Max continued to comfort the distraught woman until he felt his bum go numb from not moving. “Cam, we need to move. I’m going to bring you home, okay?”

  She nodded and he helped her to stand.

  He packed her up into his truck, asked the closest deputy if they were allowed to leave, and slipped into the cab himself. Starting the engine, he pulled out of the drive and went down the street, turning the corner all without looking back at the house.

  Chapter Nine

  James blinked slowly. Her mouth was dry as cotton and her head pounded like there was a steel drummer using her skull as an instrument. She closed her eyes to block out the harsh light that was coming from above and pushed her head into the rank smelling mattress.

  She pulled away and turned on her back, instantly regretting the movement. Taking slow and deep breaths, she tried to calm the thudding in her head as it seemed to take over everything. Turning on her other side to face the wall, she felt a small hand on her forehead. It slowly slipped through her hair, making a pattern and keeping it.

  The move comforted her. Lily was okay and safe. She was there in the room, and James’ head was starting to get a little better as the minutes ticked by.

  Swallowing hard, she decided to finally speak. “Lily?”

  “Jamsey. It’s s’okay.” Lily was still petting the long black locks, her voice soothing like only a child could do. “Addy says it’s s’okay.”

  “Where is Addy?”

  She didn’t get an answer, but the movement of Lily’s hand on her head didn’t stop. James pushed her heavy and sore body upward, so she was leaning hard on one arm.

  “Lily, where’s Addy?”

  The girl shook her head and the tears started to well beneath her dark eyes. James leaned against the wall that the bed was touching and opened her arms so the girl could crawl into her lap.

  “I need to know where she is, bumble bee. Can you tell me?”

  The small head nodded. “The people came an’ took her.”

  “What people?”

  “Dunno. Three people.”

  She held up her hand awkwardly with three fingers pointing as straight as she could make them. “They make her go with them. She don’ want to, though.”

  Lily’s face was pressed against James’ thigh while the woman trailed her fingers through the long locks undoing the tangles.

  “Okay, baby, it’ll be okay.”

  James needed to focus. Closing her eyes, she thought only of Addison. She had no idea how far of a distance the link could be made, but she was willing to try. She thought of the way Addison’s smiled, the way her voice sounded, and she hoped that she could feel any inkling of her heart beating.

  “James DON’T!” The words echoed through her head as James felt the searing pain in her hand. Addison’s finger was bent backwards and snapped in two.

  Addison was sobbing, tears strolling down her cheeks as she held in all the sounds of pain that she could possibly keep in. She didn’t want them to have the pleasure of knowing how much they were hurting her, even though she was sure that they knew. The way the guard was breaking each bone in each finger was determined and sadistic. He’d obviously done it before. The salty drops were falling off her chin, and she clenched her eyes shut as he went for the proximal phalanges in her left ring finger. He snapped the bone without asking her a single question and pulled it out of joint. She was wiggling her body as much as she could, her stomach begging release from the pain that was coursing through her body in shocking waves.

  “What do you want?” she finally cried out.

  “Are you ready to talk?” There was that voice again, disjointed because his face was completely covered and he was no one to her. Just as she was probably no one to him.

  She nodded her head. “What do you want to know?”

  “Will you tell me anything?”

  He waited for her to answer. Addison hesitated, because in truth she would never tell him anything of great importance. She grimaced when she realized that he had seen her moment of weakness.

  “I don’t think you’re quite ready.” Taking her pinky, he repeated the process on the last of her functioning finger on that hand.

  #

  James was crying when she tried to break the connection. She had failed to snap the telepathic tether and succeeded in feeling the sharp pain radiate up her arm. It dissipated, and she was left with the memory of the torture. She didn’t move until the slight push at her shoulder caught her attention.

  “Jamsey? Jamsey?”

  “What is it, baby girl?”

  She lifted a hand to wipe her tears and stared at the girl, reminding herself why she had to be strong. She couldn’t become overwhelmed with everything that was going on. She couldn’t dwell on the fact that Addison was being tortured for no reason or explanation and that she was stuck in a ten by ten cement cell with a girl that was only hers because emergency foster care needed help.

  With a girl who had lost her parents to a fire that she had set because she had special powers. She wasn’t in control of those powers then, of her gift; now she was, for the most part. Lily was a girl who had set fire to her foster parents’ house killing five souls without so much as blinking. Lily was a girl who spoke to no one except herself and Addison, and she was a girl in dire need of James’ attention.

  The air got stuck on its way in as James took a deep breath. She had powers, the girl wasn’t alone. Addison, her lover, had powers. They were part of a group of special beings on the planet that stuck together because of their unique gifts. And she had no idea what she’d gotten into, but she was damn sure she didn’t want to be a part of it. She held the tears at bay as they threatened again. The girl who should probably be in a mental institution with the trauma she had seen and created was patiently waiting for her to answer, and she was completely ignoring Lily to focus on herself. Breathing deeply, James saw the child staring curiously at her.

  “What is it?”

  “I have ta go potty.”

  “Right… okay.”

  Taking another long breath, James looked around the tiny room. She could do this. This simple task she could do. Her eyes searched the poorly lit corners and she found no toilet.

  “Damn it!” She muttered it far louder than she intended, and when the child next to her winced, she pressed a hand to her cheek. “I’m not mad. It’s okay.”

  Standing up, she carefully made her way to the door, her head spinning and her body loudly protesting the move. Her cheek was squished against the cold metal door and she savored the contrast from her skin to the material. It was saving grace in that moment because she wasn’t sure she was going to be able to stand much longer.

  Curling her fingers into a fist, she pounded twice on the door. There was no answer. She did it again, harder, and collapsed to the floor on her knees. Using her elbow, she continued the pounding pattern and closed her eyes, wishing that someone would magically appear outside the door and open it. When she opened her eyes, that was where she was standing: outside the tiny cell and in a long narrow corridor. Looking around suddenly, her heart started to race and adrenaline had her blood pumping in her veins. Turning her head to look down the other end of the hallway, she took a step forward with bare feet on the cold and dirty cement flooring.

  “Um… hello?” she called out quietly, wanting and yet not wanting anyone to hear her.

  Looking at the door, she realized that it was the one that Lily was on the other side of. Taking hold of the handle, she started to tug and pull at it, but with no effect. It was locked electronically. Groaning, she fiddled with the buttons next to the handle, pressing in as many random digits as she could think of with no success. That was when she heard the ruffing sound of shoes against floor.

  Turning quickly and pressing her back into the door, she looked for an exit and twisted back to face the door. Instead of the door, she saw Lily sitting before her on her knees staring awkwardly at her face.

  “Where you go?”

  “What do you mean—what?” James shook her head and looked at the door behind her that she was still propped against. She heard the buttons being pressed before it was jerked open and she was shoved off it. There was one body standing in the doorway, blocking anything from the outside from getting in. James looked up from her spot on the floor.

  “What do you want?” The low rumble and tone of the voice made her positive that it was a man speaking, although he wasn’t burly, well-built, or tall by any means.

  James demanded, “Bathroom.”

  “No.”

  “It’s for the girl.” Glaring, James watched his eyes that were covered in the mask as they moved over to where Lily was huddled behind James. “She needs to go.”

  “Only her.”

  “No. She goes, I go. I won’t try anything stupid, not that I could with this head injury.”

  She watched as his head cocked to the side and he contemplated. His chin jerked up and the door opened wider, revealing another body just outside.

  James pulled herself up with the help of the handle and held her hand out for Lily’s. “Come on, baby.”

  The girl timidly put her hand in James’, and they made out of the room. James leaned heavily against the walls as the two men led the way. They all heard the scream at the same time and James shut her eyes, dragging the tiny body close to hers and pressing her hands over the girl’s ears. It was Addison. She knew it. They all knew it. Yet in her mind, she completely denied it.

  She took another step when she heard the sobbing and the quiet mumbled mantra, “Stop, please stop.”

  The men behind her shoved her forward, and she smacked into the wall, falling down.

  Lily was staring at her like there was nothing scarier in the world than what was going on in that moment. She imagined for the child that there wasn’t.

  There was a second scream that echoed and rattled through James’ head and chest. She grabbed Lily and started to walk her quickly toward where the guards were leading. The voice grew louder until they were shoved through a door and into a one stall bathroom. James took a breath when she realized they were alone.

  Lily made her way to the toilet in the corner of the room and started to pee, the stream of liquid echoing off the barren walls. It seemed like forever, but James didn’t care. So long as they were out of the room and so long as Addison wasn’t screaming anymore, everything was fine. She seriously needed a pep talk—where was Max when she needed him? Not kidnapped, that was for sure.

  After helping Lily to reach the soap, she used the lavatory as well. They each cupped their hands, filled them with water, and drank to their hearts content, but slow sips only. James had no idea how long they’d been in the building and without water, but she wasn’t expecting any to be given to her in a reasonable amount of time.

  They took the last sip when the banging on the door became too much to ignore and she unlocked it.

  “Finished?”

  “Yeah, thank you.”

  She gave a sweet smile, hoping that it might deter anything from happening later and pressed both hands into Lily’s shoulders, walking slowly back to their cell. There were no yelling, shouting, sobbing or sudden noises this time. Only silent walls and corridors greeted them. James was pleased, yet worried. Addison worried her.

  Locked in their room, she found Lily in her lap as they reclined on the cot. Her body was rocking back and forth slowly, and Lily was humming a sweet and quiet tune. Closing her eyes, she reached out to Addison, the soft tune of the girl filling her senses and lifting over to Addison’s ears.

  “You don’t know how nice it is to hear that.”

  “How are you doing?”

  James asked, sincerely wanting to know the extent of the woman’s injuries. Not that could do anything about them, but at least she would be able to focus on something other than the dullness of the room and her own panic.

  Addison drew in a deep breath, keeping her eyes closed, and her heartbeat calm. “You don’t want to know. It’s nothing that won’t heal with time.”

  Nodding to no one but herself, James smiled. “You don’t feel like you’re in much pain.”

  “Blocking it.”

  “Ah.”

  James looked down at the blonde head that was against her chest, wishing she knew how to block feelings and emotions.

  “We’re fine, no problems yet. Do you know what they want?”

  “Information basically, and they’re doing some testing.”

  “Testing?”

  “Yeah.”

  Addison coughed lightly and winced as pain shot through her arm.

  “On my blood. I’m assuming they’ll come take Lily’s sooner or later. I don’t know if they know that you have the gift or not, but I’m thinking not, otherwise you’d be in here with me.”

  She was coughing harder this time. “How’s your head?”

  “Fine, I want to sleep.”

  “Don’t.”

  “I know, thank you for the information.” She replied smugly, knowing that she would earn a grin from Addison no matter how much hurt she was in. “Why are they taking your blood? What kind of tests?”

  “I honestly don’t know, but I can assure you that it’s not good.”

  Her hand moved slightly, and she cried out before she could control her body again with slow deep breaths.

  “The doctor is one of us. I’m not sure if we can trust him, but at this moment I don’t see why not.”

  James pressed her lips to the crown of Lily’s head when she realized that the child was sleeping. “How long have we been here?”

  “No idea.”

  “Addison?”

  The woman only hummed in response.

  “A little bit ago, something happened. I don’t think it was supposed to, but it’s something that never happened before.”

  “What was it?”

  James could tell that the other woman was growing tired and was quickly slipping into her own form of unconsciousness. “I kind of left my body and ended up on the other side of the door.”

  “You what?” Suddenly, Addison was wide awake.

  Repeating herself, James took in a slow breath. “I honestly don’t know how it happened, but I ended up on the other side of the door. The outside. I could push buttons and touch things and then all of a sudden I was back to where I was supposed to be, in the cell.”

  “That’s rare,” Addison stated simply. “I’ve never seen it happen, it’s so rare, but I’ve heard stories of the ability. Only the strongest have it. Don’t let it wear you out.”

  James shifted her legs as they started to go numb. “So it’s not abnormal then, right?”

  “Oh, no, it’s fine. It’s normal.”

  James felt Addison gasp as cold water was thrown all over her body and the shiver that ran up her spine. Addison tried to block the woman out further, but was unable to. James said her name repeatedly, worry lacing each syllable.

  “I’m fine. Leave, you don’t want to know what happens.”

  Begrudgingly, James left her, and Addison was returned to the hell that chained her. The unknown and faceless man was standing in front of her, so close she could smell his breath along with the ham and mayo sandwich he had just been eating.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had been there for a long time without food. Although considering her last meal had put her there, she wasn’t too keen on eating again or very soon. Her eyes latched onto the black wire mesh globes that were his eyes. She glared with everything she had.

  “You didn’t have to do that, I was awake.”

  “Wanted to be sure.” The malice dripped off his tongue.

  Addison shook her head and looked down at her left hand which was red, swollen, bruised and had all fingers going off in awkward and disjointed angles. That would take a good time to heal. Her head whipped back to him when he dumped a second bucket of freezing water on top of her.

  “What the hell?”

  He shrugged and threw the bucket into the corner and sat on a stool that he must have brought in with him.

  “What organization do you work for?”

  “I don’t work for any organization. I work for the City of Norwich.”

  “We know that you work for an organization on the side.”

  His hands were pressed to the circular wood seat in between his legs, and she wished her legs were freed so she could kick him hard in the groin. He must have seen the look, because he stood and grasped her left wrist with both of his, twisted until the bone snapped in two.

  Her voice echoed throughout the room which seemed to encourage him. He pulled on the bones even more until she felt them completely separate. She wished she could pass out from the pain, but try as she might she didn’t think it was going to happen.

  “Who do you work for?” The words were hissed into her ear.

  “I work for the city. As a firefighter. As Battalion Chief of Station Seven.” Her sentences were short, her jaw clenched, and her molars ground together.

  His face was in hers again. “We know that’s only a cover. Who do you work for?”

  “No one!” she shouted and spat in his face, aiming for the eye but missing.

  It barely fazed him as he sat back in on his stool and stared at her. She didn’t want to give any information, and she also knew that the longer she kept them in the room with her the less time they would spend on Lily and, possibly, James. This was not the first time she had been in this type of situation.

  “I used to work for The Gifted School.”

  The guard’s head turned slowly from one side to the other as he contemplated the new details she had given him. Not that it was much.

  “No one works for The Gifted School without working for Norma-Jean.”

  “Well, seeing as how she owns the school and is the primary financial backer, I suppose that’s true,” she answered him flippantly, knowing that what he said was true.

  She didn’t want to admit that it was part of her life. Not that it was a bad part of her life. It was just a time that was done and over with. She was out. It was rare people left without keeping the ties and rarer still that they never went back, but she’d managed it and she’d done well.