Indigo Awakening (The Hunted (Teen)) (11 page)

“Do you trust him?” A woman’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. The scent of her expensive perfume wafted toward him as she came closer.

“I don’t trust anyone,” he said.

“Not even me?”

Alexander didn’t answer. He let his practiced smile say it all.

“I suppose it’s not a matter of any
real
trust,” she said. “You don’t let many see behind the curtain of Oz. Out of necessity, what we do must be kept secret. Mankind’s destiny depends on it. We must save the masses from a future they aren’t capable of understanding.”

Her arrogance knew no bounds, but Alexander certainly understood the massive ego it took to achieve everything she had in such a short amount of time. Ambition and drive for power had played a part, too. The woman imagined her involvement in his organization as nothing short of essential to their cause. She glorified what she did and had appointed herself savior, salvaging humanity from a future she had plans to shape.

Whatever justification got her through the night, he didn’t care as long as she did what he told her.

“Under your new strategy, we should see more immediate results,” she said. “But surely you have other men working on your behalf. Redundancy wouldn’t be a bad idea. You can’t possibly mean what you told this O’Dell character, that he’d be in charge of the whole recovery operation for the Darby boy? That’s not like you, Alexander.”

“With men like him, stroking their ego is part of the game.” He swiveled his chair to face her. “But no, he will not be my only pawn on the chessboard. There’s too much at stake.”

When he didn’t tell her more, her face tensed, but she didn’t push him for his strategy.

“How do you feel about him chasing after this mystery girl?” she asked.

“If he acquires the Darby boy, I don’t care what it takes. The girl and these other children are of no consequence. If O’Dell has to get more aggressive in his tactics, they’d be collateral damage to our cause.”

“We’ve never killed on a hunt before. That could get messy with a man like O’Dell. He lacks finesse. Are you prepared to clean up after him?”

“That goes without saying. Yes.”

Anyone else would have realized the gravity of what he’d just said, but he saw the soft flicker of a smile on her face.

“I’m pleased that you have such faith in my recommendation on the Darby boy. We make a good team, you and I,” she said.

She wore her blond hair loose, not pulled back the way she wore it on the job. Her stunning blue eyes and exquisite Scandinavian features had drawn him to her, but her devious mind, excellent credentials and her need for control had made them coconspirators.

“Yes, we do, but make no mistake. I’m in control when it comes to target acquisition and resources,” he said. “No need for you to fret over such things, my dear.”

The woman forced a smile. When he saw the tightness in her jaw, he appreciated her self-control when she didn’t push him for more. She didn’t like being cut out of the loop, but that couldn’t be helped.

“See to it that O’Dell gets the encrypted phone,” he told her. “I’ll consolidate and send the information that we have on Lucas Darby from the other teams. The electronic file will include your anonymous medical assessment of his capabilities and recommendations. O’Dell will have everything he needs when he wakes up.”

“Yes, of course.” The beautiful woman grabbed the phone O’Dell would use to report in. Before she left the room, she looked over her shoulder. “Anything special you need from me? I’ve built a rapport with the Darby boy’s sister Mia. She trusts me.”

“That could be quite useful. Manipulate that connection to the sister as you see fit. With your influence and cunning, my dear Fiona, you are my rock.”

“I believe in your cause, Alexander. Our cause.”

This time she smiled for real before she left him alone in the darkened room. Being head of psychiatry at Haven Hills Treatment Facility, Dr. Fiona Haugstad had proved to be a worthy ally and she’d given his organization a perfect cover under the patronage of a church. They could commit and test patients, identify their most promising young targets and operate in complete anonymity, all under the guise of treatment.

Lucas Darby had somehow escaped facility grounds before Fiona had made her final assessment and been justified to transfer him to Ward 8 where she could have complete control over him, in secret and without prying, judgmental eyes. She’d seen enough to know that the drugs he’d been given had masked his full capabilities. The day she had reported her findings, he’d never seen her so excited.

“I did it. I found a Crystal,”
she told him.

Fiona acted as if she’d invented the Darby boy. If she proved right about him, though, Lucas Darby had evolved into a Crystal child at the unprecedented age of fifteen. Either the boy had accomplished a remarkable feat or the evolutionary process had escalated and there would be more of his kind to come.

Alexander had to know. The boy had to be tested and studied beyond the usual protocols. The teachings of his church demanded it. This was not the time to doubt or question their long-standing beliefs that mankind should dominate and forestall the rise of this evolutionary mistake. These children were a plague on humanity—a test of man’s faith—nothing more.

He shuddered at the urgency of the situation, but not Fiona. She’d become too blinded by her own achievement and taken full credit for “discovering” him. For whatever reason, because of her efforts, the boy had landed in his lap as if he’d been a gift—one that Alexander wanted back at all cost.

Chapter 9

Griffith Park Zoo
Dusk

“Take a ride with me.” Straddling her bike, Rayne tossed her father’s old helmet to Gabriel and he caught it as he stood in the doorway of the maintenance shed. “I’ve got an idea and I need your help.”

Even though her Harley had announced her arrival, he still took precautions to hide his face under his hoodie. He stayed in the shadows of the shed, not letting the evening light shine on him. In case someone came after him, he could bolt real easy. Seeing his practiced maneuvers made her feel sad for him. She understood him being wary, but it made her all the more curious about why.

It had taken all her patience to wait until dusk to pick him up. She’d done that for him.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

Rayne didn’t miss the fact that Gabriel hadn’t budged from where he stood. He had to be convinced.

“That historical sketch you did. I have an idea where to look for it. You game?” When he shrugged and didn’t say no, she smiled. “Grab your sketch pad, Picasso. We’re gonna need it...and your memory of that vision.”

He tossed back his hoodie and stared at her. Trust definitely didn’t come easy for him, but as he sized her up, Rayne felt heat shoot to her cheeks. She gripped the handlebars as a distraction from his penetrating stare. Rayne had never met anyone like Gabriel. He scared and excited her at the same time. He felt like an adventure—a memory she’d always carry with her—but she had a bad feeling that he lived off the grid for a reason that would always keep her at a distance.

After Gabriel put on his helmet and locked the shed, she watched him walk toward her with his backpack on his shoulders. Every step he took and every move of his muscular arms and legs sent tingles through her stomach. She hadn’t given much thought to what it would mean for him to ride with her. She held her breath as he straddled her bike with his long legs and slipped his big hands onto her hips.

He leaned close to her until she felt the heat of his body on her back. In a low voice, he said, “I’m all yours. Don’t get us killed.”

With a smirk, Rayne gunned the Harley, and when it lurched forward, Gabriel grabbed her waist. On the off-road trail, he held on, but as they hit the winding part of Crystal Springs Drive, Rayne leaned into every curve and waited to see what he would do. When he fought her with an insecure shift of his body, she knew he’d never ridden on the back of a bike before, but as his trust in her mounted, he followed her lead and mirrored her moves. By the time they left Griffith Park and hit a freeway on-ramp, Rayne felt Gabriel relax as he held on to her.

Too bad she couldn’t say the same. The motorcycle engine vibrated every muscle in her body—a fraction of the shudder that he made her feel—for a very different reason.

Minutes Later

Her Lexus had been parked on the frontage road under the shadow of the Ventura Freeway. Mia had tailed Rayne before and when her sister rode her motorcycle toward Glendale, she had a pretty good idea where she’d go. She’d followed her to the abandoned L.A. zoo in Griffith Park once before and lost her on the grounds near the zoo entrance.

A really weird place to go, especially at night.

With only one main road though the park, it would be too easy to get caught following her this time of day. Mia had lost Rayne once and wouldn’t make that mistake again. She decided to wait for Rayne outside the park and not take a chance that she’d be spotted. From a safe distance, she used high-tech binoculars to watch. She’d bought the surveillance gear at a specialty shop that catered to the paranoid. The military-grade binoculars had a night-vision zoom lens, a feature she thought would come in handy, but it also shot 1080p HD video and took high-quality still images with audio, if necessary. The gear would be more than she’d need, but it’d be worth it if it helped her find Lucas.

This time she’d be more prepared to follow Rayne, day or night. When her sister came out with a guy on the back of her bike, Mia’s heart lurched in shock.

Lucas. It has to be him.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered as she adjusted the focus on her new binoculars. “She’s been hiding him.”

Mia recognized their father’s old helmet. As she started the Lexus, memories rushed to her mind when she remembered how much that Harley had meant to both her brother and sister. She pulled from her hiding spot to follow the motorcycle onto the freeway, resisting the urge to gun the car and speed up. She had to be patient and careful. One careless move could cost her.

She might never get a better chance than she had right now.

As she hit the on-ramp, Mia made a hands-free call through her Bluetooth system. She hadn’t talked to O’Dell for hours. Not knowing what he was up to worried her. Somehow she had to stay connected to O’Dell, even if he creeped her out. The Church of Spiritual Freedom had assigned the man to Lucas, to search for him without calling attention from authorities outside of the church’s control. With Lucas missing, she felt the urgency of their escalating tactics to find him.

Mia had called O’Dell earlier, but he didn’t pick up. When the call clicked as if it would roll into voice mail, she nearly ended the connection, but a voice stopped her.

“Mia? This is Dr. Haugstad. I heard a cell phone ringing and I saw your name on the display. I hope you don’t mind that I answered. I wanted to find out how you were doing.”

“No, I don’t, but how do you know O’Dell? Is he there with you?”

“I can’t be certain, but I believe he’s stepped away. Is there anything I can do?”

The doctor was new to Lucas’s case, but Mia hadn’t expected her to pick up. She had a hard time processing the link between someone like O’Dell and such a credentialed and noted psychiatrist. After Mia overheard nurses discussing Lucas and his potential transfer to Ward 8, she panicked. She’d heard of kids getting reassigned there, but none came back out. Ward 8 had special security protocols. No one she knew had access and no one in the church talked about it. That section of the hospital felt like a one-way trip where the worst, most hopeless patients were sent. How could Luke deserve that? Dr. Haugstad had evaluated him to intervene on his behalf. The woman seemed earnest in wanting to help, but when timing didn’t play in her favor and the transfer looked inevitable, Mia had lost hope that her brother would ever leave Haven Hills on his own.

Mia had her reasons for being involved with a man like O’Dell—to try to get to Lucas before anyone else—but anytime she had dealings with Dr. Haugstad, she hated keeping things from her. The woman had it together and seemed very sincere. For Lucas’s sake, she would have to trust her gut on how she handled his doctor. If he ended up back in Haven Hills, she would need an ally, someone with influence.

“Uh, no. I already left him a message. I don’t want to bother him again. Sorry I disturbed you.”

“No bother, my dear. We are all concerned for the whereabouts of your brother. His safety is foremost on our minds. I can assure you we are doing everything in our power to locate him,” the doctor said. “I’ve heard you’re doing a commendable job juggling your work hours at the church with your search for your brother. Has something happened? Have you got a lead on him? Is that why you’re calling?”

“Not...exactly.”

Before she said another word, Dr. Haugstad told her, “I sense you’re holding something back. Please, do not attempt to confront your brother alone, Mia. Off his medication, he is a danger to himself and anyone around him. Please, for his sake and yours, tell me. Where are you?”

L.A. County Museum of Art
Thirty Minutes Later

“A museum? What are we doing here?” Gabriel asked as she drove past a row of tall palm trees and pulled the Harley into a parking spot.

The public parked in a muni-garage, but after she’d volunteered one summer, Rayne knew of a smaller lot closer to the library archives building, reserved for exhibitors and volunteers. Although the museum campus was spread out, the location she wanted to go was near her favorite part of the complex, the white modern structure that always reminded her of a human backbone with its modules strung together and distinctive roofline jutting up.

“Not just any museum. It’s the main one for L.A. County and it’s got a research library that specializes in art archives.”

“Ah, smart girl.”

Rayne had to smile. He had trusted her enough to go along for the ride, without knowing where she’d take him. She called
that
progress. When she turned off the motorcycle and removed her helmet, she waited for him to get off before she told him her plan. It didn’t escape her notice that the minute he removed his helmet, he pulled his sweatshirt hoodie over his head. He covered most of his face in shadow—
Assassin’s Creed
revisited.

“Your art-history lesson got me thinking. Something in your train-station sketch reminded me of a class I took once. Who knew such a lame field trip could pay off? I gotta check out my hunch.”

“And why am I here?”

Okay, he had a good question. If she had her way, she’d spend time with him anywhere. Be a girl hanging out with a cute boy, but he was a human torch who channeled through a dead dog and she had a missing brother and an iguana. Things were far from normal.

“You’re the one who saw the vision. I thought if we found something useful it would trigger another memory that could get us closer to Lucas. It’s worth a shot, right?”

“Yeah. Guess so.” He shrugged and kept his head down as he talked to her, hiding his face from the light. “Being in public like this, it takes getting used to, that’s all.”

Before they took another step toward the front entrance to the library, Rayne stopped him by touching his arm. When he didn’t hide his face from her, a sliver of light shined across his hypnotic honey-brown eyes and she almost forgot to breathe.

“I know this is hard for you.” She slipped both her hands in his. “Thank you, for everything, Gabriel.”

“I haven’t done anything yet.” He grinned. “I don’t even have a library card.”

She stepped closer to him.

“You being a legit card-carrying geek doesn’t matter. You can’t check out books here. It’s not
that
kind of library. What matters to me is that you’re here. With me.”

Looking into his eyes, she felt a lump in her throat. Her fears for Lucas, and every dark thought she’d had about finding him, came rushing to the surface. After losing her parents overnight, the thought of never seeing Lucas again had crushed her. Searching for him alone reminded her how lonely and solitary her life had become. Gabe had secrets to his nature like Luke, but he was living his life on his own terms, without being imprisoned and drugged in a hospital.

Everything about Gabe gave her something to look forward to. She hadn’t lost everything. She had Gabe, and maybe Lucas wasn’t a lost cause.

“Before I met you, I didn’t have much of a chance at finding Luke in a city the size of L.A.,” she said. “Now I feel like I have hope...because of you.”

She stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. His skin felt warm on her lips and she loved how he smelled. Even with half his face covered in shadows, up close she saw him blush and it made her smile.

“Rayne?” He kept his voice low.

“Yeah?”

“I gotta warn you. I’ll be on the lookout for security cameras and people staring, stuff like that. Once we get inside, I’m gonna be weird.”

“And that’s different...how?” She grabbed his sweatshirt with both her hands and leaned against him, nuzzling into his arms.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Rayne wanted to stay with him like this, feeling the warmth of his body, listening to the softness of his voice meant only for her. But she knew none of this would last. Somehow, with Gabriel, she felt every moment with him would be precious.

They’d crossed paths for a reason, but that same reason would eventually take him from her forever. Even as she smiled up at him now, a twinge of sadness nestled around her heart and stayed.

* * *

The L.A. County Museum of Art maintained significant research on art. Rayne remembered that from a field trip she’d taken to the place. For once a class had done her some good.

When she got inside, she hit the computers to do an initial search, using keywords like
mural paintings
and
turn of the century
and
Los Angeles
and stuff like that. She saw Gabriel shrug out of his knapsack to carry it on one shoulder and felt him with her as she went online. But as she got into her queries, she didn’t feel him standing near her anymore. She looked around and didn’t see him, either.

The library part of the museum campus had smaller research wings that specialized in different stuff. She could lose him if they weren’t careful. She made note of books she wanted to find and went looking for them, but one in particular seemed really good—on mural painting and decorations in Los Angeles County.

It didn’t take her long to find the right stack, but the book she wanted wasn’t there. She stared at the catalog number on the paper and made sure she had found the right shelf.