SAVANTS

The Chapture 36

"No, leave me alone!''

Gator sat me down in a chair and tied me to a rope. I couldn't even wipe the blood off my cheek and had to let it drip into my chest. I'm shaking.

''He was in shock,'' Maria said with disdain. ''You won't get much into his brain when he's empty like this.''

Sean crept behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder, taking a deep breath. ''He is not empty. Wonderful-fear, anger, and dreadful anticipation-a remarkable combination.''

Maria brushed her hand. ''Don't. You're magnifying his emotions"

''Oh no, there was too much struggle in him to take that route so quickly.'' Answer Sean.

Gator shifted awkwardly. ''Are you going to do that to her, Mr Kelly?''

The businessman looked. ''Yes. Why then?''

''It doesn't seem right, '' murmured Gator.

Maria pushed. ''Oh, you are pathetic! We know you hate our power, but remember who paid your salary, Gator.''

"You should have let me shoot some of them (Benedict), Gator grumbled.

"But you missed" said Maria wryly. ''Oh, I'm sick of this. Dad, can we continue? I've got a lot of work to do that I need to finish"

Daniel Kelly grabbed my head and held it tight. I could feel his presence pushing me, trying to take control. I expanded my shield, imagining stacking makeup tables, beds, and anything else I could take to stop it from passing through my shield.

I don't want to catch a glimpse of what he's trying to put in my brain. He was sowing a photo of Zed and Xav luring me off the road and imprisoning me in the trunk of a broken old car.

They kept me there pretending to join me in my search, then went with me under the supervision of the local police. They held me in an empty warehouse, laughed at me for believing Zed loved me, tortured me ...

Nah! I slammed my mind at his suggestion. The Benedict family didn't do that - it would never do that to anyone. Remember truth. Gator and Halloran. Airplanes. Hotelis. Think about where you are.

The Benedict family loves me.....

no, they hate you. Zed is too everything for you - too cool, too handsome - of course it has to be arranged. You're guessing it. He's been using you. He and Xav do this to girls all the time. They must be stopped by officers. I have to shoot them. It was their weapon that I used .

No no No. No. I could feel my brain in a swivel, I never even shot anyone.

The shadow of the gun in my hand was so real, like a nail that was stuck in iron.

That wasn't me. Zed and Xav are still alive. I haven't shot them. My eyes flew open as soon as I realized. ''You're going to shoot Zed and his brother?"

Daniel Kelly couldn't hide his shock because I had slipped out of his control. Her clumsy seal ring stuck in my cheek, making my eyes water. "You might not pull the trigger but you'd think you did.''

The images flooded my brain, bright red, black ink, primary colors spinning. The heavy weight of the gun in my palm. Zed died in my hands. Xav too. I was an assassin, even though it was for self-defense .

No. gabe.

Yep. That's how it happened. I was wrong about them. The Benedict family is a crazy family. They just want to torture people who fall into their hands. Everything hurts, hurts, hurts.

It'swrong. Wrongfully.

i fainted.

I can't think straight. I had the impression of several sessions with Daniel Kelly's dark eyes burning into my mind my head held firmly in his grip.

Sometimes Sean was there too, draining the emotions behind my grief, making things a lot worse. Kelly looked angry that I was still fighting but I was so confused that my mind cried out for me to take the easy way out and agree with what she asserted to be the truth.

"Tell me again what happened, Sky, he ordered me for the hundredth time.

''You .. You saved me.'' The shadow of him walking in the hospital to offer comfort after the bloodshed in the warehouse flickered before my eyes.

He came to save my parents, gave us a private room, paid all our bills. So generous to the poor English family he heard on the news.

"That's fine. And who took you and kidnapped you?'' abugn.

" The Benedict Family. They are crazy and evil.'' No, yes. I don't know. ''I want to go home.''

'' No, you don't want to go home. You want to stay here in Vegas where you feel safe .'' A picture forced its way into my mind, a room with strong doors and barred windows where no one could reach me.

"I feel safe.''

''With the people who helped you. Sean was so good to you"

"Yeah... Gator is fine. He brought me breakfast. Asking me not to get hurt.''

''Not Gator. Son, Sean. He'll help you heal your trauma"

"Yeah... "

"Yes, get all those bad emotions out of you."

I'm nodding. That sounds good. I don't want to feel lost anymore.

Maria walked into the room with Halloran and Gator behind her. ''Is he ready? It's been too long. The Benedict family is already in town and the slimeball Victor Benedict has filed a warrant to search our property.''

Daniel Kelly's got my chin on. ''Yeah, I think he's ready. A little confusion will make it more convincing. Put him in position and send a message to Benedict if they can find him in the warehouse in the old airport field. The two boys had to come alone or the deal was off."

"They won't come alone - the rest of us won't let them." Maria said.

"They'll try to make it look like they're alone and that's enough. Others will be too far away to stop what is about to happen. I'll take care of the police. A little confusion will make them move slowly."

I'm holding my head. This doesn't make any sense. It's already happened, isn't it? I've been in the barn-who's been shot. There's blood on my hands.

Maria smile. ''Our little Savants have trouble straightening out the facts.''

''He'll be fine. All he needs to do is sit there with a gun in his hand while the FBI and police argue why things have gotten so bad. Halloran, can you muffle telepathy?'' He's nodding. "It'll hold out until he gets close to one of them."

''Make sure you get them out quickly. Throw the gun in his hand and leave before the FBI and police arrive. I want them to wonder what happened.

"Sure, boss."

Kelly squeezed his knuckles. ''After today, Savant Net (the Benedict Family organization) will know that no one can disturb my people who escaped unscathed. Sky, this is farewell, until we meet again for the first time in the hospital. When I say that word, you forget everything that happened since yesterday and just remember what I said to you"