The Mesmerized (28 page)

An icy chill flowed along Minji’s spine and
she shook off her unease. Picking up the three dolls the entity had
selected, Minji made a little pantomime of the dolls walking to the
window. “We’re going to take you home. To your mommy.”

Ava’s arm fell back to her side, but she
stared at the three dolls, her head tilted.

Minji picked up Tiana and the small Asian
baby doll that Ava loved to carry around. “Simone is going to take
care of Bailey here. Okay?”

“I’ll take good care of the baby,” Simone
added.

Ava’s eyes moved between the dolls and
Simone.

“Amazing. I think it’s really starting to
understand us,” Alec chuckled. “Unbelievable.”

Minji started to return the dolls to the
backpack, but Ava’s hands stopped her. The little girl clutched the
baby doll and Tiana in her hands.

“What does that mean?” Simone asked
worriedly.

Solemnly, Ava handed the dolls to Bailey.
The baby snatched them up and immediately shoved the doll foot in
her mouth.

“I believe that means it understands,” Minji
answered, zipping up the backpack.

“Excellent,” Simone said, relieved.

“Hopefully, our task will be much easier
now. Good job, Minji.”

While Minji took a moment to kiss Bailey
goodbye, Alec heaved the diaper bag with water and protein bars
over his shoulder. Minji had earlier emptied it of Bailey’s things
then repacked it for their journey. Though it hurt to be apart from
Bailey, Minji knew it was for the best. She didn’t dare take Bailey
with them for fear of something dire happening. It was already
dismaying to take Ava into a potentially dangerous situation.

Simone patted Minji’s shoulder, but didn’t
offer a hug. Maybe she’d detected Minji’s aversion. It wasn’t that
Minji didn’t like embracing people; it was just that she needed to
contain her emotions until things were resolved. She feared that if
she allowed herself a moment of comfort, all the feelings she so
carefully contained would come flooding out.

“Thank you for taking care of Bailey,
Simone.”

“She’s a good baby. It’s no trouble.
Besides, you two have a much bigger job to do. I’m just doing my
small part.”

“Wish us luck.”

“I’m already praying.”

After kissing Jake gently on the lips and
whispering her love to him, Minji mentally switched her focus from
her family to her mission with Alec. The two adults claimed the
flashlights Alec had placed on the driver’s seat earlier when
they’d been preparing for the possibility of finishing their
journey on foot. When Alec opened the door, Minji lifted Ava onto
her hip and carried her down the steps.

The walk ahead was going to be long, but
Minji was energized with the thought of bringing the event to a
final end. Hope took hold as the burden of the last few days
gradually diminished. The earlier violence of the mesmerized had
frightened her, but she understood a mother’s need to protect her
young. If the child entity understood that Alec and Minji meant no
harm, then maybe it could relay that information to its mother.

The beams from their flashlights illuminated
the cracked asphalt and puffs of dirt shifting over the surface.
Minji lowered Ava to the ground and firmly wrapped the leash around
her own wrist a few times before taking Ava’s hand. Her hands were
still sore from the beating she’d inflicted on Arthur, but her grip
was strong and sure.

The mesmerized continued along their set
path. Fifty yards ahead of the trio, the crowd marched out of the
desert and onto the road. There was no way around them. Alec and
Minji had to venture into the crowd.

“Try not to get pinned in,” Alec said in
warning. “Keep away from the tighter clumps.”

Up close, the mesmerized appeared more
zombie-like than the day before. Filthy, injured, dehydrated, and
wide-eyed, they eerily resembled the walking dead. The only sound
from the throng was the slap of their feet against the
pavement.

Approaching the long line of mesmerized
staggering onto the highway from the desert, Minji steadied her
nerves. Even if they looked inhuman, the mesmerized were victims of
the event. Yes, some had attacked the soldiers, but Minji hoped
that occurrence had been an anomaly.

The three people were almost to the throng
when the mesmerized among the fringes started to crane their necks
in the direction of Minji, Ava, and Alec. The countless staring
eyes glinted in the brilliance cast by the flashlights.

“Hold up,” Alec ordered under his
breath.

Minji obeyed, squeezing Ava’s hand.

“Just wait for a second.”

The mesmerized trekked onward, but the ones
among the edge of the crowd continued to rake their empty gazes
over the trio before traveling on. None made a move toward
them.

“Okay, let’s try to enter the crowd.”

Minji started forward again.

As the man, woman, and child approached the
perimeter of the multitude, more and more of the mesmerized
appeared to take interest in their approach. Minji was about to
halt their progress again when to her astonishment the mesmerized
shuffled out of their way, forming a perfect path in their
midst.

“Okay,” Alec gulped. “I wasn’t expecting
that.”

“I think that’s the welcoming mat.” A smirk
played along her lips.

“Me, too.”

Together, they walked on.

Headlights caught the mesmerized in a
blinding white glare and the sound of a car engine filled the
night. Whipping about, Minji saw a large SUV pull up alongside the
bus.

“What the hell?” Alec shielded his eyes with
his hand.

The doors of the idling SUV opened.

A whisper of unease flitted through her
thoughts and Minji shot a panicked look at the shuttle bus. Simone
wasn’t visible and Minji wondered if she was hiding. There was
nowhere for Minji and Alec to conceal themselves unless they
plunged into the mesmerized.

“This doesn’t feel right,” she said to
Alec.

“I thought we might find you on the road,”
an unfamiliar voice called out.

“Who are you?” Alec shouted back.

“Deputy Hatcher. I’ve been in route to the
facility since yesterday. You’re Staff Sergeant Alec Markham,
right? I was told about you, but never could reach your phone.”

“The cell towers are down in a lot of areas.
Las Vegas has gone dark.”

“I noticed. I’m just glad I found you.”

“Does that make sense?” Minji whispered to
Alec. “That he’d be told about you?”

“Yeah, the authorities would try to get us
to work together,” Alec answered under his breath.

“I was in Vegas earlier today and hoped to
make contact with you since that was where you were sent. I ran
into a friend of yours. Arthur Freestone.” The man behind the voice
was backlit by the headlights, making it nearly impossible to
discern the details of his appearance. “He told me some interesting
things.”

The deputy closed the gap and stood before
them. Tall, beefy, ruddy-faced, and imposing, the man had a
dangerous energy spilling off of him. Then she noticed the weapon
in his hand.

“That’s not needed,” Alec said with
alarm.

“After seeing what you did to Arthur’s face
and what he told me, I’m not so sure.” Close cropped dark hair
beneath his wide-brimmed hat and a handle bar mustache gave him an
Old West appearance.

“Put down your weapon. They’ll see you as a
threat and hurt you,” Alec warned.

“Like they did those poor soldiers down the
way? Hernandez and Palmer were good people, but they met the same
fate as everyone else trying to get into the facility.”

“How do you know that?” Alec demanded.

Deputy Hatcher was now so close Minji could
smell the pungent combination of cigarette smoke and body odor
wafting off him. “The unaffected have been communicating via the
internet. I guess since you were in a blacked out area you missed
all our plans to find you and get into the facility. All four teams
have failed.”

“How do you know they failed?” Minji
asked.

“They never came back online and the event
is still in progress. It’s simple deduction, ma’am.”

“Put the gun away,” Alec said in a terse
tone.

“I don’t think so. See, Arthur assured me
we’d have nothing to be afraid of if we found you.” The deputy
jerked his head toward the path through the mesmerized. “I can see
that now for myself. We’ve got a secret weapon.”

Minji and Alec both moved to protect
Ava.

Much to their surprise, Deputy Hatcher
didn’t make a grab for the little girl. He lashed out and jerked
Minji hard against his body and pushed the firearm into her
side.

Ava’s eyes widened.

The mesmerized came to a standstill.

“You understand, don’t you?” Deputy Hatcher
said to Ava. “You try to hurt us, I hurt your mommy. I will pull
the trigger. Understand?”

Ava nodded.

“Good.”

Minji felt the hard nose of the service
revolver pushing into her side. “This isn’t necessary.”

“Yes, it is. Time is running out. We need
you to get us there,” the deputy answered.

“I’ll help you. Just let her go,” Alec said,
stepping in front of Ava.

“It’s not about you, Markham. It’s about the
little girl. Arthur explained what he saw. That little girl is at
the core of what is going on.”

“She’s just one of the mesmerized.” Alec
leaned forward on his cane. “Can’t you see that?”

“
She’s
the one who’s doing it!”
someone screeched. It was Arthur’s voice.

“Shit.” Alec took a hard look at the
mesmerized behind him. “Having Arthur with you is a bad idea.
You’re going to bring the mesmerized down on you.”

“The mesmerized? Is that what you call
them?” The deputy seemed amused by this label. “And why would they
come down on us if she’s not the one controlling them?”

“She’s just a little girl,” Minji
protested.

“Arthur told me all about how that little
girl controls these so-called mesmerized. Don’t lie to me.”

“This isn’t right,” Alec said heatedly.
“Holding a woman hostage? That’s not how things are done.”

“A violent woman under the influence of an
alien being is a menace,” the deputy shot back. “I saw what she did
to Arthur’s face.”

“He tried to strangle my daughter!”

“He said he was trying to sedate her.”

“The man’s lying to save face. He tried to
kill a little girl,” Alec said in a low, tight voice.

Ava whimpered.

The mesmerized all took a simultaneous step
toward the standoff.

“I mean it, little girl!” the deputy
snarled. “I will shoot her.”

Minji wished that the other would attack
again just so she could get the upper hand, but observing Ava,
Minji saw that there was emotion in the doll-like eyes for the very
first time. It was fear. Minji was both touched and exasperated by
the entity’s attachment to her in that moment. If only it would
lash out and put the Sheriff and Arthur under, but she could see by
the terror in the child’s eyes that it wasn’t going to happen.
Maybe the mother entity would make a move, but Minji wasn’t certain
if it would either. It wanted its child back and would need humans
to do it. With dread, Minji accepted their temporary defeat.

“What do you want from us?” Minji tilted her
head so she could see the man’s face.

“You’re our ticket for safe passage. You’re
coming with us. Alec, turn over the key cards. I know you have
them. I checked the team on the road and they were gone. I couldn’t
even get near The Venetian due to the fires. I assume you got the
tablet?”

“We couldn’t get close to The Venetian
either,” Minji quickly lied. “Alec took the two cards off the
soldiers.”

Giving her a sharp look, Alec processed her
words. “Minji, don’t tell him anymore!”

“We were hoping that once we were inside we
could find one of the tablets.”

Alec sighed wearily. “Dammit, Minji.”

“Is this true, Markham?”

“I was told to look for one inside the
facility if I couldn’t get to The Venetian in time,” Alec explained
and Minji wondered if it was a lie.

“Search him,” the deputy ordered Arthur.

Scampering into view, Arthur nervously
observed Ava and the mesmerized.

Maybe it was wrong, but the satisfaction
that Minji experienced at the sight of Arthur’s battered face made
her smile.

“Are you sure it’s safe? He’s right next to
that
thing
.” Arthur fidgeted from foot to foot, reminding
Minji of a child who was afraid of getting in trouble.

“If they try anything, I’ll shoot her.”

Arthur nervously ran his hands over Alec’s
body, checking the exterior pockets of his jacket, then his jeans.
Minji was relieved when he didn’t notice the inside pocket of the
jacket where Alec had tucked the small tablet.

“Check the diaper bag, too, Arthur.”

Arthur swiftly obeyed, casting anxious looks
in the direction of the mesmerized. When he finished, he plucked a
water bottle from the bag. “Nothing, Lenny.”

“Well, that makes things a little more
complicated, but we’ll figure it out.”

“I’m going with you,” Alec declared.

“No, you’re not. We’re taking the little
girl and Mindy with—”

“Minji.”

“Minji with us. You’ve already proven you’re
colluding with the enemy, Alec.”

“Just what do you think we’re trying to do?”
Alec demanded. “We’re trying to close the door and stop all of
this.”

“And kill the entity?” the deputy
queried.

Shaking his head, Alec said, “No. We
weren’t. We figured out a way to get it home.”

“I told you! They’re on its side!” Arthur’s
shrill voice filled the night.

The mesmerized bristled.

“Arthur, I suggest you keep silent. You’re
stirring them up,” Deputy Hatcher ordered.