Paranoia (The Night Walkers) (16 page)

twenty-two

I stood up and felt Darkness begin to push against the wall I’d locked him behind. He was surging to fight—to take action. But now that I knew exactly what we were capable of together, it was a little easier to find the strength to hold him back.

Mia was the first person to find words. She walked slowly toward Jack with both hands clenched by her sides. “What do you mean? Y-you made Jeff do that to us?”

“Not exactly.”

“Well then what, exactly?” Addie stepped out around Jack and stood next to Mia.

“I was just trying to find out for sure. To figure out if Parker was a Night Walker.” Jack still looked down but kept talking, his voice growing firmer. “It seemed like the best plan. Parker’s dad agreed. I noticed how much attention Parker was paying to Mia, so I pushed Jeff in his dreams to grow more and more jealous of Parker. I didn’t realize the Takers had already messed with him and left him a little unstable. Or that he was capable of taking it that far. I didn’t realize he’d already been jealous of Parker to start with.”

“How was messing with Jeff’s dreams supposed to get you the answers you wanted? You almost got us killed.” My voice came out cold and malevolent. I forced Darkness back again and he roared in anger. I sat down, trapping my hands under my legs, doing everything I could to keep him under control. Still I felt his rage, his frustration, boiling through my veins.

“I thought if I pushed him, he might make things difficult for you at school and then you’d go into his dreams and push him back. If you’d done that, I could have felt your resistance there when I went back into Jeff’s dreams. It’s like a fingerprint, kind of—a Watcher can tell if another Watcher has recently been in a dream. I would’ve been able to see and feel the difference in him. Then I’d know you were a Watcher.”

After an uneasy pause, Jack continued. “I was so stuck on this idea that I even watched Mia’s dreams once. You were paying so much attention to her, I thought maybe I could tell from her dreams what you were, but her nightmares were awful and clearly not influenced by a Watcher. Seeing them almost convinced me that you weren’t one.”

Then he looked up at me, staring straight in my eyes. “I messed up with Jeff. It didn’t even occur to me that you might not know
how
to push him in his dreams—or that my influence would send him so far off the edge. It was an accident, and a massive mistake.”

When no one responded, Jack stepped away from the wall, toward Mia. “I’m so sorry for everything that happened. If I’d known he would—” He turned to face me. “If I’d known any of it, I would have stopped him.”

I drew in a deep breath, and by the time I released it, even Darkness had calmed down a little. It was all becoming so complicated and confusing. Nothing was what I’d believed, and I needed some time to figure out how to respond to the changes.

Climbing slowly to my feet, I shuffled toward the house, making eye contact with Mia on my way. “Let’s go get ready to deal with Finn’s questions. He’s going to freak out when he finds himself tied up in his own closet.”

Addie and Mia slept in their rooms, and Jack and I kept watch over Finn. Strangely, Finn was still asleep. Since we were in the same room as him and planned on taking shifts, we untied Finn’s hands so he could sleep more comfortably. We didn’t know what kind of shape he would be in when he woke up, or what he’d remember, if anything at all, so we didn’t want to scare him more than necessary. We still kept him in the closet and left his feet bound in a very tight and complicated knot. If we’d been wrong about Cooper and it was some
other
Taker in control of Finn—which was a distinct possibility—Finn wouldn’t be able to get anywhere very fast.

Jack agreed to take the first watch. As I was about to enter the Hollow, I heard him whisper my name.

“Huh?” I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to accidentally make eye contact with him.

He whispered across the room to me. “I really am sorry.”

“I know.” Stretching one arm up, I rested my forearm across my eyes. “But just so you know, that was a pretty sucky plan.”

He laughed softly. “What was I supposed to do, walk up and ask if you were a Watcher? If you weren’t, you would’ve thought I was crazy. I couldn’t mention your dad, and you could’ve been a Taker or even a Builder. This was supposed to be the safest way, the least intrusive into your life.”

I scoffed. “Well, it felt pretty damn intrusive to me.”

Jack didn’t respond, and I almost drifted off again before I heard another whisper. “You need to let Addie go.”

I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head. “I really don’t want to have this conversation with you.”

“You’re dangerous—to her and everyone else.” His voice was pleading, worried. “She’s already been hurt. What will it do to you if you hurt her worse next time? Can’t you let her go?”

“In case you haven’t noticed …
I don’t have her
.” I was exhausted and this conversation was just pissing me off. I didn’t even try to hide it.

“Yeah, but she’s still holding on … still waiting for you to get better.” Jack shifted his position against the wall. “You should tell her that you aren’t going to.”

“Why?” I pulled the pillow off my head. “To give you a better shot at her?”

“No.” His voice dropped to a low mutter and I had to strain to hear him. “I don’t have that anyway.”

“What?”

“She … uh, hasn’t spoken to me about anything but Builder training since I kissed her the other day. If you hadn’t thrown me away from her, she probably would have. She wasn’t exactly kissing me back.”

I couldn’t help but smile into my pillow and a bit of my tension seemed to ease. “Sounds rough.”

He sounded a little angry when he responded. “Anyway, you just need to think about what’s more important: Addie being with you … or Addie being safe.”

That thought sobered me up and I rolled over with my back to him. “Fine, I get it. I’m going to sleep now. Good night.”

And I lay there awake, thinking about his words for way longer than I wanted to admit.

The soft sound of whimpering woke me up and it took me a minute to realize I wasn’t hearing it in someone’s dream. There was a soft nudge against my foot, and when I peeked through my barely parted eyelids, my blood ran cold. Addie was standing over me wearing a lime green shirt with pajama bottoms, her back pressed against Finn’s stomach, her long auburn curls draped over his elbow. His right arm was wrapped around her shoulders. His feet were untied, and he’d managed to get his hands on the scissors from the desk. He held the blade tight against Addie’s throat as he backed her toward the door.

Jack was out cold on the bed; so much for taking turns keeping watch. I glanced at the clock. It was barely six a.m. Everyone else was probably still sleeping.

And Finn was obviously not back to normal.

My eyes scanned the room, but I couldn’t see anything I could use quickly enough to save Addie without risking her neck—and life—at the same time. There was a heavy crystal paperweight on the dresser, but after Freeburg’s dream … I shuddered. No, I couldn’t.

I heard Addie’s breathing quicken as they walked out into the hallway. A rush of anger and adrenaline pounded through my veins.

Okay, I could, but this time I’d do it differently. I got silently to my feet and gripped the paperweight in my right hand. Sneaking slowly into the hallway, I carefully sidestepped the creaky board on the right and caught up with them before they left the kitchen. Swinging hard, I brought the paperweight down on Finn’s shoulder. The scissors fell to the floor as his arm dropped. He yelled out in pain just as I wrapped my left arm around his head and covered his mouth. He tried to bite my fingers, so I jerked my arm up under his chin until his jaw was wrenched shut. Finn fought against my arm and tried to elbow me in the stomach.

Now free, Addie jumped forward, grabbed the scissors off the floor, and spun around, holding them against his chest. Her voice came out as a soft snarl and it was clear she meant every word. “I’m studying anatomy, and I know exactly where I can cut you with these without killing my brother. Do
not
struggle.”

Finn’s eyes got huge and he complied as I led him back into the bedroom. I kicked Jack’s foot on the bed and he jumped forward, crashing his knee into the dresser and swearing under his breath.

“I’ve never seen anyone that jumpy when they wake up.” I wrestled Finn onto the bed face-down and pinned his wrists together with my knee. “Care to help out and grab some of the rope from last night?”
Finn grunted loudly as I shifted my weight. “And the gag, please.”

Jack stared with bloodshot eyes from me to Finn and back, then abruptly jumped up and rushed into the closet. I heard Addie talking in the kitchen and held up my hand for Jack to be quiet just as we got the gag in place. When Finn started to struggle, we threw the comforter over him and Jack sat on his legs.

“Sorry, Mom. I turned on the TV and it was much louder than I thought.” Addie let out a very loud yawn and I smiled. She’d always been a great actress. “I’m still tired, though. I think I’ll go back to my room and try to sleep a little more.”

“Okay, honey. Whatever you do, try to keep it down.” Mrs. Patrick sounded barely awake as I heard her slippered footsteps head back to their room.

“I will.” Addie walked toward her room but then slipped through the door into Finn’s instead. “We need to get him out of here and then figure out why Finn isn’t back.”

I nodded. “I’ll pull the car up in front of the garage. Addie, wake up Mia and write your mom a note. We’ll load him in and go to my house. It’s a Saturday. Mom always works all day on Saturdays.”

Jack and I finished tying Finn up, very securely this time. The deep frown on Jack’s face concerned me. The fact that he kept shaking his head and muttering under his
breath freaked me out further, but I could ask him questions later. For now, we had to get out of here before the Patricks caught us with their son tied up and gagged. I knew there would be no explaining that.

My car was parked down the street, so I started it, got a little momentum, and then cut the engine as I pulled up the driveway … just to be safe. Addie and Mia came out, and I followed them through the back door and grabbed Finn’s feet. Jack had Finn’s head wrapped up in the comforter, so what little noise he could make through the gag was muffled. We had him out and tossed into the backseat in under thirty seconds.

I threw my keys over to Mia, who was still a little bleary-eyed.

“You drive. Jack and I will make sure our passenger doesn’t cause any problems.”

We pinned Finn in the middle of the seat, using the blanket and the seat belt to further secure him and keep him upright. Addie sat up front and leaned over the backrest, keeping the scissors handy. After she and Jack gave me a nod, I loosened Finn’s gag.

“So you’re not Cooper, I take it?” I had to keep reminding myself that no matter how much it looked like him, this was not Finn.

Finn smiled, but didn’t respond.

I looked over him at Jack. “How can any Taker be asleep for this long? Is it possible that the Taker woke up and didn’t make eye contact with anyone else before going back to sleep?”

Jack shrugged and looked out the window, but Finn leaned his head on the seat and chuckled. “You haven’t told him?”

Jack whipped around and wrapped the fingers of one hand around Finn’s throat, cutting off his laugh with a gurgling sputter.

“Stop! This is Finn’s body.” I pried Jack’s fingers back and Finn coughed on the side of my face.

I rubbed my cheek against my shoulder and looked from Jack’s furious expression to Finn’s glare as they stared each other down. Jack daring him to speak … the Taker daring Jack to attack again.

“What haven’t you told me, Jack?”

Everything was silent until Jack finally released his breath and turned to me. “I was afraid yesterday that this might be the case … when Finn was still being controlled so late in the day. But I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure. But now, this morning, this pretty much confirms what I was afraid of.”

I stared at him. Wanting him to go on, but afraid of what he might say.

“What?” Mia asked loudly from the front seat, and Addie jumped. “I’m trying to drive here and you’re killing me. What does this mean?”

“It means that they’ve done it, Parker.” Jack looked at me hard until I realized what he meant.

“No … he wouldn’t.” My words were soft and raw. I was so horrified that my throat felt constricted and closed off. Barely letting breath out, barely letting life in.

Jack turned and leaned his forehead against the window. Addie stared at me, her hands shaking, waiting. I cleared my throat and tried to find the right words to explain it. Something to make her feel better, but the truth wouldn’t do that and I’d promised to stop lying.

“It means the Takers have found a drug that will let them take over people’s bodies indefinitely. They call it Eclipse. It lets Takers keep the brain power and body of a Dreamer for a really long time … until they wear the Dreamer’s body out.”

Addie gasped and Mia swerved to the shoulder of the road and stopped the car. They both leaned over the front seat, staring at me, waiting for the “but” that would provide some speck of hope.

It was something I would not be able to give them. Instead I plowed on with more bad news. “It also means they’ve somehow convinced my dad to make this drug.”

Finn’s smile was cold and full of menace. “And it means Finn is never coming back.”

twenty-three

I threw the blanket back over Finn’s head and tried to figure out what to do. I wasn’t done. This wasn’t over, not by a long shot. Finn never gave up on me, and I wasn’t about to give up on him.

“Parker?” It took me a minute, but when I finally heard Mia speaking my name, it was clear it wasn’t the first time.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked you what we’re supposed to do now.” Mia didn’t turn around, even though she still hadn’t gotten the car back on the road. Instead, she met my gaze in the rearview mirror and I saw her eyes brimming with tears. Jack still stared firmly out the window, but his shoulders were hunched in like they bore the weight of the world. And truthfully, they did. Everything he’d been hiding from and fighting against his whole life was now happening. I saw a slight tremble in his neck and knew he felt the crushing fear that pounded through my veins.

Last, I turned my eyes on Addie. She was staring at me with empty desperation. She needed me … she was
counting on me
to help her.

This time, I wouldn’t let any of them down.

“Head to my house.” I set my jaw squarely and used Darkness’s anger, bubbling just below the surface, to drive me forward. “Addie, you need to think up an excuse for all of us to be gone for a few days.”

Jack turned away from the window and raised one eyebrow at me.

“We’re going after my dad.”

Mia nodded and put the car in gear before Jack even had a chance to shake his head, but I was done hearing his arguments and excuses. I cut him off before he got to speak.

“Anyone who wants to come is welcome. If you don’t think it’s a good idea”—I lowered my gaze and felt my jaw clench tight out of instinct—“just stay out of my way.”

Jack didn’t respond, but he closed his eyes and frowned.

“You said my dad was safe as long as he didn’t give them the formula.” I felt my fear building. “If this means they have it now … isn’t he in real danger?”

Jack opened his eyes and stared at me hard. He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.

“I’m going,” I repeated.

“You don’t even know where the Taker base is.” Jack looked exasperated and a little scared.

“Thor and Cooper do.” I nudged Finn sitting between us. “Even this Taker probably does. I’m sure I can find someone to point me there, if you won’t.”

Even if I wasn’t stupid enough to ask a Taker to walk me into their headquarters, it still wasn’t an empty threat. The way Jack had described it, the Takers would be happy to trap me to ensure my dad’s continued cooperation. I knew what I was risking, and it only took one look at the blanket and ropes wound around my best friend’s body to know it was worth it.

I ignored Jack’s slack-jawed expression, pulled my phone out of my pocket, and dialed my mom’s phone. It was after seven; she should be leaving any minute now.

“Hello?” I could hear keys jangling in the background from the second she picked up the phone.

“Hey, Mom.” I made an effort to sound way more tired than I actually was.

“Good morning, early bird.” Her smile came through her voice even over the phone. “I didn’t know you could dial a phone this early on a Saturday morning. You’re always full of surprises.”

“I wanted to ask you … ” The lie started to roll off my tongue before I even thought about it. Lying came so naturally to me now, without thought or really any effort. It was a habit, and I didn’t even know why I did it. It often didn’t work out well for me in the end. But I couldn’t tell Mom the whole truth about this … it was too much right now, and I knew if she understood she’d never let me go. Yet maybe this could be a first step to a change with her, too. “Mom, is it all right if I spend a couple of days camping with Finn and Jack? There’s something I need to do. I’ll take my phone and I promise a full and complete explanation as soon as I get back.”

She hesitated and the sound of her motions in the background stopped. “What’s going on? Can I help?”

“You can’t help. Not yet. Remember when I told you I wasn’t on drugs, Mom?” I spoke fast, but as honestly as I could. “This is like that, and I need you to trust me. I promise to answer any question you have when I get back. Just please let me do this.”

Then she asked the one question I couldn’t answer truthfully. “Are you sure you’ll be safe?”

I knew I couldn’t hesitate, so I just did my best to put a smile in my voice as I responded. “Everything will be okay, Mom.”

It was silent on the other end of the line for one–two–three, and then I heard the keys jangling again. “Okay, honey. Please call me often. Be smart, be careful, and you and Finn take care of each other.”

I glanced at the lump of blankets next to me and felt my stomach drop. “I promise.”

When I hung up the phone, I leaned over the front seat and touched Mia’s shoulder. “Park up the street and I’ll make sure she’s gone before I wave you in to the garage.”

“Okay.”

When I sat back, Jack was staring at me, his lips in a grim line. “I don’t understand. What do you think you’re going to get out of going there?”

“If my dad is the one that did this to Finn … ” I looked down at my hands and rubbed them hard along my knees before glancing up and straight into Addie’s eyes. “Then he’s the one who is going to help me undo it.”

We pulled into the back of a grocery store on the way home to give Mom a few extra minutes to leave the house. Addie and Mia ran in to grab some breakfast and provisions for our trip.

Jack still hadn’t told us where we were going, but he did give a noncommittal grunt when we asked him what we’d need, followed by, “We won’t need much.”

As planned, Mom was gone by the time we got to my house. We brought Finn in and Jack escorted him to the restroom with a wicked-looking knife held against his back. I’d jumped a big step away when Jack had pulled it out of his boot.

“I like to keep a few surprises to myself.” Jack shrugged, held the knife directly in front of Finn’s nose to make sure he got a good look, and then walked him into the bathroom.

Addie was on the phone with her mom, telling her about the camping trip we had planned and how excited we all were. Her mom sounded a little concerned about Jack coming and seemed to ask more than a few questions.

“No, it isn’t like that, I promise. We are
all
just friends.” She glanced over her shoulder and I pretended not to notice, staring straight down at the eggs I was cooking.

After gaining approval, she hung up and walked over, resting her hand on my arm. “How can I help?”

I ignored the way her simple touch made me feel like my skin was on fire. “Grab tortillas, cheese, and salsa from the fridge.”

She and Mia helped me put together some breakfast burritos. Jack volunteered to keep Finn under control while he ate. He pulled a chair up directly behind Finn’s and kept his knife in view as I tied Finn’s feet together. Finn kicked me in the side of the head once, and pushed back his chair hard in an effort to knock Jack over, but the knife whizzed past his ear so fast it left a small gash there before burying itself in the side of one of my Mom’s cupboards.

I whistled low and rubbed the side of my head as I went to pull the knife out. It had left a slice in the wood, but it wasn’t that noticeable unless you were looking for it. “There’s one more thing to explain to Mom when we get back.”

Jack pulled another knife out of his other boot and put it against Finn’s throat. “Don’t do that again or next time I’ll forget to miss. These guys are attached to Finn. He and I really didn’t get along all that well … get my point?”

Finn sighed, nodded, and took a giant bite of his burrito.

Addie sat down next to him and it seemed like she was trying to stare a hole through his forehead. “You won’t tell us who you are? I’m getting tired of thinking of you as my fake brother.”

Finn scowled. “What good does it do you to know my name?”

“Do you know us?” Mia asked, swallowing another bite. “Would we recognize your name?”

“Maybe … some of you might.” Finn stared down and I noticed this weird twitch he’d developed now that his hands were free. He kept trying to tuck his hair behind his right ear … only it was too short.

“You’re that girl!”

He looked up, startled, then immediately looked down and I knew I was right. “No.”

“Yes, you’re the girl from the car in the parking lot with Thor and Cooper. Are you Thor’s … girlfriend or something?”

“Eww—no! And his name is Joey Thornton, not Thor!” Finn growled down into his plate and stopped his hand midway to tucking the nonexistent hair again.

“You’re a girl?” Addie looked disgusted. “Why would you want to be in my brother’s body?”

“I didn’t. It was supposed to be a trial run.” Finn looked ready to explode. “It was supposed to be you or Mia. Getting Finn was an accident.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Finn would’ve enjoyed the irony. “If I remember right, you were pretty.” I gestured to Finn’s long form before finishing. “This must’ve been quite the disappointment.”

Finn shrugged, although I caught a hint of a blush rising in his cheeks, which just felt weird. “Gender doesn’t really matter to us. I’ve taken men, women, kids; it doesn’t matter. He’s healthy. If things go well, I can get a few good years out of him.”

“Before what? You trade up?” Mia folded her arms and if her eyes could shoot daggers, this Taker would be toast.

“Yes.”

“So you do know how to get out of Finn’s body?” I leaned closer.

Finn seemed to have realized his—her—mistake and focused down on his—her—food. Screw it; the gender was getting too confusing. This wasn’t Finn, but for now that’s how I’d think of him.

Jack was the one to answer. “If your dad’s predictions are correct, the only way to get this Taker out would be if Fi—if the host body dies.”

That obviously wasn’t an option. I needed more information. “So, does it feel different when you take Eclipse?” I asked. “I mean, what your body does while you’re in Finn’s?”

Instead of answering, Finn pushed his plate away. “I’m done. Did you guys feel like tying me up again?”

“That’s the one thing I don’t understand about their plan … ” Jack frowned, handed me his knife, and picked up the rope. “Their bodies can’t be just anywhere. I’m sure they’ve planned for this.”

“
What if this Taker’s body dies?” I leaned back in my chair and stared hard into Finn’s eyes. “I know what she looks like. What if we find her body and … ” I didn’t need to finish. Everyone knew the choice we’d have to make.

Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. There hasn’t been a lot of experimenting with this, but it’s possible that they’d both die, or Finn would be left brain-dead from the trauma. Your dad would have a better guess.” He tied up Finn’s hands then picked up the gag.

“Wait.” Mia leaned in close, staring into Finn’s eyes. “Chloe? Is that you?”

Finn didn’t answer, but it would have been hard to miss the momentary flicker of panic.

“You know her?” I asked.

Mia sighed. “I thought I did, but she wasn’t like this. She’s Thor’s half-sister.”

“His name is
not
Thor!” Finn yelled, leaned forward and biting down on the gag, ripping it free from Jack’s hands. Then Finn glared at Jack until he shrugged, walked around, and secured it firmly in place.

We packed everything, including the Taker, into the car. It seemed fine for me to drive since Finn had been pretty cooperative ever since Jack’s knife-throwing demonstration. I turned around in the seat and looked at Jack.

“It’s time to decide, Jack. You tell me. Are you going to help us get into the base safely, or should I drop you at the nearest bus stop and have another chat with our friend here?” I gestured toward Finn, and he glanced over at Jack with a little spark in his eyes.

“Fine. I didn’t think it was possible, but you’re even more stubborn than your dad.” Jack sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. “We’re heading to the old Benton Air Force base, five hours north of here. Your dad always thought the best place to hide was right under your enemy’s nose … so that’s exactly where he hid you.”