A Chosen Destiny (The Samantha Project Series #3) (16 page)

“The amount of energy it takes to do this overwhelms the brain’s circuitry,” she explained, “sending it into a type of overdrive state. Similar to overloading an electrical circuit.”

“How do you know all this?”

“Abigail is a very talented geneticist,” Dave said. “She’s been studying the alien genetic material for years, Sam. A scientist from the rebel group stole a file containing detailed information about it back in the nineties. Abigail was asked to work on analyzing its properties and its potential effects on the human body. She knows more about it than GlobalLife does.”

Abigail smiled at him. “Well, thank you, David. That’s very kind. But I’m sure that’s not true.”

David? I’d never heard anyone call Uncle Dave “David.” I glanced at Dave, who couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Abigail. “So you knew I could do this?” I asked her.

“I theorized it was possible. I’ve built many models using the information we have about the alien genetic material. As for this particular part of your enhanced genes, the part that gives you this ability, I’ve worked with a group of neuroscientists to help predict how this ability might affect the brain.”

“She’s brilliant, Sam. You should see the complicated models she’s built. And not just for the brain. She’s looked at how your enhanced genes affect all different areas of your body.” Dave smiled back at Abigail, almost flirtatiously.
 

“Sam, are you okay?” Colin stood at the door.
 

“We don’t know yet,” Dave answered for me. “Tomorrow we’re taking her to have some tests run.”

“I don’t need any tests, Uncle Dave. I’m fine.”
 

“You’re going, Samantha.” Dave got up. “We’ll let you two talk. Colin, fill her in on the plan, will you?” Dave motioned for Abigail to leave, then followed her, smiling from ear to ear.

“What’s up with those two?” I asked Colin.

He laughed. “I think Dave has a thing for that lady. I thought he’d given up on women. Has he even dated anyone in the last 20 years?”

“He’s never had a chance to. He spent too much time at work. He’s acting really weird around her.”

“It’s that early stage of dating when everything’s awkward and you’re nervous all the time.” He smiled. “You remember that, don’t you, Sam?”
 

“Yeah. I’m glad that’s over.” I held his hand, still thrilled that he’d decided to stay. “Hey, can I have a kiss?”
 

He gave me a look.

“Oh. I forgot. We’re not dating. Never mind.”

“Yeah, but since you aren’t feeling well, I’ll give you one.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek.
 

I made a face. “That’s it? I guess I’ll take what I can get. So what was this plan Dave was talking about?”

“Jack and Dave went to a meeting with Abigail and a bunch of people from that rebel group. They want me to meet up with some girl and see if I can get information from her.”

“What girl? What kind of information?”

“The chief scientist put in charge of the alien genes at GlobalLife has a daughter our age. She goes to some fancy school. I think it’s called The Academy or something. Anyway, she goes to this coffee place after school. I’m going to start hanging out there to get to know her.”

“Why would you do that?”

“They think I could get information out of her, like stuff her dad tells her about GlobalLife. Or stuff she overhears. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her dad. He’s worked at GlobalLife for years.”

“So they want you to date this girl?” I tried to hide my jealously.
 

“Not really date her, but get to know her. I don’t think it will work. I mean, I’ll go hang out at this coffee shop, but that doesn’t mean she’ll talk to me or be interested in me.”

Colin never understood how much girls liked him. When they flirted with him, he just thought they were being nice. This girl would totally be into him. A tall, athletic guy with deep brown eyes and a perfect smile? Of course she’d be interested.

“What are you supposed to find out from her?”

“Where the alien genes are being stored in the GlobalLife Genetics building in White Plains.”

“She’s not going to tell you that.”

He shrugged. “Whatever. I’ll see what I can find out.”

“What if you get caught?”

“There aren’t any cameras in the coffee shop. It’s in a really small town. This girl’s dad doesn’t even know she goes there. She hangs out there because they let her sing and play her guitar or something.”

“So is that it for the plan?”

“No. That’s just part of it. Dave and Jack just got those encrypted GlobalLife files from Owens. Erik’s helping with the decryption. And Brittany’s meeting with the rebel group tomorrow to tell them what she overheard from the guards when she was in Iceland. So basically everyone’s trying to figure out where the genes are stored.”

“Everyone except me. What am I supposed to do?”

“Just get better. You really scared me with all that blood, Sam. That wasn’t a normal nosebleed.”

I explained to Colin what had really happened. He was surprised and a little freaked out. “So it’s like mind control? You can really do that, Sam?”

“I guess. Apparently it’s a new power. But I didn’t like it.”

“Feeling any better?” Erik appeared in the doorway. “Ready to steal another car?”
 

“Ha, ha. I didn’t steal it. I borrowed it.”

“Sounds like something Brittany would do. Guess you two are getting more alike the more you hang out together.”

“What are you saying about me?” Brittany walked up behind him.
 

I smiled. “He’s trying to blame you for what I did.”
 

“That was all her idea.” Brittany seemed proud of my disobedience. “Sam, do want some dinner? We already ate, but I can get you something.”

“No, thanks. It’s late. I think I’ll shower and go to bed. You can have your room back now. I’ll sleep downstairs.”

“No. You’re staying up here with me. You don’t want to sleep in some dark, musty basement.”

“Before you guys go to bed, can I talk to you, Sam? Alone?” Erik asked.

I looked at Colin, who seemed annoyed. “Um, no. Just say what you want to say. We’re all friends.”

Erik glared at Colin. “Forget it. It’s nothing. See you tomorrow.”

He left, then Colin said goodnight and I went to shower.
 

“What was that about?”
I heard Erik’s voice in my head.

“Get out of my head, Erik! I’m in the shower. Privacy, please.”
I tried to shut him out, but my mind was too weak from what had happened earlier.

“I need to talk to you. And besides, I can’t see anything.”
 

My mind instantly remembered seeing what the officer saw and I didn’t believe him. If I had that power, Erik could have it, too.
 

“Erik, I know you can see me. Why else would you get in my head now, when I’m in the shower?”

“Dave told me about you having that power and no, I don’t have it. At least not yet. So relax. I can’t see you. And even if I could, big deal. I’ve already seen you naked.”
 

“Let’s not talk about that.”
If I was ever going to move forward with Colin, I couldn’t keep reliving the intimate moments Erik and I had shared.

“Why are you trying to ignore me? Did Colin ban you from talking to me?”

“No. I did. I told Colin we would stop mind-talking. He doesn’t like it. He feels like we’re hiding something from him.”

“Well, tell him to grow up. We’re not hiding anything from him.”

“I’m trying to make things work with Colin and he’s not going to stick around if you and I keep this up. And I don’t mean just mind-talking.”

“Then what? I haven’t done anything. I’ve left you alone.”

“You’re still flirting. And I know you haven’t given up on us.”

Erik was silent.

“I can’t do this anymore, Erik. I want to be with Colin.”

His voice turned cold.
“You know it’ll never work. You and Colin.”
 

“Why would you say that? You’re the one who keeps giving me advice about him.”

“I wasn’t giving you advice. I was trying to make you see for yourself that he’s not the guy for you. Even if you think you’re in love with him, it still won’t work. You and I are the only two people in the world with these enhanced genes. Colin will never understand what it’s like being like this. And he can’t live a normal life with you. You and I will always be running. It just makes sense that—”

“Stop it. You sound just like GlobalLife. You act like we have no choice in this. Like our destiny was chosen from the minute they put these genes in us. As if we have to be together because of that attraction software. But I’m making my own choices now. And I want to be with Colin.”

Erik changed the subject.
“So tell me what happened with that officer.”

“I told you. No more mind-talking.”

“I need to know. The same thing could happen to me. I need to know what it feels like.”

“It feels like your head is going to explode, okay?”

“Yeah, and then what? You just start seeing what the other person sees?”

I described the scene to Erik, giving him more details than I gave Dave.

“Sam, don’t tell anyone this, but I think I had a similar thing happen when we were trying to find Brittany.”
 

“What are you talking about?”

“When she was running from GlobalLife and you told Owens’ guys to search by that lighthouse? I could see the lighthouse right in front of me. And I could see the area around it. It was exactly what you described.”

“Erik, why didn’t you tell anyone this?”

“I didn’t want Brittany to feel all weird around me. I didn’t mean to get in her head. I just really wanted to find her.”

“You should tell Jack. Dave said getting in someone’s head like that could damage the brain. You should get checked out by a doctor, like I am tomorrow.”
   

“No, I don’t need that. Maybe it was just a one-time thing. I’ll let you finish your shower. Goodnight.”

Erik’s thoughts cut off. I felt bad for brushing him aside. Jack had told me many times that I was the only person Erik had ever opened up to. Now I’d told him that he couldn’t do that anymore. But I couldn’t keep being Erik’s confidant if I wanted things to work with Colin.
 

The next morning, Dave was anxiously waiting to take me to get a brain scan at some hidden medical facility run by the rebel group. “Hurry up, Sam. Abigail is waiting for us. She has a team there ready to go.” He seemed more in a hurry to see Abigail than to get my brain scanned.

“Uncle Dave, is there something going on with you and Abigail? Do you like her or something?”

Dave blushed. “Of course I like her. She’s a very nice lady. Very smart and very professional.”

“I mean, do you like her in a romantic way?” I tried not to laugh, but it seemed funny asking Dave about a woman.

Dave got flustered. “Don’t be silly, Samantha. I just met the woman. It’s nothing like that. I simply admire her work.” He paused. “And a pretty lady like that? She’d never be interested in a man like me.”
 

As he talked, I noticed that Dave had really cleaned himself up. He had shaved and his hair was slicked back with some type of hair product. I could even smell cologne.

We drove to an old house in the middle of nowhere. The house was acting as the temporary headquarters for the rebel group assigned to retrieve the alien genes from GlobalLife.
 

When we got there, Rachel greeted us at the door. “Samantha! Dave! It’s so good to see you guys again.” We hadn’t seen Rachel since Iceland. She was dressed in dark jeans and a light blue v-neck sweater, a much more casual look than her normal GlobalLife attire. “Come downstairs. They’re waiting for you.”

We went to the basement. It was full of medical equipment, including the scanner that would check my brain.
 

Dave seemed impressed. “I hear you’re the one who had all this set up, Rachel.”

“Yes. I knew we’d need medical facilities for Sam and Erik, especially after that section of DNA was filled in. Abigail said there could be side effects. So tell me, how’s it going over at Owens’ place?”
 

“Not good. We have to watch what we say and do all the time. He’s got that house under constant surveillance.”

“I figured he would do that. I’ve got a new place lined up for you guys to stay. It’s not that far from here. It’s an old house, fully furnished. It’s nothing fancy, but you wouldn’t have to worry about Owens watching you.”

“That would be wonderful, Rachel,” Dave said. “Of course, you know Owens won’t like that.”

“He can’t expect you to stay there. You’re not his prisoners. Just tell him that.”

“Easier said than done,” Dave replied.
 

“Well, they’re ready to start running tests on Sam. It should take an hour. I’ll see you guys later.” She went upstairs.

The tests actually took several hours because they found damage on one side of my brain. After more brain scans and some blood work, the neuroscientist who ran the tests met with Dave and me. Abigail listened in as well.

“There’s some damage, but it’s starting to repair itself. That’s the good news. The bad news is that if she doesn’t learn to control this ability, her brain may do it automatically, like it did before. And if it happens frequently, we’ll see even more damage.”

“How do I control it?” I asked.

“I’ll work with you on that,” Abigail said. “There are techniques you can use to stop your brain from entering another’s. But to do that, you need to practice actually using this skill.”

“But won’t that hurt my brain?”

“Not if you practice doing small things with people you already know, like getting into David’s mind and having him go make a sandwich or pick up the newspaper.”

I glanced at Dave, thinking I didn’t want to be controlling his, or anyone’s, mind.