Accused (Ganzfield) (23 page)

I nodded, but I kept seeing images of everyone I knew being mowed down in a spray of bullets.

I scowled.
What’s WRONG with them?

Preparations look good, Jon.
I sagged in the chair across from his desk as I answered his mental summons.

But?

I rubbed a hand down my face.
I don’t know if it’ll be enough.

He met my eyes.
I know. I’ve made several calls, but…

But we don’t have enough charms.
Charms could end an attack before it began, but since their ability didn’t work through electronics like loudspeakers, their range was limited. Most of Ganzfield’s charms had been killed when the Sons of Adam had attacked in February.
Mind-control’s still our best chance of stopping something without anyone ending up dead.

He nodded.

Red energy crackled against my skin as I balled my fists. Nearly fifty charm alums had returned to stay here when Isaiah had been actively hunting G-positives, but they’d left when we’d eliminated Isaiah. Even Trevor’s uncle, Bill, had begged off when Trevor had emailed. The disappointment had been a familiar sensation for Trevor.

Almost none of them are in the leaked files. They think it’s too risky to return now. They have too much to lose—positions, wealth, families.

 They need us, Jon! If something happens to Ganzfield, where do they think their next dose of dodecamine’s gonna come from? Sometimes people have to put the team first—think of the greater good.
We only had Zack and the three young charms who’d joined us after the massacre. We didn’t have a way to neutralize the antagonist darts, so if the Feds chose to target the few charms we have…

Williamson smiled sadly.
They didn’t ALL say no.

I squeezed my eyes shut.
Oh, no. Not HER. Why am I being punished this way?

A smile ghosted across Williamson’s face.
Take one for the team, Maddie.

“Dammit!” A metallic clang and a burst of secondhand pain made me wince. Drew grimaced and examined the pinched, red skin between his thumb and forefinger. He shook his hand to dispel the pain, and then glanced at Rachel’s fireplace to lower the flames—the little house was getting stuffy.

Trevor frowned as he took another look at the assembly instructions for the fireproof crib.
We’re not trying to build a spaceship here. Why is this so complicated? Six hands aren’t enough.

Silver energy enveloped me as I watched him work.

Drew picked up a screwdriver and began his counterattack on the crib rail. His tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated.

I startled—then grinned—when Sienna fumbled her little energy feeler across my face. I projected the images directly to Rachel who smiled beatifically as she watched her precocious daughter’s talent. To me, it seemed like the equivalent of a newborn gazing at the things in her nursery, just taking in what she could. She wasn’t actually doing anything consciously—simply looking around and checking things out.

A normal baby—with a few extra senses.

I tried to relax and absorb the contentment of the morning—while it still existed—but the touch of a familiar mind in the field between the spark houses and the main buildings ruined my tranquility.

Where is everyone? It’s just a bunch of sparks and minders here.
It was as though Cecelia had gone to a party—expecting to find the other popular kids there—and had arrived to find everyone dressed as wizards and asking who her favorite hobbit was.
Nina said Rachel was down here in Sparktown. Which one of these ugly little shacks is hers?

I sighed and decided to get it over with.
It’s the only house with smoke coming out of the chimney right now.
I registered Cecelia’s surprise—she gasped and tripped, putting down a hand and a knee in the inch-deep snow. A scowl reverberated through her mind as she stood and brushed ice crystals from her jeans and gloves. The temperature threatened to go above freezing today, but since it was November in New Hampshire, I considered that an empty threat.

Across the room, Trevor’s
a-ha!
splashed into me as the final pieces of the crib-rail fit together with a satisfying metal clank. Grinning, he dropped to sit on the floor next to me, lacing his fingers through mine.

Seth skirted the edges of the field, keeping his distance from my minder-loud presence, as he headed back to his cabin. His thoughts radiated fatigue and concern over leaving his post at the front gate.
Jon doesn’t have the range I do. Will he be able to hear anything from Hunter’s group or just the General’s people by the gate? It’s Hunter’s that we really need to keep tabs on. I should go back out after I get a few hours’ sleep. I’m the only one who can hear everyone—the only one who can do it right.

Cecelia’s jaw dropped when she saw Rachel. “Geez, you got big!”

Rachel grinned. “Don’t they teach you any manners in college?” Next to her, a little fireball made a whoomp sound as it mushroomed out of her blanket. Drew flashed it out with a glance.

“Holy crap!” Cecelia froze. “That happen often?”

“All the time.” Drew’s thoughts had taken an erotic turn when Cecelia had walked in.
That girl can even make a ski jacket look smokin’ hot!
“But I’m here to take care of things.”
And I could take care of a few things with you, starting by—

Ugh! Tone it down to PG, Drew!Geez!
I thought at him, making him blush his freckles into submission. Yeah, Cecelia was blonde and pretty and all, but… but she’s
Cecelia.
Her personality could make food go rancid.

Trevor squeezed my hand.
He’s not interested in her personality.

I gathered that.
Okay, I could be nice… at least as long as she didn’t piss me off too much. It was a relief to have another charm here. I tried to give her a civil smile.
Thanks for coming
.

“Ugh, Maddie! It’s so creepy having your voice in my head like that! Haven’t you learned to talk again yet?”

I felt Trevor’s hand tighten on mine, as though to hold me back.

“Yes.” Part of my mind did a little knee-waggling touchdown dance over not messing up the word. In your face, Cecelia. I can talk in monosyllables! Ha!

Okay, not so impressive. I gave Cecelia a tight-lipped smile.
Maybe you should help Ann Williamson with her training.
If she actually fell for it, I hoped my mom would be out of cookies, too.

Trevor started to laugh, but then covered with a series of fake coughs.

“It must be so hard to be a minder.” Cecilia’s cloying, fake sympathy competed with the cattiness in her narrowed eyes. “All of those voices in your head must make you feel schizophrenic!”

So much for nice.
Cecelia, do you think being a sociopath is a result of charm ability, or the cause of it? I mean, the correlation is so high…

A sudden muscle pain—like a charlie-horse cramp—passed across Rachel’s belly and I inhaled sharply.

“Ow.” Rachel frowned down at herself.

Rachel, are you okay? Was that— ?

Yellow energy suddenly manifested around Rachel, as though seeking her out for reassurance. “Fake contraction. I’ve been having them on and off for a few days now. Heather says they’re normal.”

That was a fake one?
As in, not as bad as the real ones? I looked at Trevor.
You weren’t really that attached to the idea of having kids, were you?
I was only half-joking.

Not anytime soon, that’s for sure.
He’d picked up enough of the sensation by piggybacking on my ability.
I’m not up for anything that causes you pain.

I took a deep breath.
Well, I’d better get used to it. Rachel’s due in less than a month and if I’m going to be there, then—

“WHAT?” Steel-grey energy flashed like a lion’s mane around Trevor.
Maddie, have you lost your mind? You… you want to BE THERE when she’s…

Want to? No. Intend to? Yes. I can handle it. Rachel needs me.

“Rachel?” Trevor tried to sound calm. “About Maddie being there when you—No. No.” His jaw began to shake.

“Huh?” Rachel asked, confused.

“Maddie feels other people’s pain. Strongly. Like it’s happening to her.” Trevor’s intensity surprised me, but I suppose it shouldn’t have. “She can’t be there for… for the delivery.”

I can handle it,
I repeated. If I said it enough, would I make it true?

The yellow feeler of energy flopped over and found Trevor’s face. I sent the image to everyone, mostly to change the subject.

“Since when are you the boss of Maddie?” Cecelia asked him.

“Since they got dream-married,” said Rachel.

“They got what?” Cecelia asked.
Whatever. It sounds lame.

“Cool glow, Trev,” said Drew. It was the first time he’d seen Superbaby do something other than start fires.

I think she’s picking up on the fact that you’re upset,
I said to Trevor.
I’m pretty sure the baby’s telepathic, on top of everything else.

I don’t want you in pain.

So much for the subject change.

I’m not a big fan of pain myself, but Rachel’s going to be going through it and she shouldn’t be alone. Maybe we can ask Zack to take off the pain memories—
Whoa. Wait a minute. Why deal with the memories? And why do it after-the-fact?

Trevor’s anxiety melted away as he read my thoughts.
You’re a genius
. He closed his eyes and gave my hand a squeeze.

Cecelia?

She flinched, and then scowled at me like I’d slapped her with a flyswatter. Actually, that sounded like something I’d like to try. “What?”

Can you charm Rachel during the delivery? Keep her from feeling pain?

Oh. Oh!
Pale hope and excitement flared within Rachel as she looked at Cecelia. Behind her, a grey plume of smoke rose from the pillow. Drew stared for a moment and it stopped.

Cecelia nodded. “Yeah, that’s do-able.”

She’s do-able.
“Wow. You’re really talented.” Drew’s imagination filled with certain talents she might have horizontally. I rolled my eyes.

Trevor joke-smacked him on the back of the head with an invisible hand.
Hey, watch your thoughts in front of my wife
.

CHAPTER 13

Rachel’s asking for you.

Seth’s mental voice broke into my dream. I’d been pulling the legs off of fist-sized, hairy spiders before frosting their round bodies like cupcakes. What the hell was
that
about? I groaned and opened my eyes to darkness. It was a little after 4 a.m. Why would Rachel— ?

Duh. Why do you think?

Oh.
Baby!
I was suddenly awake, although now I felt nauseous. Rachel wasn’t due for another two weeks, but I guess little Superkid didn’t have a calendar.

Suck it up. You’re not the one in labor.

I groaned.
Thanks, Seth.

Still, I think you’re crazy to get that close to the pain. I’m heading to the far side of the lake now.
With his huge range, that wasn’t an over-reaction.

I grabbed some clothes and a quick cup of coffee before leaving a post-it on the bathroom mirror for Trevor.

Rachel’s having the baby!

When I stepped outside, the November pre-morning cold sucked the breath from my lungs. I headed to Blake House only to change direction when I realized no one was in the infirmary.

I guess fire issues trump being in a medical facility.

I moved down to the spark houses. Excited minds flashed medical ideas as I approached. My boots cracked the icy top layer and sank into the snow with each crunching step.

Then the contraction hit.

I knew it wasn’t in my body, but it still hurt like a menstrual cramp on steroids. I stopped—unable to focus on moving—as the deep-purple pain squeezed through me. It passed after an eternal minute, and I took a shuddering breath and quickened my pace.

All four healers gathered around Rachel, who sat on the side of her bed and looked pale and clammy, like she was about to throw up.

She actually looked better than she felt.

From across the room, Ellen thought out the little fireball that flared up from the corner of the sheet, and then cooled the flames in the fireplace.

“—probably better to let things progress naturally.” Matilda was cautious.
The fetus has already been exposed to dodecamine. We need to avoid additional medications since we don’t know what they will do with its unique brain chemistry.
“Women have been having babies this way forever. We don’t need to interfere unless something goes wrong.”

“But if we speed up the delivery, she could have the baby within a matter of minutes. There’s less risk of fetal distress.” Heather’s excitement colored her thoughts a pale peach.
An enhanced delivery would be so cool!

I suddenly wanted to grab a couple of the healers by their collars and shake them—and I really wasn’t too picky about which ones. Rachel was in pain and they weren’t doing anything about it!

Where’s Cecelia?

Hannah frowned at me.
Why’s Maddie interrupting? We’re trying to work here.

I frowned back.
Aren’t you going to do anything about her pain?
Honestly, Rachel’s well-being was only half of my concerns. Maybe less than half—I’d never been the altruistic-type.

“What do you mean? The tissues need to stretch and change shape to let the baby out and that hurts.”

I stared at her.
Haven’t you people heard of an epidural?
I’d heard of it and I was a seventeen-year-old non-medical-person.
She’s hurting!
I considered projecting the experience into their heads to make my point more clearly—the raw memory of the last second-hand contraction still clung to my mind.