The Mesmerized (29 page)

“We don’t need to hurt it,” Minji persisted.
“We can send it home.”

“How?”

“Open the door and let it leave our world,”
Alec answered, and for the first time, it sounded like he was
passionate about this choice.

“And what if more come through? Look at what
just one has done?” Deputy Hatcher shook his head adamantly.
“Enough of this. No more talking. We have a job to do. Hand over
the cards, Markham. Give them to Minji.”

Grudgingly, Alec reached into his jacket to
pull out the cards. His eyes meeting Minji’s, she could almost hear
the wheels in his head turning as he contemplated his options. For
a second, she feared he’d pull his own weapon. Instead, he handed
her the two cards, keeping the tablet and remaining card out of
sight.

“I’ll take care of this,” Deputy Hatcher
said in a gruff voice. “Since you seem incapable of doing your
duty.”

Alec glowered at him intensely.

Putting more pressure on her arm, the man
directed Minji toward the waiting SUV. “Move along.”

Minji stumbled, but caught her balance. She
glanced toward Ava. The little girl was following. It broke Minji’s
heart to see that Ava’s hands were trembling.

“Give those to Arthur,” Deputy Hatcher
directed when they arrived at the SUV.

With a sarcastic smile, Minji extended her
hand. “Don’t lose them, idiot.”

With a frown, Arthur took the cards. “You’re
a traitor.”

“You’re still an idiot.”

To her surprise, Deputy Hatcher handed her
the keys. “You’re driving. Just aim the SUV right down the center
of that pathway. This road leads straight to the facility.”

“See! See how they are with her! They’re
making a path,” Arthur hissed, casting a distrustful eye in Ava’s
direction. “It’s because it likes her.”

“Calm down, Arthur. We’ve got it under
control now. See?” Deputy Hatcher gestured with his free hand for
Minji to take the wheel while prodding her with the end of the
revolver. “Get in and climb over the console into the driver’s
seat.”

Minji again considered her options, but came
to the same conclusion that there was nothing she could do at the
moment to escape. At least Alec had one card left. She wondered if
the mesmerized would let him through without Ava. If something
happened to her, then Alec was the world’s last chance.

Entering on the passenger side, Minji
scooted over the center console, ducking her head to do so. The
interior of the car reeked of cigarette smoke. The deputy never let
the weapon leave her side as he slid into the passenger seat.
Seizing Ava’s arm, he hoisted her into the vehicle and positioned
her between his legs. The child gave him a dark look, but remained
silent. Indicating the gun pressed against Minji’s ribs, the deputy
made the silent threat crystal clear to the entity within the
girl.

Ava crooked her head to gaze at Minji.

“I’m going to get you home,” Minji
promised.

Arthur climbed into the back seat and
slammed the door shut. “Simone is probably hiding in the shuttle
bus.”

“It doesn’t matter. We have what we need.
Drive, Minji.”

Shifting into gear, Minji drove the SUV
onward. Meanwhile, Alec strode to the shuttle bus, his hands on his
hips and a weary expression on his face. Deputy Hatcher rolled down
the window, letting cold air sweep through the vehicle.

“Take the other woman and the baby somewhere
safe and wait this out. I’m sure the authorities will want to know
all about you deciding to not obey orders!” the deputy shouted when
the vehicle rolled past Alec.

“Blowing up the facility will kill thousands
upon thousands of people! Send it home and end this!”

Deputy Hatcher rolled up the window and
shook his head in disgust at Alec’s words.

“I told you. They’re on its side,” Arthur
groused.

Directing the SUV onto the path cutting
through the mesmerized, Minji squeezed the steering wheel in an
effort to quell her trembling. As one, the great mass of the
mesmerized started walking again. This time they strolled in two
columns, allowing passage to the SUV.

“Working like a charm,” the deputy said with
satisfaction.

“You could have just asked us to team with
you, you know,” Minji said.

“After what Arthur told me, I’m not about to
risk the world. You’ve been protecting it since all this
started.”

“That kid’s been creepy since the first time
I saw you, and she only got worse,” Arthur hissed near her ear.
“You keep protecting her even though you know that she’s possessed
by the thing destroying the world. Maybe you want to bring
destruction down on humanity since you’re a weird Goth girl, but we
won’t let you.”

Minji wished that the entity would attack,
but Ava’s eyes now glittered with unshed tears, stark fear stamped
on her face. Was it just the entity, or was Ava afraid, too? The
need to comfort her child was difficult to ignore. Maintaining her
focus on her journey along the track provided by the mesmerized,
Minji’s mind skimmed through all the ways she could possibly outwit
the two men holding her captive.

The beams from the headlights illuminated
the terrible condition of the masses. A few individuals toppled to
the ground only to be trampled by the others.

“If you set off the bomb, you’ll kill all
these people. You’ll kill us,” Minji said. “There is no way we can
escape in time.”

“Maybe. I don’t like the idea of dying, but
if it’s to save everyone else, I’ll do it,” the big man answered
ominously.

“Uh, what bomb? What?” Arthur leaned
forward. “What bomb, Lenny?”

“He didn’t tell you? Part of their orders is
to set off a bomb to destroy the facility to make sure the creature
is dead.” Checking her rearview mirror, Minji was pleased to see
Arthur’s frightened face.

“Can’t we just shoot it?” Arthur asked.

“I don’t know. No one told me if it’s
killable that way. We’re supposed to go in, follow the shutdown
procedures on the portal, and then activate the bomb.” There was a
hint of uncertainty in the man’s face and tone. “We’re supposed to
have enough time to get away, but with all these people out here, I
doubt we’d be able to.”

“But if we can shoot it, can’t we skip the
bomb part?” Arthur sounded on the verge of a panic attack.

“Maybe...” the deputy said, but sounded
non-committal.

A definite bruise was forming where the gun
was pushing into her ribs. Minji bit the inside of her lower lip to
keep from whimpering. Every bump in the road was deepening the
contusion, making it more painful.

“What if we just kill her?” Arthur asked,
pointing at Ava.

“Hey!” Minji almost swerved, but caught
herself.

With a grave expression, the deputy shook
his head. “It won’t do any good because the creature is out there.
She’s just its way of spying. We’ve got an hour to worry about it.
We’ll deal with the situation when we get there. One way or the
other, this thing needs to die.”

Ava’s eyes flicked back and forth between
the two men, and then settled on Minji.

With all her heart, Minji wished for another
attack.

Instead, Ava set her hand on Minji’s wrist
as if to comfort her.

The vast heavens were alive with the
brilliance of stars and a glowing sliver of a moon. Ava’s face
turned upward to gaze at the beauty of the sky, ignoring the fetid
appearance of the mesmerized. Minji wondered what the entity saw
among the stars. Did it see the world similarly to how humans did?
She rather doubted it. The visions during the first attacks were
unlike anything she’d ever seen. The intense colors, the canticle
of ethereal resonances, and the surreal landscape were nearly
impossible to describe. Even her memory was a faded replica of what
she’d seen. How frightening the world of humanity must be to a
being used to such majesty. It must be like being cast out of
heaven.

“It’s wearing your daughter’s face, but it’s
not your daughter, you know,” Deputy Hatcher said, jolting her out
of her reverie. “Look at what it has done. The destruction. The
death.”

“It doesn’t understand. Or at least it
didn’t,” Minji retorted. “We brought it here, then trapped it. It
was defending itself.”

“It killed my family,” Arthur raged,
pointing an accusing finger at Ava. “It murdered them. And it would
kill us, too, if we weren’t immune.”

“It murdered those soldiers back there. You
saw them, didn’t you?” The deputy shot a disapproving look at
Minji.

The gun pressed harder into her side. Was
Deputy Hatcher doing it out of anger? Or unconsciously?

“They were identified as a threat. Maybe
because of their uniforms. Or because they tried to get into the
facility. Just like all the people wearing white,” Minji replied.
“Did you think of that? Maybe it thought they were trying to hurt
it. Which is the truth of the matter. They
were
trying to
hurt it.”

“And that’s why you’re with us.” The deputy
watched the mesmerized part before the SUV like the Red Sea parting
for Moses. “For some reason, it likes you. And for foolish reasons,
you’re protecting it.”

Resisting the urge to get into a verbal war
with the deputy, Minji concentrated on the patch of road in front
of the SUV. The pathway through the mesmerized made the journey
easier, but she didn’t dare drive too fast. There were children and
elderly in the crowd and sometimes they were bumped into the path
of the SUV. So many had died already and she didn’t want to be
responsible for any more deaths.

“We’re almost there,” the deputy said
studying the GPS on the dash. “We should be coming up on it any
second now.”

Minji slowed the SUV as the road gradually
curved. It was difficult to see the lay of the land with the
mesmerized obscuring the view. The tall posts of a toppled fence
came into view. Beyond the remains of the enclosure were several
squat concrete buildings. The mesmerized were swarming a dome
shaped building on the far end that wasn’t much larger than a
shed.

Deputy Hatcher pointed toward the oddly
shaped structure. “That’s the entrance.”

The mesmerized were compressed so compactly
into the area, they could no longer move to allow the SUV to pass.
Minji was forced to stop.

“Keep going, keep going,” Arthur
insisted.

“I can’t. There’s too many. We have to
walk,” Minji answered.

“Fences are down,” the deputy observed.
“There are about a hundred yards between here and the entrance.
Walking through it will not be easy. Minji, carry the little girl
and take the lead. I’ll be right behind you. Arthur, you’re
last.”

“But what if they try to hurt me?” In the
rearview mirror, Arthur’s face resembled that of a mouse cornered
by a cat.

“They won’t.” The deputy shoved the
passenger door open and pushed on it with one foot until the
mesmerized scooted out of the way. Wrapping one arm around Ava, he
motioned for Minji to turn off the SUV. “You’re going to slide over
the console just like before. Understood?”

Nodding, Minji popped her seatbelt and
obeyed. She’d hoped for some relief from the constant prodding of
the gun, but the deputy was very good at keeping it lodged against
her ribs. When she set foot on the ground, he swung Ava into her
arms. The little girl was no longer ramrod straight in Minji’s
embrace, but clung to her.

The gravel covering the parking area made
the ground uneven and crunched beneath the soles of her boots. The
mesmerized pressed in around her, but she managed to keep moving.
The wretched smell of body odor filled her nostrils and made her
eyes water, but it was better than the acrid smell of the fires in
Las Vegas. Bumping into the men, women, children, and elderly, she
fought the urge to apologize for forcing her way through their
midst. The blank faces and empty eyes sent slivers of fear through
her. What if she was wrong and they turned on her? Visions of the
two dead soldiers sprang to mind. Fear almost froze her in her
steps, but a hard jab from the gun prompted her onward.

“Keep moving,” Deputy Hatcher barked.

The heads of the mesmerized swiveled to
watch her passage, though their eyes remained lifeless. Was it the
other entity watching? Minji swallowed the hard lump in her throat
and whispered to Ava and the child entity that everything was going
to be okay.

The gun was an unwavering presence at the
base of her neck. It was a relief after the bruise inflicted on her
ribcage.

“I don’t like this,” Arthur called out.
"They’re watching us.”

“They’re watching
her
,” the deputy
replied.

The distance to the entrance gradually
diminished. She was running out of time. Again, she pondered her
options.

“Once we get to the door, use the card to go
in, Arthur. When it resets, I’ll follow. Minji and the little girl
can wait outside while we deal with this.”

Upon hearing these directions, Minji knew
she had to make a move and fast. The barrel of the revolver against
the back of her head was terrifying, but so was failing. Was it
wrong to want to help save a child from another world? She thought
of her own daughters. Wouldn’t she want someone to help them if
they were lost? If there could be a peaceful end for both worlds,
she had to take a risk. She had no doubt that Deputy Hatcher
believed he was doing the right thing, but she had to wonder how
willing he was to actually shoot her. Did he really see her as a
criminal? Someone dangerous enough to kill?

The entrance loomed before her, a heavy
steel door inset into an alcove. Tightening her hold on Ava, she
deliberately stumbled. Instantly the press of the gun vanished as
she brought her head down, curling her body around Ava.

“Attack them,” Minji whispered urgently.

The silky, freezing tendrils swirled around
Minji, invisible to the naked eye, but tangible against her skin.
The mesmerized froze in place. Relief flooded Minji.