Payback (12 page)

“Okay,” Yana answered. But most of her attention was on Cascone, who was punching a code into the keypad on the metal box. What could be in there that needed a freakin’
code
?

“I’m just going to get your blood pressure,” Kessler said as she pul ed a cuff out of her leather bag. She wrapped it around Ya na’s upper arm and pumped it up until it bit into Yana’s skin. Then Kessler let the pressure out slowly, her fingers on Yana’s wrist to get a pulse.

“Nice and slow. You deal wel with stress, don’t you?” Kessler commented as she removed the cuff and stuck it back in her bag.

Yana didn’t answer. She was trying to see what Cascone had pul ed from the box. She couldn’t. Cascone was blocking whatever it was with her body.

“Now we’l just get your temperature,” Kessler said as she placed a high-tech thermometer in Yana’s ear. When the thermome ter beeped, Kessler removed it and made a note, then she used a smal flashlight to check Yana’s pupils.

“I think we’re ready to begin,” Cascone announced. She strode over to Kessler. Yana’s stomach tightened when she saw a syringe in Cascone’s hand.

“There are stil some more tests I need-” Kessler began.

“You’l have time for that later,” Cascone interrupted. Kessler bit her lip, but she rooted around in her bag and pul ed out a length of rubber tubing. She knotted it around Yana’s upper arm, then swabbed the inside of her elbow with alcohol.

“This is an exciting moment for al of us,” Cascone said. “Yana, this drug has been years in development-we only have a few samples available. And you’l be the first to use it.”

Yana flashed on the chimp T-shirt Sam had been wearing the last time she saw him. “The first?” she asked. “Wasn’t there a lucky monkey somewhere? Or at least a rat?”

Cascone laughed. “Of course it’s been thoroughly tested.” She handed Kessler the syringe.

Yana didn’t want whatever was in that syringe in her body. But there was nothing she could do. Cascone might use the word
us
and act like she and Yana were partners. But they both knew that was bul . As long as she was in the basement, Cascone and her little helpers could do exactly what they wanted.

“Make a fist, please,” Kessler instructed.

Yana obeyed. She kept her eyes on her arm and watched as the needle slid into one of her veins, not al owing herself to look away, not al owing herself to even blink.
That’s right. Show no fear,
she told herself. Kessler pushed the plunger of the syringe down, shooting God knew what into Yana.

A line of heat moved up Yana’s arm. It raced across her shoulder, up her neck, and across the side of her face and then plun ged deep into her brain. A moment later she felt her head begin to… to
ripple.
It was like something was crawling around betwe en the bones of her skul and the skin of her scalp. Yana reached up her hand, but Cascone grabbed her by the wrist before Ya na could feel if the top of her head was actual y moving.

“I know the sensation is strange,” Cascone said.

Like hell you do,
Yana thought.
Like you’d ever let anybody pump this crap into you.

“But try to ride it out. We only have a short window of time available to us,” Cascone continued. She lowered Yana’s arm to her side and gave her hand a little pat. “It’s better already, isn’t it?”

The movement under her scalp slowed down. Like whatever was crawling around up there had gotten tired. “What I want you to do is to try to get the dog to pick up the bal again. Use an image, the way you did before,” Cascone instructed.

Yana closed her eyes. She saw the bal . She saw the dog. She saw the drool on the bal . The image was sharper than before.

Each droplet of drool glistened like a diamond. She could see each individual hair on the tennis bal . Her eyebrows scrunched to gether as she hurled the picture out of her head.

“Very nice,” Cascone said softly.

Yana opened her eyes. They went straight to the dog. He had the bal in his mouth, and his tail was wagging so hard, it was al most a blur.
I’m like friggin’ Doctor Dolittle,
Yana thought. But the communication only went one way. She had no idea what was going on in the dog’s head. Except that he looked happy.

Cascone made a note in Yana’s chart. “Now, let’s try something a little more difficult. I want you to get the dog to make a circle out of its toys. Don’t do an image for each toy, just picture the end result you want.”

Yana studied the toys lying on the floor around the dog. Plastic hedgehog, rawhide bone, stuffed cat, the bal , a rubber mailman, a braided rope. She closed her eyes, re-creating the toys in her mind. In her imagination she could see the teeth marks on the bone, the broken whisker on the cat. God, she could almost see the molecules of rubber in the mailman. Whatever had been in that cocktail had done something. Was it permanent? What-
Think about it later, when you’re out of this place,
Yana told herself.

She flung the image toward the dog. Was it her imagination, or had it actual y made a sucking sound as it left her head?

“Very, very nice,” Cascone murmured.

Yana opened her eyes. The hedgehog and the bone were already in the positions she’d pictured. The dog quickly added the ro pe, cat, mailman, and bal to the circle. Then he sat down, looking very pleased with himself.

“We won’t be needing you any more today,” Cascone told Dr. Kessler.

“I real y think-” Kessler began.

Cascone cut her off with a look. Kessler picked up her bag, gave Yana a smile, and rushed out of the room. Cascone walked over to the one-way glass and pul ed a gray curtain across it, blocking the dog from view. “Good work, Yana,” she said as she he aded toward the intercom. “We’re almost through. I’d just like us to try one more thing.”

Us. Yeah, right,
Yana thought.

“This is Ms. Cascone. Please send Sam to me,” Cascone said into the intercom.

The door opened instantly. Sam had to have been waiting right outside. What was his deal? Was he one of them? One of the kids of the group?

“Sam, Yana. Yana, Sam.” Cascone waved Sam toward the seat next to Yana. He gave her a mocking half bow, then sat down.

His skin looked even worse than it had the other day. It was a pasty color, and there were these patches of sagging skin on his face and his arms and probably everywhere she couldn’t see. Last time only the flesh under his chin had been loose. Yana for ced herself to look away. The guy was wigging her out. And he was staring at her now-she could feel it.

Cascone walked over to Sam’s other side and started whispering to him. At least it got Sam’s eyes off Yana. But she didn’t like the whispering thing.

Were they talking about her? What was the deal? Were they planning something? Were they planning to kil her? She pul ed in a deep breath, trying to wil herself back into at least the shal ow end of the crazy pool.
That’s right. Breathe. Breathe.
Yana pul led in a breath so deep, it made her lungs ache.

God, what’s that smell?
she thought. The answer instantly popped into her head. That smel was Sam. Or at least it was coming off Sam. It was like-it was kind of like that mouse she’d found under the fridge that time, the one that had been dead for at least a couple of days. The same sweet, rotten, decay smel was coming off Sam. Yana felt bile rise up in her throat, and she forced it back down.

“Al right, let’s begin,” Cascone said as she moved back into position in front of Yana and Sam.

“Since you didn’t have a secret conversation with me, I don’t know what I’m supposed to begin doing,” Yana told her.

“You don’t have to do anything,” Cascone answered, a smal smile tugging at her lips.

“Then how am-” Electricity shot through Yana’s right hand before she could finish her question. Her eyes widened as she stared down at her fingers and realized she could see the bones glowing. Her skin became almost translucent, each vein becoming as clear as a river on a map. “Wh-wh-wh-” She couldn’t get the whole word out. Her hand began to twitch, flopping back and forth li ke a dying fish. Yana pressed her left hand over her right, trying to keep it stil . But it was as if her right hand was a hundred times stronger. It jerked away and shot into the air. Then it slapped her face-hard. She could feel the hot imprint of each finger on her cheek.

“Sam, that’s not what I instructed you to do,” Cascone said calmly.

Yana’s hand fel back onto her lap, the glow disappearing as if a light switch under her skin had been flipped off. She stared at it for a moment until it started to feel like part of her own body again. Then she raised her gaze to Cascone. “What did you just say?”

Cascone didn’t answer. She was too busy making a notation on her clipboard. Yana turned to Sam, meeting his dark eyes.

“Did you just do that to me? Is that what she meant?”

Yana didn’t wait for him to answer.
Slap your face.
The cracking sound his hand made when it hit his cheek made her grin.
No
one hits me and gets away with it.
But the glow began in her fingers again. Her hand shot up, and she slapped herself again.

Slap your face!
Sam obeyed her command, but her own hand was already moving into slapping position again.

“Enough!” Cascone barked. “Both of you.” Yana was able to lower her hand to her lap. She locked eyes with Sam. His eyes glit tered with intensity, but she didn’t look away.
He’s the one who sent me the note warning me to say away from the Wilton Cen
ter,
she realized, her entire body going cold.
What does he know about this place?

Rae lifted her hand to knock on Mandy’s door. Before her fist touched the wood, the door flew open, and Mandy grabbed her by the wrist and pul ed her inside. “What took you so long?” she exclaimed.

“I left the house two seconds after you cal ed me,” Rae answered. “Now, take a deep breath and tel me everything you saw.”

“Emma and Zeke are eloping. I already told you that!” Mandy cried. “We’ve got to stop them. God, my dad’s going to be home in half an hour. What am I supposed to tel him? How could Emma be such an idiot? Why-”

“Details. Did your vision give you any details?” Rae asked. “Come on. Let’s sit down for a minute.” She led the way to the living room.

“I can’t sit down,” Mandy answered. “My sister’s eloping.
Eloping.
She’s not even out of high school yet.” She perched on the arm of the couch. “And Zeke, I know you didn’t find out that much about him, but he’s going to ruin her life. I know it.”

Should I slap her like they do in movies?
Rae wondered. No. Somehow she didn’t think it would work that wel in real life.

Mandy might start crying, and then Rae would never get any facts out of her. “So, in your vision Zeke and Emma were in his car, is that right?”

“Yeah. I told you that already.” Mandy bounced up from the arm of the sofa and then immediately sat down next to Rae.

“Were there any street signs? Were they on the freeway? What were they driving by?” Rae tried to make her voice come out calm and firm. She hoped that would get an actual, helpful answer out of Mandy.

“Freeway. On 2,” Mandy answered. “But that could go so many places. And I had to stop checking on them because my vision started to go and I wanted to recharge. So they could be anywhere! I need you to do your fingerprint thing on something of Em ma’s.” Mandy was on her feet again, tugging at Rae’s arm.

“Okay, okay, great plan. Let’s do it,” Rae said as Mandy propel ed her down the hal . She flung open the bathroom door and pul led Rae inside.

“Use her electric razor. I know she was shaving her legs before she left, probably trying to get al beautiful for her wedding to the scum bucket,” Mandy said.

Rae grabbed a tissue and wiped the coat of wax off the fingers of her right hand. Gently she did a sweep of the razor. /this is it/rice/when wil I/am I/underwear/Zeke/

“Sorry, nothing,” Rae told Mandy.

“Toothbrush next,” Mandy ordered. “Emma’s is the green one. Hurry. Hurry, hurry.”

Please let me find something before a vessel bursts in Mandy’s brain,
Rae thought. Then she started a fresh sweep. /wish I/no blood test/insane/something old/mom/mom/

“What next?” Rae asked Mandy.

“You didn’t get anything?” Mandy wailed, like it was Rae’s fault. “Do the moisturizer bottle.” She started to tap her foot. Rae didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone real do that before. She flexed her fingers a couple of times, then ran them over the bottle.

tonight
birdseed/Ranburne/

Rae jerked her fingers away. “Ranburne. I think they’re going to Ranburne. Which makes sense ’cause I got this info about no blood test, and I’m pretty sure Alabama doesn’t make you take a blood test. It’s right across the border.”

“But where in Ranburne?” Mandy exclaimed. “We need a chapel name. A street. Something. Otherwise Emma’s going to be married before we get to her!”

At least following a bus is a no-brainer,
Yana thought. No unexpected turns. No chance in hel it could outrun her little Bug.

When the bus slowed down, Yana went on past it, then watched in her rearview as the passengers got off. No Sam.

So, lather, rinse, and repeat,
she told herself. She took a trip around the block and put herself back behind the bus. At the next stop she passed the bus again and watched al the poor bus riders get off. “And there’s my Sammy,” she whispered. Yana pul ed into the parking lot of a strip mal and watched Sam head down the sidewalk. The guy was a wreck. It looked like each step he to ok hurt him, even though he managed to keep up a decent pace.

When Sam turned a corner two blocks down, Yana gave him a couple of minutes head start, then she pul ed on a floppy brown hat-her white-blond hair was what would get her noticed-and drove after him. It was harder fol owing a pedestrian, especial y on a nice residential street like the one Sam was heading down. There weren’t a lot of cars, and if she went slow enough to stay be hind Sam, he would definitely notice. She decided to pass him and park. Then she’d let him get another head start, fol ow on fo ot, and—