeping low. There was the sense of something up ahead, the feeling of something not quite right. Wariness twisted with instinct, making her pulse race.

Gunshots broke the silence.

She pushed back the panic of being watched. If only she could figure out the direction of the threat. Her hand dropped to her wrist, down along the leather band and hesitated.

Did she want to risk it?

Turning slowly, she looked back to the trees. Unsnapping the band, she slipped it into her pocket. The moment it fell from her wrist, voices spilled inside. Her mouth went dry, her body tense with the urge to turn and run. The only thing that stopped her was the knowledge that there was a weapon trained on her.

Malicious energy poured over her, a thick black wave that smothered her. She dashed off, intending to get out of sight, but she couldn’t escape from it. No matter where she went, where she hid, she couldn’t get away. Bullets tore into the ground and she threw herself into the darkness of a small cavern. Small chunks of rock flew at her, cutting her cheek.

“Goddamn it, Amy. I told you to stay put.”

“There are three of them,”
she snapped, keeping her eyes trained on the entrance. She pressed back, plastering herself against the wall.
“If I’d stayed put, they would have found me. I’m holed up, but one of the shooters is pinning me in here.”

“I know.”
He paused.
“Stay where you are and this time I mean it. I’ll get to you as soon as I can.”

She stepped forward carefully to peer around the protection of rock. If she could get a sense of movement outside, she could figure out what to do next. Bullets ripped dirt and more rock from the wall and she ducked her head back inside with a short, cut off scream.

The air thickened, growing heavier.
“I don’t exactly have any other choice. What’s going on? Why are they shooting at us?”

The shooters were out there for her. She could hear their thoughts and lifting her hands, pressed her fingertips to her temples. Nothing softened the voices, their thoughts completely trained on killing her. Sweat rolled down her back. The need to do something tightened her muscles but she flattened herself back.

“The bitch is somewhere inside the cave—”
Amy couldn’t help but listen as the thought ripped through her mind. She cringed at the sound of branches snapping under heavy feet. The shadow that filled the cave entrance was large, the assailant’s eyes staring straight through her. She shot a glance at the gun he held and tried to press deeper into the darkness.

There wasn’t anywhere to go.

Her heart raced in her chest, adrenaline pumping at dangerous levels, heightening her senses. “Leave me alone.”

His finger stroked the trigger.

She held her breath.

“I said leave me alone!”

She watched his eyes widen at her voice in his head. Before he could recover, she shoved the rest of the way into his mind, shredding his shields like they were paper.

Her knees trembled and she locked them together when they threatened to give out.

“If you want me dead, you need to do better.”
She followed that mental pathway and prepared herself. She had to act before she lost her nerve.

His finger tightened on the trigger.

Slowly, she eased her hand away from the wall. Reaching forward, she touched her fingertips lightly to the man’s jaw until she felt his pulse. He didn’t jolt and she didn’t expect him to. She was locked deep in his head. He fought her, his mind powerful despite the lack of barriers.

Her brow furrowed. She tasted blood when she bit her lip. The gun went off as they struggled for control—the sound deafening in the small cavern. Rocks ricocheted, dirt raining down over their heads.

It wasn’t as easy as Rick liked to think. It took effort to get into another’s mind and force them to do something they were against. If she got caught too deep, she was lost. The shooter would have her at his mercy. She felt along the edge of his mind, testing how deep to go before implanting the suggestion.

He fought her, the strength in his refusal burning through her mind as it shredded her control. She ignored the pain and held on against his attacks.

It was now or never. She set off the compulsion and watched him slowly lift the gun to his own temple, despite the obvious struggle going on within him. His eyes widened and panic turned into desperation. He pulled the trigger, unable to stop her command. Blood and brain matter sprayed her as his body crumpled in the dirt.

“And here I was worried I’d be late getting to you.”

Her gaze jerked up to J.C.’s. She’d killed…
killed a man.
She hadn’t even thought about disabling him. She shuddered against the disgust, a cold settling deep in her bones. What was becoming of her?

“This isn’t the time for jokes.” Not when her voice was a mere whisper and her body trembled.

Not when a body lay at her feet.

The world swirled and narrowed, the stench of gunpowder and death suffocating. Nausea slammed into her and before she could swallow it back, she dropped to her knees and lost everything in her stomach. She thought she could deal because this was what Rick wanted her to be—a killer. She was wrong.

Amy trembled when J.C.’s palm brushed her hair, moving it out of her face. She desperately needed his touch,
something
to wipe this memory from her. His finger rubbed along her jaw, the only comfort he offered before he used part of his shirt to wipe her face clean. “Come on. I’ll send for a team to retrieve the bodies. Let’s get you out of here.”

Bodies. More than one and all because they’d been after her. They’d tried to kill her.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.

Why?

His arm wrapped around her waist, strong and dependable, offering support as he lifted her to her feet and led her out of the cave. “I’m sorry.” She steeled herself, clenching her jaw. Exhaustion made her steps awkward, her heart pounding in a steady riot.

“For what? Being human?” His face turned toward hers, those gold eyes steady and warm. “You survived, Amy. That counts for something. Give yourself credit. He was going to kill you.”

She’d
killed
.

Her head swam and for the first time since she’d taken off the band, her neurons began to misfire. “J.C., I need to stop.”

She needed to catch her breath, to feel steady again. His steps stilled and she took a breath. Amy turned inward, pressing herself against him, burrowing her face against the crook of his neck and simply held onto him as the first tear spilled down her cheek. She needed the strong support he offered. Needed it more than she cared to admit.

Rick would’ve never been kind. He would have told her she was being ridiculous before throwing her back into her room. He would have never held her while she cried.

His thumb brushed along her naked wrist. “Where’s the band?”

Entranced by the sensation of his touch, she fought to process his words. “In my pocket.”

His curse was soft in her ear, his hands secure around her as he guided her to sit on the ground. His fingers dipped into her pocket, searching until he found what he wanted. He slipped the leather over her wrist and the moment it was in place, the sense of being overwhelmed lifted. Still, she was slow to move away.

“We need to get back. It’s not safe out here.” Tugging Amy to her feet, he led her back to her prison.

Chapter Twelve

There was nothing more terrifying than standing outside the lab with the knowledge that the moment she went in she wouldn’t have control. Even knowing that it was J.C. managing her case didn’t assuage her fears. She wanted to trust him here as well, but she remembered the times they’d strapped her down on the table and sent pulses of electricity through her brain. After awhile, she barely felt those shocks. They used it to study her abilities. They hooked microchips to her brain, tapping her system into a virtual reality machine. This way, they could put her through whatever high stress situations they wanted.

Like being captured by an enemy.

They wanted to see what she’d do…how she’d respond and it worked, forcing those fight or flight reactions from her. They stripped her of her conscious will, all for their own sick experiments.

“You’re going to have to go in at some point.” The man that would make all decisions for her stepped behind her, his palm warm against the small of her back as he gave a slight nudge. “The sooner we do this, the sooner it’s done.”

That first step was the hardest, and the moment she stepped inside, she knew she’d left whatever rights she had in the hall.

She felt the soft touch of J.C.’s fingertips along her back, a reminder of his presence as he guided her to an examination table. Her body shook when she reached for the robe he’d laid out for her. Embarrassment of any kind had been forced out of her long ago, but she shot a tentative glance over at J.C.

Their eyes locked and she thought she saw a flicker of something heating his eyes but then he turned away to give her some semblance of privacy. Each layer of clothing she removed gave him more access to her body, until she stood there in the middle of the room naked. What if she simply put those clothes back on and left? Would he care that she’d disappeared?

As though he knew exactly what she was thinking, he said, “Don’t get any ideas of running. We both know I’ll just bring you back.”

Slipping into the robe, she tightened it around her waist and sat on the table, locking her arms around her legs. While she waited for J.C., she closed her eyes, lowering her forehead to her knees.

“Did you find anything off Teresa’s body?”

“Nothing. I’m starting to wonder if perhaps the killer
is
a ghost. We haven’t found anything—no stray fibers or DNA. Davan found some blood caught in the cracks of the drain in one of gym showers. With any luck it won’t be Teresa’s but I’m doubtful. This guy knows what he’s doing.”

She shifted her head, easing her cheeks against the cool material of the gown. When his hand fell on her shoulder, she startled. She jerked her head up and her eyes widened. She felt a bit foolish when he was only trying to reassure her.

“You okay?”

Amy nodded but her body betrayed her. She fought to calm the trembles.

She couldn’t show weakness. Rick hated it when she couldn’t control her emotions. It made him question whether she was strong enough to live.

“Of course I am.” J.C. frowned but said nothing as he reached for the electrodes, placing the sticky ends to her skin. “Are we waiting for Dare?”

“Why? He has no business in my lab.”

Confusion flickered over his face. She hadn’t thought it was that crazy of a question. “I assumed. I mean, he was always there when Rick brought me in to Testing. I thought that was the way it was.”

“Dare will never have a say in what goes on in my lab, Amy. Ever.” Was that indignation in his voice? Lines furrowed across his brow, his lips pressing together.

“Unless the Council sends him.”

He turned away. “Well, when that day comes, I’ll deal with it, but right now, Dare won’t be joining us. He can read my reports, just like everyone else.”

Definitely indignation.

Her gaze flicked to the door, then around at the machines. What would J.C. make her do? She didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore. Trepidation settled like a heavy weight in her stomach and she pressed her hand against it.

“Stop it,” he growled.

“Stop what?”

“Look at me.” His hand eased her face up. Flesh to flesh. She never expected to feel so much. Ever. “Amy, whatever preconceived ideas you have, I want you to forget them. I’m not like Rick or any of the other scientists. I have my own methods and experiments.”

“I know.” She did, but it was hard to remember that fact when her past experiences in the lab told a different tale.

He looked at her a moment longer before he finished attaching the electrodes and turned on the EEG. “I want to try something if you’re up to it. I’d like to get a sense of how powerful you are. I know you’re strong. A lesser telepath wouldn’t have been able to save my memories the way you did. Or kill by going into someone else’s mind.”

She licked her dry lips. She barely heard him as he continued. She could still feel the blood and brain matter on her face. Could still feel the man’s terror as he realized he couldn’t stop her from manipulating him into pulling the trigger on himself. It sickened her.

Shivering, Amy snapped out of her thoughts at the feel of J.C.’s fingers on her wrist, his touch light and flirty over the band.

“…so I’m going to need to take this off.”

Amy blinked. “What?”

A short laugh curled his lips. He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. His grin knocked her off guard. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”

“Not really,” Amy admitted, a flush heating her cheeks. Seconds later, she clamped her lips together. “I mean…sorry.”

“For what?”

She swallowed. “I wasn’t listening.”

He shrugged and slid the band off her wrist. “I was telling you that I need to take this off for a bit. I want you to work your mental muscles and you can’t do that with it on. What were you thinking about?”

“Last night and the shooters.”

“Ah.” J.C. sat, setting the piece of leather aside. “Tell me, Amy, how did you know you could get him to kill himself?”

“I didn’t know if I could exactly.” Looking down at his hands, she studied the strong length of his fingers as he linked them together and leaned forward. “His willpower was impressive. He didn’t want to pull that trigger, but unlucky for him, I know the human mind. I’m not new to manipulating.”

Unfortunately.

“No, you aren’t new. I want you to do it again though. Do you think you’re up to it?”

He was
asking
? Since when did she get to make the decision? Was he asking her to kill again? “Do what? I don’t want to kill. Please don’t make me.”

“Why would I ask you that?” His frown deepened. “No, I was thinking about your limitations. I want to figure out the extent of them and that involves a little experiment.” J.C. shifted a hand to his knee, tapping his fingers against his leg. “I want you to bring me into the killer’s head, to see if it’s possible.”

Before she could think to stop, she blurted out, “J.C., you weren’t designed for that. What if you get locked inside?”

“That’s a risk.” He wiped dirt from his lab coat. “But it’s one I’m willing to take. Do you know how great of a tactical advantage you are?”

“I never asked to be one,” she whispered.

“No, but you are. I’m not looking for permanent residence in this bastard’s mind, just a visit to see if we not only can do it, but if the two of us can pick up more clues about his identity.”

We.

Amy jerked her head in affirmation then closed her eyes. She opened her mind and slid inside the killer’s head. Her stomach churned as his emotions flooded her system.

Darkness. Violence.

He was angry. She didn’t know why, didn’t want to. Not when the thick energy of his emotions suffocated her. She stayed on the edge of his bitter thoughts, knowing that the deeper she went, the stronger it’d become.

Amy sucked in a breath. She didn’t know she made a sound, not until J.C. touched her, reminding her that she wasn’t alone. It was the link she needed. She gripped his hands tight.

Reaching for the thread of J.C.’s mind, she engulfed it in her own and used the link to draw him forward. Before she could make the jump to pull him with her to the killer’s mind, she lost control. Their link frayed and for a moment, as she let go of J.C.’s consciousness, she boomeranged from one mind to another before settling hard back in her own body. She jolted as her system went haywire.

Deep tears marred the inside of her mind, the grooves so deep that she careened forward, unable to stand the pain that tore the breath from her lungs. Had she done it this time? Was she going to lose herself to madness? She rocked and let J.C.’s hands go to tug the electrodes free from her skin. When she was able to think again the realization of her failure hit her.

Her head shot up.

“I’m sorry. I can try aga—” she winced at the electric pulse that shot across her temples. “I know I failed but if you give me another chance, I’ll do it. All I need is a minute.”

“No, Amy, I’ve seen enough.”

She couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to see the irritation that would surely be in his eyes. Bile rose up her throat. She pushed away from the table to pace quickly by the window, her movements jerky. “I can do it.”

She just needed another chance. That was all. She hadn’t been focused enough. Surely if he let her, she’d do it this time.

“You’re not going to try again.” She heard the brush of J.C.’s lab coat as he walked over to her. His hands caught her shoulders, turning her toward him so that he could ease her into an embrace. “I’m not risking your health by trying again.”

“I messed up.”

“Amy, I only wanted to see if it was possible. To see if you could be the bridge. You can’t expect to succeed on the first try. Like I said, I only wanted to assess your limitations.”

His hands brushed over her hair, his touch warm and inviting. She wanted to curl against him. “But—” She lifted her head. His eyes held no frustration or anger. If anything, she saw concern. For her. He was worried about her.

“Stop comparing me to your other experiences.” J.C.’s jaw tensed. “I do things my way. I’ve never been a fan of the rules and I’ll never make you do something to hurt you. You have my word.”

Because she wanted to forget, at least for a bit, Amy lifted herself up onto her toes. She didn’t think, didn’t do anything but slide her lips over his. Shock rippled through him—she felt it as though it were her own. His palm slid to her jaw moments later, angling her head as he rubbed his mouth ever so lightly over hers. Soft. Warm. His lips pressed to hers, the tingling flames shooting to her core. She shivered, leaning into the kiss until he eased back.

“I’m not going to let them hurt you. Trust me.” His voice was hoarse, the sound of it making her insides melt. “I don’t want you to ever think I’d make you hurt another. I will never approve of those methods.
Never
.”

She could only nod.

“I’m serious. I’ll protect you from Broderick and the Council as best as I can.” His expression was so serious that she couldn’t move. “Let’s get out of here and go for a walk. Testing is done for the day and frankly, I don’t want to stay here.”

She didn’t know what to think. This was unlike anything her past had prepared her for. She’d learned that failure was not an option and that she’d be punished for it. And if not her, then someone else.

She’d known J.C. was different, had felt it, but some fears of the past could never be erased. Looking at him now, the first glimmer of hope warmed her. That maybe she could be normal.

* * *

“You ruined my experiment.”

J.C. looked up from Amy’s test results and shot a glance over at Broderick. “And what,” he spoke slowly, well aware that he had to watch what he said, “experiment are you talking about?”

“Amy. You interfered.” Broderick walked the length of the lab, then stopped. “I wanted to see how she’d react when confronted by danger. You killed two of my men, J.C.”

“Should I have sat back and let them kill us?”

“Don’t be dramatic. They didn’t have orders to kill you. If they had, you’d be dead, not grazed.” Broderick’s lips pursed tight. “I informed you a test was coming up. The fact that you ignored procedure isn’t something to reward you for.”

He held himself stiff. “I expected the test to be in a lab. I didn’t know you’d send assassins after her.” It took everything he had not to shove the man up against the wall. How dare Broderick put her life at risk. “You should have warned me of what you were planning. I had no way of knowing those men were yours.”

“I did warn you. I sent Rick to tell you.”

The slimy rat. J.C. shoved back from the desk and linked his hands behind his head. He counted to ten, waiting until his temper calmed a bit before he lowered his hands.

“He didn’t tell me,” he bit out.

He knew Rick would be angry that J.C. had taken Amy away, but to put her life at risk? It was incomprehensible.

“You were supposed to stay out of it. Whether he told you or not isn’t the issue. Explain to me again why you want her case.”

“Because I’m the best man to get results. She didn’t fail your test. She killed one man by manipulating him. She made him pull the trigger on himself.” He hated the words that came from his mouth, hated that she had to go through all that for a “test,” “If she can strengthen her psychic muscles a bit more, she would be a great advantage to have.”

He still needed her link with the killer. If Broderick pulled him from Amy’s case then anyone could get her.

But more than that, if she was given to another, they would make her kill.

His hands fisted at his side, his knuckles turning white. He shoved them into his pocket and shook his head.

“If you take me off her case it’s going to set her training back. She’s never going to open up to a new scientist. We both know it.”

“I’m not an idiot, J.C. You’ve softened on her and that’s not acceptable.”

His breath caught in his throat. He was still that young boy, the one who’d been handed to Broderick to raise the moment his parents had died—before their bodies had cooled. He was still the boy who’d been whipped when he’d disagreed or locked in the Abyss when he’d stolen test details. And he realized that little boy could still feel fear.