Oblivion (5 page)

NINE

Jeremiah

Rattling my
restraints accomplished nothing, but my frustration needed an outlet. Becoming
a prisoner was definitely not part of my plan to get Jason out. The plan had
been to scope out potential escape routes. His window led to an enclosed
courtyard, and was not a good option. There were guards posted at every door,
even within the yard. Sneaking past the guards would be difficult. I could make
it so they couldn’t see me, but I couldn’t prevent the people watching the live
feed from noticing me with the cameras.

That was confusing
me a bit. I had always been able to make people see and hear what I wanted.
Sure the ones on the other end would see me, because there were simply too many
people to affect, but I should be able to manipulate the guards near me. Either
my powers weren’t as strong, or something else was going on.

Whatever the case
may be, if I couldn’t get myself free I would have to count on Jason’s brother
to get us out. His cop friends could be useful as well.

However, I had
little intention of remaining a prisoner. They would want to test me as well.
They would be disappointed.

I shook my
restraints again, testing the strength. Our captors were apparently not as
worried about my comfort as they seemed to be about Jason’s. Where he is
confined on a bed, I am shackled
to a chair. His room is camera free, and mine
has several cameras, all aimed in my direction. They apparently didn’t like
having someone in their building who they couldn’t see. Too bad. As soon as I
figure a way out of this room, I fully plan to disappear. Preferably with Jason
in tow.

Our captors are
now aware of my ability. Even if I’m able to get loose, there may not be a way
to get to Jason without being recaptured. Not unless I do exactly what Jason
had practically begged me not to do. I can use my powers where there are no
cameras, but when I cannot avoid being seen? In those areas I may need to use
the more…deadly aspects of my talents. And I am quite sure Jason wouldn’t thank
me for doing so.

My plans usually
consist of remaining unseen until I can accomplish my goal. This time, I may
need to adjust my plan for getting Jason out. Rattling my restraints again, I
gritted my teeth at the pain of the shackles digging into my wrists. They
weren’t taking any chances with me. The restraints were as tight as they could
go without completely cutting off the circulation in my hands. There were two
guards posted at the door, both of whom had cameras attached to special
glasses. I assume that means I am not able to sneak by them, but despite their
weapons, I know I can take them in a fight. My mental abilities will still give
me enough of an edge to come out on top.

Perhaps I could
even convince one of them to release me. If I can take control of them long
enough to block warnings from the people on the other end of the camera.

Eventually, they
would let down their guard. In the meantime, it would probably be good to get a
measure on the people in charge of keeping me confined. I couldn’t think of a
better way than to strike up a conversation with them.

“How did you know
I was here?” I kept my voice mild, but I could see they were startled by me
breaking the silence. It would do me no good to get the guards too riled up,
but I didn’t want to show fear either.

The two men
glanced at each other. One of them shrugged, as if to say it didn’t matter if I
heard the answer or not. Quite honestly, the people here didn’t seem too
sadistic. At least so far. The guards I’d overheard earlier… they might be
dangerous if they were given the option. Based on my history, I know how
quickly things can change. Object to anything one too many times, and even the
most laid back of captors will turn on you.

“We have security
cameras that are constantly monitored. You were seen slipping into the
building, but no one could remember seeing you once you were here.” It was the
younger of the two who spoke, and his tone indicated interest, even envy, at
what I can do. Behind the glasses, he was studying me intently—perhaps hoping
to figure me out if he stared long enough.

Yeah. Good luck
with that. My lips quirked up briefly and I met his gaze unflinching. “I just
have one of those faces, I guess,” I spoke in a light tone. “People never seem
to notice me. Even when I’m right in front of them.”

“And yet you’re
completely visible to a video camera. How does that work?”

Raising an
eyebrow, I jangled the cuffs and said, “I’m pretty sure that’s what your bosses
are hoping to figure out.”

The young man
huffed out a surprised laugh. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Though it might be
easier for you to just tell us how you managed to slip past several guards and
stay hidden for so long. You’ve been here for days!” The older guard frowned at
the obvious awe in his fellow guard’s voice, but didn’t speak up.

“What can I call
you?” I queried. “I know you’ve probably been told not to give me your real
names, but I would like to call you something.”

As I expected, the
younger looked to the older before answering. “You can call me Red, that’s what
most call me anyway.” Red indicated his partner. “Call him Butch.”

Red and Butch. Not
what I was expecting, but at least it gave me names to use. “Why are you called
Red?” I asked curiously. It obviously wasn’t for his hair. Even under the hat
he wore I could see his hair was such a dark brown that it almost appeared
black.

Now he hesitated.
Personal stories may be too much. “Forget I asked,” I backed out graciously,
raising my right hand as much as I could in a dismissive wave.

He nodded, and
shot me a quick look that seemed almost grateful. Strange. Definitely not an
emotion I was accustomed to having directed at me. Red carried himself like a
soldier. Standing straight, shoulders back, and legs slightly apart. Relaxed,
yet ready for action. And armed to the teeth if it came down to it. Both men
carried several handguns and a larger gun across their backs. In addition they
each had wicked looking combat knives strapped to their thighs. Could this be
some sort of black ops government facility? They certainly have the tech for
it.

“What do we call
you?” Butch asked suddenly. His voice was gruffer than Red’s, and the question
seemed almost torn out against his will. Red perked up, obviously wanting to
know my response.

To them, I would
not give my true name. But the name Kindred did not fit for them either.
Perhaps a name Jason had once given me. One he spoke to my former master only
once, but Trevor Mason seemed to like it. It also seemed fitting for the
situation.

“You can call me, ‘The
Ghost’.”

TEN

Sam

Sitting on the
swing was relaxing. I could look over the small pond, watch the horses graze,
and believe things could turn out just fine. The thought of Kindred being lost
forever did not faze me. I would be just as happy to never hear from him again.
However, there is no way I am going to accept losing my brother. Or allow
Kindred to keep me from him.

Soft footsteps
approached, nearly silent on the grassy path. The sound pulled me from my thoughts.
“Hannah. Do you need something?” I asked without looking up.

The girl is in
love with my brother. It only makes sense that she would be the one to come out
to see what I found out. “A piece of the tranquility this area has to offer,”
she murmured. “I can see you are taking advantage already.”

“Trying,” I
agreed. “Not succeeding very well, though. How are things up at the house?”

She sank onto the
bench next to me and stared over the peaceful country scene. “Alice and Mark
are trying to figure out how they can use their positions to find out more
information about the people who took Jason. Tessa… well, I think she’s a bit
overwhelmed.”

Snorting, I asked,
“Why? Because several people she doesn’t know came to stay at her house while
trying to rescue a kidnapped man? Doesn’t that happen to everyone at some
point?”

Blinking back
sudden tears, I finally met Hannah’s gaze. “Kindred was discovered. He can’t
help Jason, and he said I am their only hope of escape.”

The assassin tried
to hide his intention of escaping on his own, but I could tell he wouldn’t
remain a prisoner long. How he would manage, I had no idea, but I didn’t doubt
he would. But his doubt about rescuing my brother remained strong.

I didn’t want to
share everything Kindred had said. Telling my friends—no, my family—that I
caused Jason to lose his memory…it was going to be hard. “There’s something I
need to tell you, but I can only say it once. We should go back to the house.”

Hannah furrowed
her eyebrows and frowned, but stood to follow me. Our walk back to the house
was over all too quickly, and before I knew it we were in a sitting room with
Alice and Mark. Tessa was busying herself with prepping our rooms, and my three
companions looked at me expectantly.

I didn’t want to
look at them, so I sat in a chair and leaned forward, folding my hands in my
lap and staring at the floor. “There are a few things I haven’t told you guys,”
I began. “One of those things is that my ability sometimes makes it hard for me
to tell which emotions are truly mine.”

Unsure how to
continue, I took a breath and pushed through. “I manipulated Hunter’s emotions,
and then I played with Jason’s. And I enjoy the power I hold over what people
feel. Enjoyed,” I added quickly, realizing my slip-up.

Based on the waves
of concern floating over me from all three of my friends, I was less than
successful. “I don’t know how to say this,” I admitted. “Jason is the most
important person in my life,” my voice was adamant. “I would never do anything
to intentionally harm him—”

Alice interrupted.
“Are you saying you
unintentionally
harmed him?” she asked warily.

“According to
Jeremiah… yes,” I confessed. “I recently wished that Jason wouldn’t have to go
through any more pain, and that he could forget about what he’s been through. I
want him to be able to live a happy life. I had no idea…” my voice cracked and
I covered my face as I suddenly broke down.

Hannah was there
almost instantly, grabbing me into a fierce hug. “You wanted to protect him,
the way he has always protected you. Nothing you did is unforgivable.”

“I’m not so sure,”
I sobbed. “Hannah, he doesn’t remember anything! I made my brother forget all
of us!”

No one spoke for
the time it took me to gather myself again. Still sniffling a bit I gave a
sardonic laugh. “Kindred wouldn’t be happy. He told me not to be the ‘sniveling
little brother’ this time.”

There was an
obvious attempt to hide the anger all of my companions felt at the remark, but
it is true. “He’s right,” I told them. “If I’m going to help them, I need to
set ‘Sam’ aside and become ‘Oblivion’.”

This time Mark
spoke before the others could, “‘Oblivion’? Since when are you called that?”

“Since I caused my
brother to forget everything he ever knew,” I answered. “Kindred started it,
but honestly, it kind of fits.”

“
If
you did what he thinks you did,”
Hannah argued. “Jason was beat up, and he was in a car accident. Isn’t it
possible he has some kind of trauma-based amnesia? Why do you assume Kindred is
telling the truth?”

They all seemed
curious, and again I was less than thrilled to give an answer. I loved them for
trying to exonerate me, but I couldn’t shirk the blame.

“I can sense
emotions,” I stated matter-of-factly. All three stared at me blankly, and I
sighed. “Kindred was being sincere. You could be right, Hannah, but Kindred
honestly believes I am the cause.”

So do
I
. The sheer power thrills me. The lack of control terrifies
me. Now I understand Jason’s fear of himself every time his power breaks free.
I could always tell he was afraid of himself. The lack of that fear now is what
led me to believe Kindred spoke the truth when he informed me of Jason’s
amnesia.

Kindred’s fear of
me
convinced me I am the cause.

ELEVEN

Jason

In the time since
my captors left my room, I found myself straining to remember anything from my
past. I slept fitfully for a while. I couldn’t be sure how long I managed to
rest, because my room remained darkened, making it difficult to tell whether it
was night or day. The only light I had seen since I’d been left alone was from
the crack under the door. My eyes had long since adjusted to the dim lighting,
but there was nothing to see.

I shivered a bit. The
Doctor and the Boss chose to leave me shirtless, for unknown reasons. Maybe
they thought I would be less likely to run if I wasn’t fully clothed. Or maybe
it was simply a way to push my buttons. Other than getting a bit cold, it
caused no harm. What they couldn’t know is that I had no place to go. If I were
to gain my freedom, I wouldn’t have the first clue what to do with it. The one
person who I know is on my side, they have locked up. Anyone else in my life, I
can’t remember.

My shoulder ached,
and when I finally looked down at it, I saw old scars under the fresh bruising.
What happened to me? My eyes widened as I tried to see as much of myself as
possible. Scars were all over my body. Thick ropy scar tissue wrapped from my
stomach around my side, and I suspected it reached my back as well. There were
thin scars along my wrists, and slightly thicker
ones
going up and down my arms, along with burn marks and a burn in the shape of an
‘M’ on my upper arm.

Sinking back onto
my thin pillow, my breathing sped up and I clenched my eyes shut. I had felt
the tightness of my skin, but had attributed it to pain from the accident. The
truth of it was much worse. Someone… someone tortured me. Why? Who? What had I
done? Who was I that someone would work so hard to hurt me?

“Jason, you
need to calm yourself.”
Jeremiah. His voice in my head, while odd, was still
familiar, and I grasped onto it like a lifeline.
“What happened? Are you
okay?”

Still breathing
heavily I tried to answer. I almost spoke out loud, but after opening my mouth,
I remembered he wouldn’t hear me speak.
“Scars… I have scars everywhere. What
happened to me?”

When he answered,
his mental voice was soft and sad.
“So many things. Things I thought… A bad
man wanted to use your power, Jason. You survived and escaped. Remember that.
You SURVIVED. That is the important thing. Your memories will return in time.
Don’t worry.”

As he spoke I felt
the powerful stride of the Doctor coming down the hall and my breathing, which
had started to slow, now sped up again.
“Jeremiah, they’re coming back for
me. I don’t know how to use my power! How am I supposed to cooperate with
them?”

“Calm, Jason.
Once you touch the ground your power should become apparent. Do what you can.
Use your injuries as an excuse if you must. Just don’t fight them. Not yet.”

I nodded, knowing
he couldn’t see me. I felt calmer knowing he was still there, even if he is
also a prisoner.
“Breathe deeply, Jason. We’ll get out of here soon, okay? I
promise you we will escape.”

The Doctor was now
outside my door, and I glanced up as he entered. “Did you feel me coming,
Jason? That’s one of your abilities, isn’t it?” His tone was clinical, and he
barely glanced up from the clipboard he held as he flipped the light switch,
but I still shuddered.

“Isn’t it?” He
demanded an answer after I paused for a few seconds.

“It is,” I
answered softly. “I felt you coming.”

He made a note on
the chart. “From how far away?”

“Only down the
hall. I think when you got on this floor.” I kept my tone even, trying to hide
my fear.

The Doctor made a
content sound, and finally looked up from his chart. “You ready to get out of
this room? We would like to get started on your testing, but if you are still
too weak…” His voice trailed off condescendingly.

“Jason, tell
him you need more time. Tell him you should
wa
—”

“I’m ready,” I
stated, cutting off Jeremiah’s plea for me to wait. He could be right, but I am
tired of waiting for something to happen. Maybe in the process of testing I can
escape. And at the very least I can get up and stretch. I’ve been confined to
this bed for days, and I need to move.

Watching me
carefully, the Doctor said, “Very well. I have armed guards, so don’t try
anything foolish.”

Trying anything
was definitely not on my agenda. At least not yet. The stiffness I still felt
told me any attempt to run would be stupid.

To keep my captor
calm, I stayed very still as he approached the bed and removed the restraints.
“Let’s go,” the Doctor urged.

He stood back and
watched while I struggled to get to my feet for the first time in days. Sitting
up on the edge of the bed, I rubbed my wrists. Based on the scarring around my
wrists, I could tell the restraints here are definitely not the worst I’ve had.

“You should be
used to this kind of thing, kid,” the Doctor laughed. He eyed my scars as if
amused by the pain I must have gone through.

My mouth quirked
in annoyance, but I didn’t respond.

He stopped
laughing. His hand waved impatiently. “Get up. You said you’re ready, so let’s
go.

I took a deep
breath and pushed to stand. Black spots appeared in my vision, but they
disappeared after a few moments. “Where to?” I asked with forced lightness.

“Follow me,” the
Doctor said, leading the way out of my prison.

Guards stopped and
stared as I walked past, one gave me a compassionate look, and I wondered what
caused his reaction. Why would a person who worked with kidnappers show
sympathy to their captive?

“Some of our
guards are… sympathetic to those who have withstood torture. For what it’s
worth, that is not what we’re about here,” the Doctor assured me.

“No, just wrongful
imprisonment,” I stated mildly, keeping my eyes down. Making him mad could only
be bad for me, but I couldn’t stand the lie he was trying to sell. He seemed to
want me to believe he wasn’t all bad. That holding a person, people, against
their will was not a bad thing as long as it furthered his goals.

He paused for a
moment, and I felt his heart speed up slightly. “You’re upset?” I scoffed. “Put
yourself in my shoes for a minute, Doctor.”

Once again, the
Doctor paused. “How were you aware I felt upset?”

Wincing, I
realized I gave myself away with my last comment. “Tell me, Jason. What told
you how I felt?”

I considered
lying. I thought about explaining that he was bound to be upset by my truthful
comment about the criminal nature of his activities. I thought about it, but he
was watching me so closely. Lying couldn’t be an option, and I didn’t believe
his assurances that they were not about torture. He had already warned me about
punishments, so he knew torture of some sort was already on the table.

If I lied, what
kind of punishment would I receive? It wasn’t worth the risk, so I let out a
huff and answered, “Your heartbeat.”

“Fascinating. Your
ability to feel things through the ground is even more sensitive than we were
led to believe,” he muttered softly.

“Led to believe by
whom?” I asked, unable to hide my interest.

“The Hunter,” he
answered in an off-hand way. “He knew about your abilities, but never told us
everything he found out. Strange that he would have hidden it. The knowledge
would have driven up the price.”

The Hunter. The
man involved with the last case I worked. He was the one who was going to sell
me to the highest bidder. Apparently, he had buyers lined up, in case he
decided not to kill me. Nice. Not only were my captors guilty of kidnapping,
but also human trafficking. I no longer believed there was a level they
wouldn’t stoop to.

The Doctor jotted
down a couple more notes on his chart, and I frowned. What did they hope to
gain from this? “I don’t understand what you want from me,” I admitted. “I get
that I have powers, but why hold me here? Why force me into these tests?”

“You don’t
understand? You are a genetic anomaly, Jason. Why do you have these powers?
What parts of your genetic code are different from normal human beings? Is your
brain wired differently? These are only a few of the questions raised by your
very existence! You could very well be the next stage in human evolution!”

“You lost me,
doc,” I feigned disinterest. “If you think I’m the ‘next stage’ of human, you
should be respecting me, not keeping me prisoner. Next rationale?”

My captor sighed.
“Even if you do not believe it, Jason, I am a scientist. I want to learn what
makes you tick. And you are a threat. You’ve already used your ability to kill,
and there
is nothing saying you wouldn’t do it again.”

Kill? Who…? I glanced
down at the scars littering my body. “We won’t do that to you. I already told
you that. We are using observation and medical testing to figure out what you
are capable of, not torture.”

Somehow his
reassurances didn’t exactly make me feel better. Medical testing could cover a
wide range of painful procedures and potential drug testing. What could I do to
stop them? Without the knowledge of what I can do, I am helpless.

We were in an
elevator, and I could feel the ground coming closer. I don’t mean that I simply
knew the elevator was descending, but that I felt more powerful as we neared
the earth. I could feel footsteps and heartbeats through the floor in my room,
but here they practically pounded through my skull. “How many do you feel?” The
Doctor asked. “How many people in this building?”

“It’s hard to
say…” I hedged. “Some are blurring together.” There were a lot. Way more than I
expected from a group who used kidnapping as a method to get test subjects.
“What is this place?” I questioned quietly.

“A question for
another time, Jason,” the Doctor said somberly. The elevator opened, and we
exited the building into a central courtyard. “Now. Do what you have to do.
Clarify the separations. How many people do you feel in this building?”

At a loss for a moment,
I suddenly knelt and put my hand on the grassy surface. How many? The
vibrations and echoes separated, and I could tell how many people were around
now, and how many had been around earlier. Maybe not something I should share.
I could gather
intel
for Jeremiah and me to escape.
Maybe I shouldn’t be too exact either. “From what I can tell, there are
thirty-seven people in this building.”

The Doctor took
out a smart phone, tapped in a code, and frowned. “Can you tell how many on
each floor?” he asked. I looked up through my eyelashes, eyeing his phone with
interest. Obviously their security was pretty tight, if they kept tabs on every
person in the building.

“Ground floor,
twelve… no thirteen now,” I changed as another person descended a level. “Next floor
up, twenty-one. Basement level, three.”

Thirty-seven. It
is the correct number for the floors I mentioned. But the number total is
closer to sixty. “There are four floors to this building. You’re telling me you
can’t feel anything from the top floors?” The Doctor asked.

“Nothing
concrete,” I said. “It always gets tricky the farther away from the ground I am
trying to feel.” The excuse slipped easily across my lips, and the Doctor was
nodding as if he expected it.

I reached up to
rub my temple, and suddenly felt movement on the fourth floor.
“Jeremiah,
what are you doing?”
I have no mental abilities I am aware of, so there is
no way to know if the other man heard my mental call.

“I told you,
Jason. You need to play nice. I have no such obligation. They don’t know we
know each other, so you will not be punished for what I am doing. I can help
you better if I am free. Do not tell them what I am doing. You were smart to
hide your true capabilities, and they have no real way to know whether you are
lying to them. I need to go now. I will be back for you.”

“What…?” I stopped
myself, but the Doctor looked at me with interest. “There is a lot of movement
on the second floor right now,” I said after a moment. “What’s going on?”

The Doctor’s phone
alerted, and what I could see of his face paled. “You need to get back into
your room, Jason. We have a bit of a security drill going on, and you shouldn’t
be out right now.”

Still following
the actions of my only friend, I almost choked when I noticed fewer vibrations
on the upper floors. Wherever Jeremiah went, others simply vanished. The number
in the building was down from about sixty to about fifty-five. And another of
them was about to disappear. The heart rate sped up briefly before slowing to a
stop, and I stumbled back shaking my head in fear.

Jeremiah… the
‘other skills’ he mentioned. He’s killing them!

“We need to get
you back inside, Jason.” The Doctor pulled on my arm, but I couldn’t move. I
was trying not to feel what I knew was happening, and I could tell that
something was trying to come out.

My power, I
realized. The ground under us began to rumble, causing the building to shake.
“Jason,
now is not the time! You need to calm yourself!”
Jeremiah sounded calmer
than he should after killing at least five people.

“You’re killing
them!”
My mental voice was a scream, and I couldn't be sure I didn’t also
yell the words. The Doctor was scrambling to get away, and shouting to someone
inside. A spike of pain went through my head, and I clutched it, yelling in
agony. Images of corpses covered in blood assailed me.

“Stop!” I
screamed. “STOP IT!” My power surged. I couldn’t see anyone through the clouds
of dirt swirling around me, but I could feel them. Seven men now surrounded the
courtyard, all of them with hearts beating quickly. They’re afraid. Afraid
because I could destroy every last one of them without even trying.