“Cameron.” I felt Lewis’ hands on my arms and sank into him, letting my back rest against his chest. I felt like I was in a freaking soap opera. The twists and turns just kept coming and the lies were as thick as the mud along the Savannah River.
“John knows he’s not your father, but he has no idea who is,” Mom explained.
I felt like such an idiot. All that time I’d lived at the compound he’d lied, he’d drawn me in, pretended to care. Revulsion trembled through me. But John wasn’t the only liar. Aaron was just as bad.
“And are you sure you’re my mom or is that the surprise for next week?”
“I swear,” she whispered. “I am your mother and Aaron is your father. There are no more surprises. None. We were going to tell you, but when you insisted on saving Lewis we held back, worried that if you left for North Carolina, if you were captured, John would find out the truth.”
In other words, they’d known I’d try to rescue Lewis, and they’d known John would break into my mind. I pressed my hand to my roiling stomach, and prayed I wouldn’t be so weak as to get sick in front of them all.
“We can’t tell anyone.” She glanced pointedly at all of us in turn. “If John finds out…”
I swallowed hard and nodded, still too overwhelmed to say much of anything.
More secrets. More lies. I glanced at Aaron. My heart grew heavy, my chest tight. We looked similar, I realized. The same lean body, the same shaped eyes. I tore my gaze away. “You had an affair.”
“Hardly,” Aaron snapped. “It wasn’t a real marriage. You father married—”
“It’s okay,” Mom interrupted. She looked tired, but we all did. “She knows he married me just to produce a carrier of the source.”
“Too bad I failed him on that account, “Nora mumbled. “He is my dad, right?”
Too much. It was too much emotion, too much confusion at once. A torrent of feelings bombarded me, leaving me off kilter. I stumbled. Lewis’ warm hands gripped my waist, the only thing keeping me grounded in this insane reality.
“John is Nora’s father.” Mom explained, but I was barely paying attention. “I didn’t tell anyone because it wasn’t safe, and I wanted you to know first.”
“This is ridiculous,” Nora snapped, sounding as angry as I should have felt. Mom went to her, speaking in loving tones as if attempting to calm her when she should have been calming me.
“No,” Nora snapped, stepping back. “I’m so tired of the secrets and bullshit that goes on here.”
She was right, and I wrestled with my emotions, not sure which to cling to. Anger. Shock. Bitterness. In the end, all I wanted to do was run away from it all. My lungs seemed to shrink, I couldn’t draw air.
“I…I need to get out.” I jerked away from Lewis and shoved past Nora who was blocking the doorway.
“Cameron, John could be here soon,” my mom reminded me.
I didn’t pause, but shoved the door wide and rushed into the hall. Thunder rumbled from above, shaking the very tunnels. I pressed my hands to the damp stone walls for support. My anger fed on the energy of the storm, welcomed it. How could they? How could they lie again? Every single time I thought I could trust them, they pulled the rug out from under my feet.
I turned left, heading down the tunnel Lewis and I had taken when we’d escaped that one night. Only days ago, but it seemed like a lifetime. From somewhere the church choir sang, their heavenly voices echoing down the tunnels, adding an eerie feel to the already spooky corridors. I didn’t know where I was going and didn’t care. I welcomed the solitude.
“Cameron.” Lewis grabbed my hand, jerking me to a stop. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved to see him, or if I was annoyed.
“Please,” I said, trying to pull away. “Just leave me alone.”
“No.” He pressed me to the wall, holding me captive. “Talk to me.”
I didn’t want to talk, I was tired of talking. But Lewis wouldn’t release me, and those damn blue eyes held me captive. “John isn’t my father,” I blurted out.
Lewis’ brows drew together. “That’s good, right?”
I shrugged, unsure how to feel. “He’s really no more than a stranger, so why do I hate him so much? Why have I wasted so much energy on him? Why had I ever wanted his approval?”
He gave me a half smile. “You can still hate him. He tortured us. He tortured Nora, his own child. Your sister.”
“My half-sister.”
“Your sister,” Lewis insisted. Leave it to him to be reasonable.
I curled my fingers into the damp stone at my back. “I’m not saying I don’t want him stopped, I’m saying why have I wasted so much emotion on him?”
“You don’t have to anymore.”
Maybe he was right. There was an odd sense of relief in the truth. I hadn’t really ever known John anyway, but just a myth of who I thought he was. “But I still have to stop him.” I glanced up at Lewis. “Or we could run.”
“If I knew you were serious I’d take you away from here right now.” He rested his forehead to mine and for a moment we just savored the time together, the soft singing that filled the air around us.
“I know you don’t really want to leave.”
He was right. And he would stay by my side, because he was honorable. And together we could be destroyed, crushed in the rubble that would tumble down around us. “Do you regret coming here?”
More importantly did he regret getting involved with me? He’d never say so, but I would feel the truth in his energy.
“No.” He pressed his lips to mine in a soft, sweet kiss. “But we can’t continue their lies. They were our parents, yeah, but that doesn’t mean we have to be like them.” He moved back slightly and took my hand in his. “We don’t have to continue their war. When it’s done, can we start over?”
Surprisingly, I managed to smile, feeding on his hopeful promise because I believed him. I had to believe him; it worked for me. I needed that dream of a better future now more than ever. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
He reached up, brushing the side of my face with his fingertips. “We don’t have to have a life like this. A life like our parents. We can change things.”
I’d never wanted this life, and the possibility of having a future of my own doing was a tempting dream indeed. I didn’t have to stay here. I didn’t have to have a relationship with Aaron. I hoped that I could have something more than this…lying…fighting…scheming. I could. I just had to stop John first.
A low rumble of thunder shook the tunnels and the lights along the wall flickered.
Lewis leaned forward and brushed his lips across mine. A soft, gentle kiss. A kiss that held hope, promise. “We’ll get through this.”
“And then?”
A shiver warned me that something wasn’t right. Before he could answer, before I could warn Lewis that something was wrong, he sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes going wide with shock and pain.
“Lewis?” Franticly, I grabbed onto him, but his weight was too much and when he fell to his knees, he pulled me down with him. We hit the hard floor together.
“What is it?” I gasped, scrambling to my knees.
He groaned, pressing his palms to his temples. Realization hit. I knew immediately someone was mentally hurting him. Panic rang through my body, alarm bells warning me to run.
I jerked my head upright, searching the dark corridor. I didn’t have to look far. From the shadows a human form emerged. Tall, sinewy, familiar.
The man who used to be my father.
Chapter 23
John wasn’t alone. Four men stood behind him, two of which I recognized as my mother’s guards. They’d betrayed us, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. Mom had spies in the compound, why shouldn’t John have spies too? The least they could have done was look guilty, but they didn’t, which made me wonder if they’d been working for John since the beginning.
“We’ve been expecting you,” I said, forcing my voice not to quiver. “Should I ring my
mother for tea and biscuits?”
I was very much aware of Lewis beside me, slowly regaining his feet. Lewis who was no match for John. We all knew it. There was a reason John had attacked him and not me… to show me that he could hurt the ones I cared about. It worked.
“Very amusing, Cameron.” He paused some ten feet from us, the soft glow of the lamplight hitting his face and highlighting his body with an almost heavenly glow. How could anyone who looked so normal be so evil?
I brushed the thought aside and focused on the situation. I wouldn’t allow myself to panic. As far as I could see, I had three choices: fight John and his four friends, scream for my mother and hope she heard, or surrender.
“It’s too late,” John said. “You see your mother returned to her home; she’s no longer in the tunnels. She wouldn’t hear you if you yelled. And if by some miracle she did, I have men surrounding the house, hidden within the corridors. I have for years. In fact, I’ve known your mother lived in Savannah all along. I’ve known about the tunnels all along.”
I didn’t dare show my surprise. “Aren’t you the cleverest of the bunch? Although considering your cohorts, that’s not much of a compliment.”
So I hadn’t spilled all of her secrets after all. At least my guilt eased on that note; one positive.
“My men have surrounded your mother’s home and are awaiting my command to attack. Either come with me, no resistance, or they fight. And I promise you, your family is greatly outnumbered. Are you willing to chance the life of your mother? Your sister?”
I swallowed down the bitter taste of panic and shrugged. “I’m not all that close to them anyway.”
There was the slightest shift of John’s attention that warned me something was about to happen. His gaze moved from me, to Lewis. Before I had time to warn him, Lewis groaned, falling to his knees.
My bravado fled and I collapsed beside him. “Lewis?”
But he didn’t answer. He couldn’t. His teeth were gritted in pain, his eyes squeezed closed as his body trembled uncontrollably. I took in a deep breath, frantically trying to think of a way to stop John. I snapped my attention toward the man and with a mental roar, I threw my energy at him. He didn’t even flinch; I could practically feel the energy bounce back. A new and improved chip? The source? I hadn’t a clue why he was suddenly invincible, and hadn’t the time to uncover the truth.
Instead, I tried good old fashioned pleading. “Stop, please!”
“I need an answer,” John said. “You’re wasting time.”
I jerked my attention back to Lewis. A thin trail of blood seeped from his mouth, brilliant red against his suddenly pale skin. I’d seen it happen to him before, and the fear of watching him slowly fade before me all over again sent my heart into my throat.
“I’ll go,” I whispered.
Lewis reached out, grasping my hand and squeezing it hard, but I didn’t dare look at him. I knew he wasn’t happy with my response, but it wasn’t his decision to make. I didn’t care if I went back to prison; but I could not watch the guy I loved tortured.
“Very good,” John said, seemingly pleased with my response, like a teacher pleased that a pupil had been paying attention. He stepped back, taking his energy with him.
Lewis slumped into my arms.
The relief I felt was overwhelming. “You okay?” I whispered.
He gave me a jerky nod, then turned his head and spit blood onto the floor. I could feel Lewis’ anger pulse like lava around me. He wanted to kill John, but was in no shape to harm anyone. I had to make sure he wouldn’t attack.
With my arm around his waist, I managed to take the brunt of his weight and help him to his feet. There was no look of amusement or smirk of success upon John’s face, which for some reason made the situation worse. He didn’t hurt people because it made him feel good; he did it because he truly believed in his cause.
“What the hell do you want from me?” I hissed. “Why pretend you care? Why not just force me to go with you like you are now?”
“Your mother told you.” John narrowed his gaze, studying my face, as if attempting to understand my reaction.
I knew what he was speaking about… my daddy issues. “She did, and all I can say is thank God you’re not my father.” Honestly, I meant it. I suddenly realized why having Aaron as my dad was a million times better than the man before me. Although I didn’t agree with Aaron’s practices, at least we were on the same side.
John didn’t react. If anything he seemed mildly interested in my response. But I didn’t want him interested, I wanted him pissed. It annoyed me that I couldn’t get a rise out of him. I so badly wanted to break through that cool façade; for him to show his true colors.
“I guess that explains why you didn’t give a crap about me, but you tortured Nora, your own child, didn’t you?”
His face grew serious, his voice almost gentle. “I didn’t enjoy it.”
As if that was supposed to make me feel better. “That’s doubtful.”
He sighed. “I won’t stand here arguing with you over morality. These are the facts, Cameron. If you do not obey my men will attack your mother and her friends. And I promise you, your mother is greatly outnumbered. If you go with me, they’ll leave.”
Lewis released a harsh laugh. “And you expect us to believe you?”
John spared him a brief glance. “Honestly I don’t care what you think. I only need Cameron. But if you need further reassurance, I’d rather not start a war in such a public place. It will draw unwanted attention, and the government does not like attention.”
Lewis swiped the corner of his mouth, wiping away the remaining blood that still trickled from his mouth. “Yeah, I’m going to need more proof. How do we know you really have men surrounding the house?”
Lewis was obviously biding time. Like me, he hoped my mom would magically appear and save the day.
“Whether you believe me or not, we’ve been spying on your mother for some time now. Your proof, if you keep going straight and turn left at the T, you’ll go past your mother’s home. The door to the tunnels goes through your mother’s bookcase. I’d be happy to give you the code. The spies your mother had implanted into our organization have now been converted.” He glanced back at the men behind him. “As well as a few guards who were stationed here.”
He had me, I knew it. Lewis knew it. My only concern at this point was getting John as far away as possible from those I loved. Once I knew they were no longer in danger, I could think about escape. I’d done it before, I could do it again. “I’ll go.”
Cameron, Lewis’ warning whispered through my mind. I didn’t bother to respond.
John wanted me, me only, and he could have me.
John turned, his back to us as if he’d known all along we would fold. As if he wasn’t the least bit worried about our powers. “Start walking.”
Two of the guards stepped from the shadows and fell into place behind us. It was as they moved by me that I recognized one of the men. I sucked in a sharp breath, startled. The man from the hotel room, the man who had forced me back into my body. Who the hell was he?
Someone shoved me forward and I followed John.
Walking swiftly and silently, we moved through the tunnels. I had to find a way to get rid of Lewis and fast. I couldn’t concentrate while worrying about him. If I knew he was safe, I could focus on destroying John for good.
The sound of singing grew louder as we moved underneath the church, the soft murmur of Latin barely audible over the rumble of thunder. I tried to remember the layout of the tunnels but my education on the subject was sadly lacking. I’d spent too much time at the beach. John, on the other hand, knew underground Savannah well and I wondered how long he’d had a map of the place. I was running out of ideas, and fast.
“So how does it feel?” I taunted. If I couldn’t physically defeat him, perhaps I could get to him mentally. “Destroying your own family. Your child? Is it worth it? Will your belief’s keep you company when you?
??re dying a slow and lonely death?”
Lewis’ hand brushed against mine. He’d done it deliberately, warning me to be careful.
“I’ve never been one to buy into the ‘blood is thicker than water’ thing,” John said as if we were merely strolling through Savannah, having a chat.
The lights flickered once more and I wondered if the storm was worsening. If I remembered correctly, we were headed toward Bay Street. But in the evening, and during a storm the usually crowded area would be desolate, which would make it more difficult to escape.
“Your own parent, child, spouse can be just as much as an enemy as a stranger,” John continued as we turned left.
The singing faded and from somewhere nearby I could hear the rain pouring down a drainage ditch. Thunder rumbled, shaking the tunnel around us and sending tiny pieces of debris pattering to the floor. Great, just what I needed, to be trapped for eternity in a collapsed tunnel with John.
“In fact your family can be worse, because you don’t expect them. A little tip,” John said, glancing at me, “that’s why you should never trust anyone.”
I had a feeling we were getting closer to the surface. “And I’m assuming you have a lot of enemies, don’t you?”
“We all do, it’s the price that comes with having power.”
I rolled my eyes. This guy seriously needed to be taken down a peg or two. “But that’s the thing, John, isn’t it? You don’t have any power, which is why you need me.”
I felt the subtlest shift in his energy and grinned. Although he didn’t face me, I could tell by the unsettling air around us that he was angry. Lewis’ hand brushed mine once more. I ignored his warning.
“The only enemy,” I continued, “the only person who is preventing me from having a normal life, is you. So how about we shake hands, play nice, and go our separate ways?”
Happen to have a plan? Lewis asked me mentally. Other than taunting him?
Not yet, I replied. We’re headed toward the river.
The river. We were headed toward the river. Suddenly it all made sense, like puzzle pieces falling easily into place.