Death Screams (21 page)

It was a murder that was
yet
to happen. That's what had felt like a rotting oil slick in her hand. Someone that
would
kill. A teen.

Someone she very likely knew.

It wasn't an exact science either. That made her mad. There were no absolutes. She could touch the perp, as the cops called him, and if he wasn't on the wavelength he was when he wore the sample, she may not get it from skin on skin. It was the proverbial needle in the haystack.

And Jade was tired of looking.

Bobbi saw her frustration. "Let's take a small break, Raul."

He looked at Jade and nodded, seeing she was a little tired. They sat down at the cafeteria tables that were at K-M. Jade thought about how worried Caleb was that this was the school she was at today. Tulle counted it as extra credit. It was a field trip for high schoolers, Jade thought, remembering her comment.

*

"Just think of all the extra experience you'll gain from handling all those alien samples, Jade," she said. Then added, with a small smirk, "And all the focus you'll have available to you without Mr. Hart as a distraction."

Jade had just stared at her. It was Jade's conviction that Tulle thought entirely too often of she and Caleb. She frowned and the grin faded from Tulle's face. After all, Jade was emancipated and didn't really feel like she wasn't on equal ground with Tulle. She'd gone through all the stupid legal hoops to do it and now... by God, back off.

Jade had left without so much as a backwards glance. Not doing the ass-kissing that Tulle so obviously needed didn't help Jade out though. Tulle had her nose plugged up her butt every opportunity she could. Even Caleb had noticed.

Bry Weller came by while she was at the table, enjoying a Granny Smith apple, the cops were talking quietly together until his approach. Her face puckered slightly as the sour tartness filled her mouth.

"Hey," she smiled at him, pleased to see a familiar person.

"Hey Jade. How's it goin'?" he asked, eying up the cops.

"Okay," she said, giving a significant look to them. He nodded his understanding.

"Are you ditching class?" she asked with a grin.

"Nope, senior."

That's right, Jade remembered, he'd slide by this last year.

"How many classes do ya have?"

He held up two fingers.

"No way!"

He nodded, a slow grin spreading over his face.

Garcia said, "Hi, Mr. Weller."

He nodded at him. "Hi Officer Garcia," he turned to Gale and nodded to her too.

"Hi Bry," she said.

"Whatcha guys doin'?" he asked.

Garcia stood, his broad shoulders stretching the uniform he wore and Jade wondered if he worked out. She guessed he'd have to just to keep up with their group alone. Lots of rescuing with her friends. She frowned, thinking it be nice if they didn't always need rescuing. Which of course, made her think of her dad. Not that she wanted to. Ever.

"You know we can't really talk about ongoing investigations, Bry," Garcia stated, his eyes steady on Bry's.

Bry stared back at him, then his gaze shifted to Jade. "Are you in danger?" Bry asked, thinking about Caleb. That Caleb wouldn't be thrilled with Jade working with the cops.

"Of course not!" Gale said with too much enthusiasm and Bry's eyes narrowed.

Garcia watched them and said, "It's more of a suspicious activity than a real threat, at this time. She's not in any real danger."

What? Bry wondered, he didn't think there was fake danger. He didn't like it. He bet Caleb hated it. Bry didn't like some of the paranormal bullshit. Bry liked shit he could feel, touch. Annihilate. Yeah, that really worked for him.

He frowned at Garcia then his face cleared when he took in Jade. Caleb was a lucky dude, he had a gorgeous girlfriend that wasn't a rager. Nice. He'd be nervous as hell with a chick like that though. He took in her fragile beauty. She was tiny, and beautiful and... unprotected.

He gave her a thin smile, his feelings of unease at helping the cops there between them. "K, well, I'll pulse Hart and we'll do another hang session," he raised his brows in question.

"Sure," Jade smiled, that sounded fun. "Maybe you can get Mia to go too?" she said slyly.

Ah hell, Mia! Bry thought with barely contained anxiety. Now
that
was a girl, that one. But outta his league for sure.

"
Yeah, sure," he said, raking a hand over hair that was almost a skull trim, it was so short.

Jade gave a coy smile. She knew Mia liked him, but she wasn't an aggressive girl. He'd have to make the first move. Jade thought about letting him off the hook, giving him a subtle hint. Then thought better of it. Shouldn't interfere.

Guys.

Speaking of guys... Jade whipped out her pulse as Bry walked away, collecting her lunch trash in one hand she headed over to the separator as the cops gathered their gear.

Initializing
:

Stud.

Jade thought it was funny that Caleb felt so cool about customizing his contacts. Jade rolled her eyes. She'd had hers customized the day... no, the
moment
she got her pulse. She had to admit she loved that she was the Hot One. A sexy little smile curled her lips.

Hey
-CH

pause in pulse communication.

You okay?
emotive response med.-high
-
CH

sighs
stop it! I'm fine, I'm with the power twins
.-JLeC

Oh! And Bry came by at lunch and said he wanted to hang with everybody.
-JLeC

K, cool
.-CH

How are we going to celebrate you getting your car finally?
JLeC

I'm gonna pick you up and we'll go somewhere quiet and spend some quality time together
emotive response high.
-CH

I thought you turned off your detector?
JLeC

I did. The
profanity-block!
thing overrode my manual directive.
-CH

Nice
smiles
-
JLeC

Yeah, for you!
CH

K, I'll see ya after supper?
JLeC

nods
I want a full report.
-CH

Thorough, right?
s
miles
- JLeC

Absolutely
manual override on emotive detection
.-CH

Jade smiled again, he was so sweet. Her heart sped a little at the thought of what quality time meant with Caleb. A subtle blush colored her cheeks before she responded.

Love you
.-JLeC

Me too
.-CH

Jade swept her thumb over the pad and
thought
her pulse to
hibernate
, slipping it in her front pocket of her jeans.

She turned, looking for the cops.

Garcia gave her a wave and she walked toward them, thinking about the icky ride back to KPH in the cop car. The back was always so rank.

Grodie.

*

Sophie

She was concentrating as much as she could, her palms lightly sweating, but realm was the same as always, like a soft cloud of nothing, whiteness... oblivion. There was not a solid thing in the world in there. Her terror of being attacked was draining her of the power to get to her acquisition point.

"You have to stay there for at least a full minute. That's only sixty seconds. If you don't stay the proper interim, you cannot reach your Point of Acquisition," Proctor elaborated.

For the hundredth time.

Sophie knew that, she understood what the hell she had to do. She was scared. Amanda had been attacked. Other girls were talking about a shadow form in their realms. She just knew with her luck that it would happen to her. And she wouldn't get out of realm.

She wished Buddy was in her AP class. But he was at another time block.

Her teacher leaned down close to her, his curly hair mingling with hers. "I won't let anything happen to you. I got to Amanda too, remember? You have to trust me Sophie."

Sophie squeezed her eyes shut. Clenched them. She knew Mr. Proctor was a good man. She knew that these exercises would strengthen her ability. Which was gauged as a level four. Her eyes snapped open and realm slipped away like mist in the sun.

Proctor straightened, his lanky build unfolding itself to standing. He shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. Thirty-eight seconds. That's two seconds more than yesterday."

Sophie sat up, her shoulders slumping, defeated.

One of the other AP girls smirked. "We've all done it Sophie, you need to get over your fear," she sneered and Proctor looked over at her.

"That's very unhelpful Madison. Considering you've been in realm... what, twice?" he placed his hands on his skinny hips and stared at her until her eyes dropped.

He turned away to the white board and Madison gave Sophie a look like,
wimp
.

That was fine, Sophie thought. She was the highest level in the class besides Amanda so that lame bitch could just bite her in the ass.

Dead center.

And she wore stupid clothes too, fashion challenged. Sophie grinned back at her and Madison's smile faded. Girls were bitches.

She was exempt, of course.

The bell shrilled and Sophie walked to the door to meet Buddy. There he was, lookin' so damn fine it made Sophie's breath catch in her throat. Sophie eyes took him in head to toe and couldn't find the flaws. Six-foot one of gorgeous Latino hunk. Blazing eyes, nearly black in a face a dusky olive color, the muscles that showed keenly striated from workouts.

He wasn't all for show either, he'd even given Caleb a run for his martial arts money. And held his own.

He was almost as cute as Jonesy. The jerk.

Speaking of jerk-alert, Sophie walked up to Buddy just as Jonesy sauntered by, his eyes narrowing on she and Buddy.

Sophie smiled into Buddy's gorgeous browns and did a long lean. She pressed her lips to his, he snapped his arms around her and pressed back.

With heat.

Jonesy walked by the AP class after promising himself he wasn't doing it to get a glimpse of Soph. Just as he did she kissed that pecker-wood, Hughes.

Damn,
if that didn't just rustle his Jimmies.

He stalked off without turning back, so pissed he could hardly breathe. He didn't know why she got under his skin so bad.

She was sandpaper on a wound.

I stared in disbelief at the auto-pulse that we'd all received in our readers. John and I looked at each other, then bent over the communication from the Top.

Kent Paranormal High, Administration:

Immediate thought affirmation required-

Freshman will assemble after their lunch hour for their depressant inoculation, followed by each subsequent lunch block until the last with our graduating seniors.

For those that are ill or have an excused absence, you will be reassigned to receive your sanctioned inoculation by the school nurse within seven days as of today.

Booster inoculations will be given annually.

Chen, Claudia, KPH acting principal.

We all thumbed our readers:

In receipt
- auto response.

John shook his head, pushing his fro away from his eyes, where it promptly fell forward again. "I don't like this. It leaves you guys unprotected."

Alex held up his pulse-reader. "Don't have to," his huge hand dwarfing the thing.