Hunting Lila (26 page)

Demos seemed to be enjoying the effect he was having. ‘Bring back Alicia and you get your sister back alive. I don’t care how you do it. It’s a good deal, I think.’

I let my eyes track from Alex to Jack. They were both looking at me. Both of them trying to convey to me that I shouldn’t worry, that everything would be just fine. I gave them a washed-out smile, trying to convince them that I believed them. The trickle of blood on Alex’s cheek had dried to a crust and a reddish bruise was swelling his cheekbone.

Jack turned his head to look at Alex and Alex dragged his eyes off me and looked over at Jack. I saw the silent communication happening between them. The nod of their heads. They didn’t need to be like Suki, they knew each other so well. Plus Jack had his unpoker face on. I could see they were agreeing to do whatever Demos wanted, and my stomach knotted itself in fear. Heading back to the base and trying to break someone out sounded like suicide.

Alex turned to Demos. Took a step towards him. I noticed the gun still hovering at his back but Demos didn’t try to stop him. He stood his ground, his eyes watchful.

‘If we do what you say – if we get Alicia – you’ll give us Lila. Do you swear it?’

Demos nodded. ‘I’m a man of my word, Alex. You should know that.’

Jack took a step now too, the gun nudging his head. I saw a smile curl on Ryder’s lip. ‘I swear to God if you try anything . . .’

‘Save it, Jack. If anyone’s going to try anything, we both know it’ll be you. You’re impulsive – like your sister. Like your mother was, too.’ It was said almost with affection.

My body recoiled like a snake had reared up and bitten me. Jack’s reaction was the complete opposite. He darted forward so fast that his hand made contact with Demos’s throat, his fingers closing around the soft flesh before Demos even had time to react.

In the next instant Alex and I lunged for the gun at Jack’s head. Alex’s hand knocked it out of the way and I spun it up into the tree branches and out of the clearing.

I heard a grunt from Bill and watched as Ryder smacked his elbow hard into Alex’s ribs. Alex folded over, hugging his body, and I let out a yell that mingled with Suki’s screams. But then there was silence all around.

Harvey stepped forward with the other gun in his hand and brought it to rest against the base of Jack’s skull. My heart stopped in my throat.

Demos stepped back from Jack’s outstretched and frozen hand, his fingers massaging the red bruises rising on his neck. Alex stood up straight, nursing his ribs, but with a confused frown on his face. His eyes tracked straight to me. I wasn’t frozen. I could still think.

‘Are you OK?’ he mouthed.

All I could do was nod. Then he looked over at Jack and I saw the question in his eyes and the flash of anger that came in its wake.

Demos was frowning at Jack now. His brow so heavy it looked like it might cave in at any moment. ‘Trying to prove my point, Jack?’ he asked. Then he turned to Bill and Harvey. ‘This is a seventeen-year-old girl,’ he said, nodding his head in my direction. ‘Can you, or can you not, handle a seventeen-year-old girl?’

They looked sheepish.

‘I told you she was strong,’ Suki piped up from behind Demos.

‘Maybe she could give those two some lessons.’ He turned back to them. ‘Watch her please.’

Then he turned on me. ‘Lila, please rein in your talents. Or I will have to stop you from thinking. And I really don’t want to have to do that.’

There was a pause and I realised he was waiting for me to respond. I nodded at him through clenched teeth.

‘So where was I? I believe I was telling Jack not to try anything. That fell on deaf ears, didn’t it, Jack?’ He pushed his face into Jack’s frozen one. ‘So I’ll say it again, to be clear. Do. Not. Try. Anything. Don’t even think about bringing the Unit into this. It won’t end well.’

I remembered Alex’s words along the same lines. It was as though he had prophesied this.

Then I heard a clicking noise and saw Harvey cocking the gun against Jack’s head. I struggled to keep my panic and rage under control, terrified that I’d knock the gun again and it would go off accidentally and shoot Jack’s brains out.

‘Move the gun, Harvey, it’s freaking her out.’ It was Suki.

Harvey scowled at her but did as he was told, pulling it back but keeping it trained on Jack’s back. I felt my panic ebb a notch and wondered if it was because of that or whether Demos had had a hand in it. He hadn’t let Jack go, though, his body still forming an awkward statue in front of us, his face strangely peaceful-looking.

Demos turned to Suki. ‘What’s he thinking?’ He was indicating Alex. God, I had longed for that ability only a few hours ago – it was so ironic. ‘Is he going to bring us Alicia? Or is he planning on bringing the Unit?’

Suki paused, listening in silence to Alex’s thoughts. I could see Alex’s brow furrow at the violation. ‘No. From what I can tell, he won’t do anything that might put Lila in danger.’ She paused. ‘Well, any more danger. He doesn’t know how they’ll get back onto the base, though. Yet. Or how they’ll break Alicia out. The security is heavy. I . . .’ She shook her head. ‘He’s . . .’

I could see her frowning and then her eyes grew wide. She stretched up and whispered something in Demos’s ear. He cricked his head to listen, his eyebrows raised in interest, and then flicked me a glance.

He turned back to Alex. ‘That’s interesting, Alex. Thanks for the information.’

I wondered what on earth Suki had heard Alex saying. He didn’t look annoyed at her. On the contrary, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.

‘Amber!’ Demos was calling to a figure at the edge of the clearing.

She lifted her head at the name and walked towards us fast. All I could see was a haze of red hair blazing in the afternoon sunshine and a pair of statuesque legs clad in tight black leather. She created much the same impact as Rachel did on a group, and a hush descended.

‘Amber, what do you sense – is he telling the truth?’ Demos asked when she got near.

She turned towards Alex, who met her gaze coolly. She smiled at him as though they were old friends. ‘Hey, Alex, are you telling the truth?’

I watched as Alex’s brow furrowed at the question. What was she, a human lie detector?

‘Yes,’ he answered firmly.

Amber stood there for five long seconds, her eyes tracing Alex’s body and a smile fluttering on her lips. I shuffled uneasily. I knew a look like that when I saw one. I coughed under my breath and she broke out of her private reverie.

‘Yes, he’s telling the truth,’ she said to Demos. ‘That was amazing.’

What was amazing? What had she been doing to him with her mind? I looked at him in horror but Alex seemed as confused as I was. Amber walked to Ryder’s side and slipped her arm over his shoulder, whispering in his ear. He glanced up at Alex and over at me.

‘Good. I don’t like liars,’ Demos said. ‘And as regards getting onto the base and into the building, you’re a resourceful guy, Alex. I’m sure you’ll figure something out. And don’t worry – we’ll take good care of her.’

A sly smile slashed Suki’s face in half. ‘He says he’ll kill you if you don’t.’

‘I’d like to see him try,’ said a voice.

‘Quite,’ said Demos. ‘Right, Jack, can you hear me?’

Jack’s face suddenly transformed from its nirvana-like expression into stone-cold hate.

‘I’m going to unfreeze you but remember there’s a gun at your back so you need to behave.’

With that Jack fell forward, stumbling to standing. The tendons on his neck were taut as wires and you could have struck a light off his eyes.

‘Alex and I were just discussing details. He’s trying to work out how you’ll break Alicia out. And I was saying that I had no doubt you two would manage it somehow. Though it’s a shame and rather surprising that you don’t have a special talent like your sister. You do know it’s genetic, don’t you?’

Jack made no response.

Demos laughed suddenly. ‘It’s ironic, isn’t it? Your sister being a psy. Being one of us. You gotta find that funny.’

Jack continued to ignore him, staring right through him.

‘No? Not funny?’ He glanced at Suki and sighed. ‘What’s he thinking?’

She didn’t take her eyes off Jack. ‘He’s thinking that no matter what his sister is, she’ll never be like us. That she’s not a killer – oh, that’s interesting.’

Her head tipped up like a dog hearing a sound and trying to figure out where it was coming from.

‘What?’ Demos asked.

‘Not him. Her.’ She pointed at me. ‘She’s worrying that she is just like us. Something about an eyeball?’

Everyone shifted to stare at me and I shuffled my feet and tried to make my mind go blank. God, she was so annoying.

Demos considered me for a moment before turning back to Jack. ‘You know we’ve known all along about Lila? We’ve been watching her. We had Harvey here disable the alarm system at your house so Lila didn’t trigger it accidentally. We didn’t think it would be helpful for any of us if you contained your own sister. We’d be without collateral, you’d be without a sister, and probably without a job.’

Jack’s jaw looked like it might be about to dislocate. I shook my head. At least I knew now why I’d had luck on my side.

‘Well, Jack, Alex,’ Demos sighed, ‘time you were on your way. I’ll give you twelve hours. Here,’ he threw a phone towards Alex who caught it in his left hand, his eyes not leaving Demos’s face, ‘take this. Call the last number dialled when you have her. Then I’ll tell you where to come.’

Alex barely nodded at him.

Demos turned back to Jack. ‘It’s a shame we can’t have more time together. But at least I’ll have the pleasure of your sister’s company for the foreseeable future, if not yours.’

Amber hopped a few steps back and away. ‘Demos, seriously, stop it right now, you’re going to give him an aneurysm or something. All I can see is red, red, red. It’s giving me a headache. I don’t like it.’

‘You don’t much like him chasing you either, darling.’ He turned to Jack. ‘You’d better hurry, the clock’s ticking.’

My legs started to shake. I looked at Alex, but his eyes were already on me.

‘I’ll come back, I promise you. I won’t let them hurt you,’ he whispered to me, as though no one else was around to hear.

Then Jack was blocking my view, his arms wrapped tight around me. ‘I love you,’ he whispered into my ear. ‘I’m sorry. I’ll fix this.’

A hand tugged him away. It was Ryder.

‘We’ll be sending someone with you.’ Demos twisted around and beckoned someone over who I hadn’t noticed until now. He was just a kid wearing a Metallica T-shirt and a pair of beaten-up Converse. He was even younger than me. It had to be Nate. I wondered if Key was around.

‘How do you know his name? Who’s Key?’ It was Suki asking. She was looking at me curiously.

The others all turned to stare again. The boy Nate was suddenly alert.

I tried to make my mind go blank. La la la la la la la la.

‘You can’t keep that up forever,’ Suki said, with a touch of menace.

La la la la la la la.

‘Oh, Demos, make her stop.’

La—

Suki was looking at me with relief on her face. Why was she looking at me like that?

‘Key’s my father.’ A boy was speaking up from behind Demos’s back. It had to be Nate. ‘He can project. He’s probably here right now.’

As one, we all scanned the clearing from left to right, our eyes peering up into the branches and amongst the trees, looking for a ghost.

‘And why would he do that?’ asked Demos.

‘Apparently he thinks his son is here under duress,’ said Suki, laughing.

‘Well, you tell this Key when you see him that I’m taking good care of his son. He’s happy – as you can see.’ Demos looked at Alex and gestured at Nate, who was hanging his head at the sudden attention. ‘Come out come out wherever you are.’ Demos laughed. ‘I know you can’t show yourself. But if you can hear me Mr Johnson I’m taking good care of your son. He’s happy – you can see. And not here under duress.’

‘Oh really?’ I spoke up. ‘Because you aren’t physically touching him, just controlling his mind, he’s not under duress?’

Demos turned to me angrily, and I heard a growling noise that I thought came from Alex’s direction. ‘No – I’m not controlling him. That would be too much effort. He’s here because he wants to be.’ He turned back to the clearing, calling out to the emptiness between the sky and the trees. ‘Hang around, Key, maybe you’ll discover something that’ll make you change your mind. Maybe you would be happy joining us, too, and Lila – I could always use another projector’ – he looked at me – ‘and someone with telekinetic ability.’

‘Over my dead body,’ I replied.

Demos frowned and then turned to Alex and Jack once more. ‘I think it’s time you two were on your way. Take Alex’s bike – it’ll be faster. Remember, Nate’ll project and follow you, so don’t try anything, OK? See you in twelve hours.’

He walked to me and put his hand on my shoulder, his fingers as heavy as slabs of lead. My whole body turned rigid and I thought he was doing something to me again, until I realised it was just my natural reaction to his touch. I fought down every instinct to shrug him off and mouthed the word ‘go’ at Alex.

He hesitated, his lips parted, and for a split second it looked like he was about to say something, but then he grabbed Jack by the elbow. ‘Let’s go,’ he said, and tugged him backwards out of the clearing.

They gave me one last glance before twisting around and starting to jog towards the cable car. I swallowed hard several times, feeling the violent stretch of the invisible elastic tying me to Alex and then the sudden whiplash against my insides as it snapped in two.

I stood there watching after them, in the middle of a circle made up of my mother’s killers, and wondered if it was the last time I would ever see them.

Out of nowhere, Suki suddenly appeared at my side and put her arm around my shoulders. ‘Don’t be sad,’ she whispered in my ear. ‘He loves you. He’s sorry that he never told you.’

I’d seen eyes like his on a dead shark carcass once. That was all I could think of as we sat opposite each other at the picnic table. It was an unlikely location for a head-to-head with a murderer. Too light. Too peaceful. Like a scene from
Bambi.