Mindsurge (Mindspeak Book 3) Read online

  What did you just tell her? I asked.

  I told her not to be a hero. This is for self-defense only. Her goal is to get out of these woods. As is yours. He reached down and pulled out a third gun, then held it out to me. I stared at it for a moment. Lexi, it’s you or them.

  Jack squeezed my hand. You also have your ring. The gun is for when you don’t want to get that close. These people are here for one thing only: to kill you. I don’t know why they want you dead, but we’re not going to let that happen. This gun is for ‘just in case.’

  I eyed the gun once more. I was so sick and tired of being fired at, threatened, and controlled. I knew how to shoot. And I had become a pretty good shot, too, thanks to Coach and Jonas. I grabbed the gun and expertly tucked it into my waistband.

  “Let’s split up,” one of the shooters said. Their voices grew quieter and the footsteps faded. When they were gone, the four of us began planning our escape.

  “The two of you are going to hike up the path,” Jonas whispered, pointing at Briana and me. “Jack and I are going to find out who these guys are.”

  “What? How are you going to do that?” I asked.

  Jonas cocked his head. “Don’t worry about how. We have to know who’s trying to kill you and why.”

  I turned to Jack, frantic. I won’t let you put yourselves in danger for me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you or Jonas. I whipped around and faced Jonas. “Bree and I can help. With her trick of making them see something that they’re not. And I can convince them to lower their weapons.”

  “She’s got a point,” Jonas said.

  “No. I will not—” Jack began.

  I placed a finger over his lips. “This isn’t your decision.”

  “Lexi’s right.” Briana cocked her gun. “We’ll help. You can thank us later.” She managed a wink.

  Bree got on my nerves often, but I liked her spirit. I smiled despite the danger that lurked.

  Jonas shook his head, stifling a laugh.

  “Fine.” Jack framed my face with his hands. If something happens to you, I’ll kill you.

  If something happens to me, you’ll fix me right up with your magical healing powers.

  He leaned his forehead to mine, then brushed a kiss across my lips.

  “All right,” Jonas started. “We venture out. If we can disarm one of them—”

  “But don’t kill,” I interrupted.

  “Right.” He pursed his lips, then continued. “If we can disarm one of them, maybe we can get him to talk—to tell us who wants Lexi dead.”

  Although I was pretty sure I already knew.

  Chapter Thirteen

  We stayed off the main paths. Without being able to see or hear the shooters, I couldn’t use my power to control their minds. And it took too much energy for Briana to change all of our appearances for long. So Jonas and Jack tracked the shooters the old-fashioned way, by noting fresh footprints and snapped twigs.

  My heart shattered as I thought about Dia and Lin. The shooters thought they had killed Jack and Briana. I was racked with guilt as I realized I was thankful that both were still with me.

  The heavy metal of the firearm Jonas gave me burned through my shirt at the small of my back. The thought of using a gun on another person had at one time frightened me, but the more people who died close to me, the more I imagined my own hands wrapping around the weight of the gun, aiming it at the person who haunted me, and pressing a single finger to the trigger.

  At the sound of a sharp crack of a stick behind me, I flinched, and Jack held up a hand to halt our forward motion. After placing a finger to his lips, he motioned us to walk left. He led us to a large uprooted tree trunk, large enough that it completely shielded us. We all crouched down and listened for the men to approach.

  Jonas peered around the tree. They’re about twenty yards away. He pointed the barrel of his gun toward the sky. His back was straight against the tree roots, and he was poised on his haunches and ready to attack.

  Footsteps grew nearer. I took a deep breath in, attempting to calm my racing pulse.

  Jonas stuck out a foot and sent a man flying over his leg. It was a large man, dressed in camouflage, and he failed to get his arms or hands out in time to break his fall, landing hard on his shoulder and not very gracefully. Yet he regained his feet with lightning speed and immediately had his rifle pointed straight at Jonas.

  Jonas’s hands flew up, his gun dangling loosely. Lexi, see if you can control his head.

  Jack ducked around the other side of the tree root and surprised the other shooter by punching him in the face. The man stumbled backward, but then charged Jack.

  While they wrestled, I slipped inside the mind of Mr. Grace. Point your gun at your buddy’s head. Mr. Grace hunched his shoulders as he redirected his aim. Just as his friend raised a gun and pointed it at Jack’s chest, Mr. Grace cocked his rifle and touched the barrel to his friend’s temple.

  “Bernie, what are you doing?” The second man’s chest rose and fell in deep breaths beneath his army green jacket. Instead of lowering his gun, he raised it, pointing it straight at Jack’s nose. Jack didn’t dare look away from the firearm aimed at his face.

  “We killed you,” the man said, confusion spreading across his face. His eyes darted toward Briana and widened.

  Tell him you’ll shoot him if he doesn’t do what we tell him to do, I ordered Bernie.

  “I will shoot you if you don’t do what these kids tell you to do.”

  Bernie’s partner glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “You’re controlling his mind, aren’t you?” His lips twitched. “We were warned about you. It won’t work. I’ve been trained to resist all forms of mind control, even with the worst kinds of torture and manipulation. You could even kill us, but eventually, the man who wants you dead will kill you.”

  Tell him to drop the gun.

  “Drop the gun, Don,” Bernie deadpanned.

  Don ignored the order. “Who are you exactly?” he asked me. “What did they do to you to give you this power?”

  Ignoring his questions, I asked, “Who told you about my powers?”

  He grinned. “The man who was willing to pay an enormous amount of money to see to it that you ended up dead.”

  Jonas pulled his own gun and aimed it at Don’s leg. “Drop the weapon, or I shoot your foot.”

  The man smiled.

  Jonas pulled the trigger.

  The bullet formed a crater inches from Don’s foot, and Don danced like he was on fire. “Dammit, man!”

  “I missed on purpose that time.” Jonas adjusted his aim. “This time, it’ll be your knee.”

  Briana, can you walk away and come back as Cathy DeWeese?

  Why her?

  Just do it, Bree.

  They know about the powers, Lexi. What makes you think that will work?

  I don’t know if it will, but I’ve got to know for sure who’s trying to kill me.

  And you think Jack’s mom might be behind this. Behind killing her own son?

  I glared at her. Just do it.

  “Who contacted you?” Jack yelled, still staring down the barrel of a gun, breathing evenly somehow. “Who ordered Lexi killed?”

  Jack, please don’t antagonize him while he has a gun pointed at your head.

  Jonas started to raise his gun. I motioned him to wait. If Don panicked or twitched in the wrong direction, Jack was dead.

  I couldn’t control more than one person at a time. But at least my nose remained dry—so far. I was getting better at this. I walked around Bernie. “Bernie, who wants you to kill me?”

  “Don’t tell them,” Don warned. “We’ll both be dead.”

  “What makes you think we won’t kill you?” I asked.

  A grin spread across Don’s face. “You don’t have it in you. Besides, I’m the one with a gun pointed at your friend.”

  I cocked my head. Don’s arrogance sent a fire through my blood. I twirled my paralyzing
ring around my finger.

  I’m going to switch minds. Jonas, you prepare to take Bernie down. But don’t hurt him. I think he’ll be the one to crack and give us information.

  I let go of my hold on Bernie.

  Now, Jonas. I then slithered into Don’s brain. The inside of his brain was a darker place, its blackness matching his head-to-toe outfit. Don, lower your gun.

  He seemed to fight my command. His hand shook. Trenches of worry formed across his forehead as he furrowed his brow and scrunched up his face.

  Jonas took two steps and kicked Bernie behind the knee. The man’s legs buckled. Before he could fall all the way to the ground, Jonas had him in a headlock. Beads of sweat formed along Bernie’s hairline.

  I spread myself further into Don’s brain, touching every part of his mind with mine, taking control of his actions. Lower your gun, I mindspoke again. His hand twitched. Jack’s eyes darted back and forth between me and the barrel of the gun. Remove your finger from the trigger.

  Finally, Don’s finger slipped away from the trigger, and his arm lowered slightly. Jack took the opportunity to sweep Don’s legs from under him.

  I rushed toward them both. I got this.

  I bent down over Don and, cupping my hand around his neck, stuck him with the small needle from the ring, injecting about half of the paralyzing liquid into his blood.

  Once Don was incapacitated, we turned back to Jonas and Bernie.

  “Way to go, boys,” said Briana, disguised as Cathy DeWeese, as she rounded the corner. She was dressed in pencil-thin jeans and a designer barn jacket.

  Jonas raised his head, lifting Bernie’s in the process. A smirk touched the corners of his lips. “What the…”

  I raised a brow. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t Cathy DeWeese.” I watched for any change in expressions from the two hit men.

  “Let them go,” Cathy ordered.

  Jonas tightened his hold on Bernie. “I don’t think so.”

  “You did this, didn’t you?” I asked. “You paid these men to kill me.”

  “I don’t know this woman,” Bernie grunted through Jonas’s chokehold.

  So, maybe Cathy wasn’t involved, but I was almost certain this threat to my life and the murder of my attorney was directly related to my inheritance. Bree, make Jack look like Roger Wellington, I mindspoke to Bree and Jack.

  Change him right in front of these guys?

  Yes. We had no choice. Besides, they knew we had supernatural mental capabilities.

  Right before my eyes, Jack’s facial features, clothes, height, and hair morphed into that of Roger Wellington. As he transformed, Don’s eyes, the only part of his body capable of movement, widened.

  Bernie’s body convulsed. “What the hell?” His eyes darted from Roger, to me, to Bree, and then back to Roger.

  Roger knelt before Bernie. He fisted a handful of Bernie’s hair. “I ordered you to terminate this girl.” He lifted his head in my direction. “What happened?”

  Confusion washed over Bernie’s pale cheeks. His head began to shake back and forth. “That’s not possible.”

  “What’s not possible?” Jack stood and took two quick steps toward me. I’m really sorry, he mindspoke, then grabbed me by the arm and yanked me to stand in front of him. “Killing this little girl is not possible?”

  I was sure that wasn’t what Bernie meant. I grunted and pretended to be scared of Jack. Tell Roger the truth, Bernie. He wants to know why you failed so thoroughly at getting the job done.

  “I… we… tried.” Bernie stuttered. “Their mind powers are just too strong.”

  “How much did this asshole agree to pay you?” I asked.

  Jonas shook his hold on Bernie. “Answer her, or I promise, you’ll feel a bullet in your leg.”

  “Five hundred thousand.”

  I gasped.

  “That’s it?” Jonas asked. He looked up at me. “Personally, I think you’re worth so much more than that.”

  “Ah. Thanks.”

  “Now, you got anything left in that ring of yours?”

  I stepped forward and emptied my ring into Bernie’s neck.

  You thought my mother had something to do with wanting you dead? Jack asked. He had returned to looking like himself.

  I’m sorry. I knew it had to be someone close to my dad, someone who wanted Wellington school for themselves. Your mom and Dr. Wellington were the first two people to come to mind.

  “Now what?” Bree asked. We all turned to her.

  “Now… we go see my mother, Alyson Roslin.”

  ~~~~~

  Two hours later, we arrived at a gate decorated with the initials “R & R.”

  “Roslin and Roslin,” I whispered. I hadn’t noticed the gate the first time I’d visited—the first time I’d seen my mom in many years. I glanced at Jack, who sat beside me in the back seat. My parents lived here together once upon a time. I remember that gate. This was the safe house Dad had mentioned in his letter to me, after he died. He’d brought me here several years ago.

  Jack linked his fingers with mine.

  Fred pulled up close to the gate and began studying the keypad outside his window.

  She’s made some changes, I noted. Fresh black paint coated the fencing. The landscaping had been cleaned up.

  Jack ducked his head and peered through the windshield. He pointed to a video camera hidden in a tree to the left of the gate, and another to the right. She’s ramped up the security for sure.

  As if on cue, as soon as I spotted the camera, the gates began to slowly open inward.

  “Lexi, this is your place?” Fred asked. His red hair curled around his ears. We all had a little extra shine to our hair and skin. We could use showers.

  “Sort of,” I answered. “I own it with the person who was my mother.” I stared out the side window at the pear trees that lined the drive. The remaining yellow leaves blew in the wind.

  Cheriana sprinted up to the fence like she knew Jack was in the vehicle, then stopped and dangled her head over the rail. Why did you bring Cheriana here? I asked.

  She needed space to run. They wouldn’t turn her out in the fields at school for very long.

  And you clearly had a long enough conversation with Alyson that she invited you to board Cheriana here?

  Jack’s brows knitted together. Your mother made it clear to me that this house was as much yours as it was hers. I didn’t want to take Cheriana to my father’s farm. Alyson and I didn’t think you’d mind.

  First-name basis, even.

  Stop it. I’ll support your decision if you never want to see your mother again after today. But I think you owe it to yourself to give her a chance.

  I dropped the subject and glanced back out the window at Cheriana. She’s beautiful.

  Fred stopped the SUV in front of the house. He quickly looked toward Georgia in the passenger seat. She had been very quiet on the road trip. We’d all been quiet. Not surprising since two of our friends had been shot and killed.

  Kyle, Jonas, and Briana pulled up behind us in the second vehicle.

  It suddenly dawned on me. According to the notes in Dad’s journals, we were the original seven.

  Slowly, I pulled my hand from Jack’s grasp and reached for the door handle. He touched my arm. When I turned back, he said nothing, but his expression was the reassurance I needed to face the woman I had put so much energy into hating.

  I gave him a small smile. “Let’s do this.”

  I approached the front door. Jack stayed behind me, and everyone else stayed in the vehicles. I reached my hand up, pausing before letting my fist make contact with the wood.

  As I waited, it occurred to me: I was knocking on my own door. I owned half this house, and yet it felt as foreign to me as a stranger’s home. Which is exactly what it was: a stranger’s home. And that stranger was my own mother.

  My house. My mother. And I didn’t know the first thing about either one of them.

  The door swung open, and my mother gree
ted us with a smile. Her warm expression confused me. She wore casual yet stylish knit pants and a sweater that draped elegantly around her neck and shoulders.

  I glanced at Jack and then back to her. “Hi.”

  “Hi, Lexi.” She started to lift her hand, but then thought better of it, I guessed, and crossed her arms across her chest instead. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “We need your help,” I said.

  She stood back, opened the door wider, and allowed us to pass. “Of course.”

  Jack motioned for everyone else to follow, and they piled out of the vehicles.

  Alyson said nothing as we filed into the living room. All of the blinds were closed, and very little light got through. A fire burned in the gas fireplace.

  “Roger Wellington tried to have me killed.” I turned and stared at her. “Any idea why?”

  My mother looked around the room at my friends. “Can you give Lexi and me a moment alone?” They all traded glances. “There are towels and anything you might need to shower and freshen up in the guest bathrooms upstairs.”

  “I could definitely use a shower,” Georgia said.

  Jack slid his hand into mine. I’m staying.

  I nodded.

  They headed back out to the trucks to grab a change of clothes, then proceeded up the grand staircase toward hot showers. With one foot on the first step, Jonas glanced at me. You okay with this?

  I think so.

  Yell like a maniac if you need me. He grinned.

  Jack looked from Jonas to me. Squeezing my hand tighter and rotating his shoulders back, he moved closer to me, if that was possible. When I looked to my mother again, I caught her examining Jack and me. She was looking at our clasped hands, and at the way my other hand crossed my body and rested on his elbow. Her eyes drifted upward until they found my eyes. “I’m glad you found each other.”

  “Really? Why’s that?” My defensive tone came out involuntarily.

  “Because the odds of your survival, or of either of you having a normal life, have always been grim. You’re stronger together.”

  I cocked my head. Jack moved to stand just slightly in front of me, part of his body shielding mine. “She would have been stronger had a parent warned her about this life. What kind of mother deserts her newborn baby?”