Payback (11 page)

“I don’t care what happens to me anymore,” Yana answered without turning her head. “As long as I can make those bastards pay.”

Rae was in the zone. She wasn’t thinking anymore, wasn’t using any “art math,” any the-space-between-Anthony’s-eyes-is-a-fraction-less-than-the-width-of-one-of-his-eyes kind of calculation. Nothing like that. Wel , probably deep in her brain she was stil plotting out the ratios, trying to get the proportions right. But it felt like her hand just knew what to do and al Rae had to do was let it go. And right now her hand was everywhere on the sketch pad, erasing little sections to show the highlights in Anthony’s dark hair, shading the curves of his ear, lightly erasing his irises so they were pale enough for the blue of his eyes.

Wait. Rae’s hand jerked, and the pencil flew out of her hand.

“I’m that ugly, huh?” Anthony teased, taking the opportunity to break out of his pose and stretch.

“No, of course not,” Rae muttered as she felt around her desk chair for the pencil. Anthony grabbed her hand. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Rae answered. She tried to pul her hand away so she could keep feeling around for the pencil, but Anthony wouldn’t let go.

“That’s bul . I can see your face. What’s wrong?” Anthony asked again.

Rae turned her sketch pad toward him. “Notice anything?”

“It’s good,” Anthony answered. “You’re real y good. Not that I know anything about it.”

“The eyes. Look at the eyes,” Rae urged. Couldn’t he see it?

“I guess they’re a little lighter than mine…” Anthony began. “Am I supposed to be seeing something else? I told you, I don’t know anything about- ”

“They’re Yana’s eyes,” Rae interrupted. “I drew Yana’s eyes in your face.” She turned the sketch pad toward her and stared at the familiar eyes. Looking at them made the back of her neck prickle.

“So erase them,” Anthony said.

“Yeah, okay,” Rae answered. She grabbed a big eraser off her desk but couldn’t touch the paper with it. Her hand started to shake.

“What?”
Anthony sounded impatient. “What, Rae?” he asked again, more gently.

“They look so scared,” Rae told him. “Yana’s eyes look so scared.” She couldn’t stay away. She knew it then. She’d promised Anthony she would, even after what he told her about Yana’s intention. But she was already in this too deep, and there was just no way she could keep her distance.

“Can I come in?” Rae asked.

“No,” Yana told her, trying to hide her shock. The last thing she’d expected when she swung open her front door was… this. And the last thing she’d wanted, too. She could feel her friggin’ eyes stinging already. Wasn’t there some kind of limit on how much you could cry in a day? ’Cause there should be.

Rae raised her eyebrows. “Um… okay. So what if-what if I just stand here and talk to you for a sec?” There was fear in her eyes and in her voice. Rae was stil afraid of her.

Yana nodded in reply, as if someone else was making her head move for her. She wanted to say no again-just looking at Rae got her way too close to losing it-but how could she? Yana should be doing anything Rae wanted. Anything. And she wasn’t even letting her in the house. So if Rae needed to stand here and blast her the way Anthony had, tel her what a despicable person she was, then Yana would listen.

“I’l keep it fast,” Rae said. “Anthony told me that you’re going after the agency. Don’t do it.”

Yana blinked. “Why do you even care?” she blurted.

“Good question.” Rae looked at Yana steadily for a moment, like she was trying to come up with an answer. Trying and having a hard time. “Because…” Rae let out a long sigh. “Because… You know what? I don’t even know. I shouldn’t care. You tried to kil me. Thanks for saying you’re sorry, by the way.”

“There wasn’t-what exactly was I supposed to say?” Yana demanded. “There should be, I don’t know, different words. Sorry’s what you say when you step on someone’s foot.” And yes, ladies and gentlemen, Yana was crying again.

“So you could have gotten me a Hal mark card,” Rae said, the anger drained out of her voice.

Yana snorted, trying to regain control before she started to bawl. She couldn’t believe this. Rae was actual y being nice to her.

Was the girl even human?

“Going back to your other question, I care because a lot of the same things happened to you and me. But I had it easier. I had my dad. Who knows what…” Rae’s words trailed off.

“Who knows what you would have turned out like if you’d had a dad like mine?” Yana asked. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?”

Rae shrugged helplessly. “I guess so,” she admitted. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter why I care. I’m here, and you should listen to me. You’re only one person. You can’t go up against the agency and win.”

“I can’t just do nothing,” Yana said. She wiped off her face with the neck of her T-shirt.

“What’s going on in your head? Do you even have a plan?” Rae asked.

Over Rae’s shoulder Yana noticed an unfamiliar car slowing down as it approached her house. Her heart turned to rock as it pul led into her driveway.

“What?” Rae asked.

Yana’s heart slowly returned to beating flesh as the car used the driveway to start a U-turn.
But that could have been anybody,
Yana thought.
God, the agency people could have me under 24/7 surveillance for all I know. If they see Rae with me-

“You have to leave. You talked. I listened. Now go,” Yana snapped.

“That’s it? Just go?” Rae asked, her blue eyes widening in astonishment.

“You said what you had to say, didn’t you?” Yana asked. She had to get Rae out of there. If the agency spotted them together, then later, after Yana did what she had to do, they might think Rae was involved. And then they’d kil her.

“I said it, but I don’t think you got it at al . Whatever your plan is-if you even have one-isn’t going to be good enough,” Rae said, her voice getting louder and louder. “Those people are professionals, Yan. They-”

Yana gently shut the door. She watched through the peephole until Rae final y turned around, headed down the front walk, and di sappeared from sight.

I wonder if I’ll ever see her again,
Yana thought. But at least one thing was certain-once Yana was through, Rae would never be in danger again.

Aiden’s dead,
Yana’s sneakers seemed to whisper as she walked down the main hal way of the Wilton Center.
Aiden’s dead.

Aiden’s dead. Aiden’s dead.
Knowing that, knowing that the agency had kil ed one of their own, made the center feel more thre atening. Not that she hadn’t always known the place was dangerous for her. But now it was more real somehow. Everything felt different. The paintings on the wal done by the art students seemed drained of color. The sound of the guitar class practicing so unded mournful.

They could have played at Aiden’s funeral,
she thought.
Because Aiden’s dead. Aiden’s dead. He got what he deserved,
she reminded himself. She wasn’t going to waste any tears over him. Yeah, after she’d almost offed Rae, the guy had taken her in instead of handing her over to the cops or to the agency.
But it’s not as if
-

Yana jerked to a stop. Had Aiden done more than that? Had he
sent
her that note? She didn’t know exactly when he died. God, maybe that was the last thing he’d done. Maybe-You’ve got no reason to think that, Yana told herself.
If Aiden had the power to move things around with his mind, he would
have used that to bring you down when you had Rae trapped in the cabin.

So who got that note to her? Someone from inside the center? Who else could it be? How many people on the outside even knew the place existed? The back of Yana’s neck started to itch. Was whoever it was watching her right now? Did they already know she’d ignored the warning? What were they going to-Shut up, Yana thought.
So someone doesn’t want you here. Someone with powers. Who gives a crap? You have powers,
too
-
not that you can use them in here. And you’re going to show up here every day until you figure out how to shut the place
down.

“For you, Mom,” Yana whispered. She started walking again, her shoes immediately starting their Aiden’s-dead thing again.

She ignored them. Yeah, the guy was dead. But that didn’t change anything.

She had to do what she had to do.

She turned the corner and immediately saw a guard stationed at the door to the stairs that led down to the basement.
He’s wa
iting for me,
she realized.
Isn’t that sweet?
When she reached him, the guard opened the door and gestured her inside
.
“The gu ard in the upstairs observation center is now blocked,” he told her as she started down the stairs ahead of him. “He won’t be ab le to fol ow your
orders
anymore. So don’t bother trying it.”

“Don’t be checking out my butt back there,” Yana replied, not giving him the satisfaction of commenting on the upstairs-guard sitch. She picked up the pace, taking the steps two at a time. She got to the basement door half a flight of stairs before the gu ard and started to go inside, but the door was locked. The guard took his sweet time getting over to her.
Yeah, you’re big and
important,
Yana thought.
You don’t have to talk to me. And you can make me wait, gee, a whole minute before you let me in.

I’m just so in awe of your power.

The guard finished punching in the security code, blocking his hand with his body so Yana couldn’t see, and swung open the do or. Ms. Cascone was waiting on the other side.

Did she put in the order to kill Aiden?
Yana wondered.
Did she do it herself?
Yana could picture Cascone’s hands with their perfectly manicured nails closing around Aiden’s throat.
Although probably she wouldn’t have gotten that close. Probably she’d
have used a gun.
How had Aiden died, anyway? Anthony hadn’t said, and it didn’t exactly seem like the time for Yana to push him to “open up” about anything.

“Are you ready to start work?” Cascone asked. Something in her tone made Yana think it was the second time she’d asked the question.

“Yeah. Definitely. So what are we going to do today? Are you going to teach me to get a volcano going with my mind?” It was a completely dorky question. But Yana couldn’t stop her tongue from flapping away. Hearing herself talk made the place less cre epy somehow.

“Nothing so dramatic,” Cascone answered. She started down the hal , not bothering to look and see if Yana was fol owing her or not.

“Oh, so maybe I’l melt a dish of ice cream with my mind,” Yana said.

Cascone didn’t bother to answer that one. Not that Yana blamed her. She opened the door to a room similar to the one she’d been in the last time, except that this one had a large one-way mirror covering most of one wal . Through the glass Yana could see a large German shepherd trotting around a room with a slew of dog toys scattered across the floor.

“We’l go back to exploring what other abilities you may have in a few days,” Cascone told her. “Right now I want to work with you on your mind control. Have you ever attempted to control an animal?”

Yana raised an eyebrow. “Do I look that kinky?”

Cascone didn’t even crack a smile. She sat down in one of the metal folding chairs and placed her clipboard on her lap. “See if you can get the dog to pick up the bal ,” she instructed. “Have a seat if you’l be more comfortable.”

“I’m fine.” Yana looked through the glass at the dog. His tail was up and wagging. And he, unlike Cascone, was smiling.
Don’t
be an idiot,
Yana told herself.
He’s a dog. His mouth is just shaped that way.

“Concentrate, Yana,” Cascone said, tapping her clipboard with the edge of her pen.

Yana strode forward until she was about half an inch away from the glass.
Get the ball.
She aimed the thought right between the dog’s pricked ears. The dog cocked his head, like he’d heard something. Yana tried again.
Get the ball.

The shepherd whined. It trotted back and forth across the room. But it didn’t pick up anything.

“I think it’s receiving something from you.” Cascone made a note on her pad. “Try modifying the way you make the command.

I’m assuming that you usual y use words, am I right?”

“Yeah. Like I thought, ‘Get the bal ,’ ” Yana answered. She didn’t see any reason to lie. For now she wanted to look cooperative and eager to learn from the great Layla Cascone.

“Mmm-hmm.” Cascone made another note. “When working with an animal, it’s more useful to send the command in images.

So instead of thinking the words ‘get the bal ’ and sending them out, try picturing a bal as sharply and with as much detail as you can.”

Yana studied the bal lying to the left of the dog. Then she closed her eyes and tried to re-create the bal in her mind. A tennis bal . Green. With a layer of peach fuzz.
Okay, good,
she thought. She added the dog to her mental picture, the dog with the bal held in his sharp white teeth, the green tennis bal now with a trail of drool on one side.
Got it.
She pushed the image out of her head, aiming it through the glass of the one-way mirror.

The dog gave a sharp bark, and Yana opened her eyes. The shepherd was running in a circle now. But he wasn’t stopping at any of the toys.

“I think we should get you a little help,” Cascone said. She walked over to the intercom by the door and hit the talk button.

“We’re ready for Dr. Kessler in eleven C.”

A doctor? What was up with that? Yana definitely was not happy about a doctor being summoned, but she wasn’t going to let Cascone know that. Cascone seemed like the kind of person who could find a way to use any scrap of info against you. Yana plopped down in one of the metal folding chairs, trying to look like she hadn’t even heard the cal for a doctor.

She didn’t have to hold her casual pose for too long. A few minutes later the door swung open and a woman carrying a leather bag and a square metal box walked in. She had her long hair in a ponytail, and if Yana hadn’t already known the woman was a doctor, she wouldn’t have guessed it. Ponytail looked more like a gym teacher, al bouncy and athletic looking. She handed the metal box to Cascone, then pul ed up a chair next to Yana and sat. “You’ve got to be Yana. I’m Dr. Susan Kessler,” she said. “Cal me Susan, okay?”