Control (Shift) (33 page)

“CP sure knows a thing or two about making a fracas,” I said.

Panic swept through the room like a wave, touching each person in turn and soon they were running towards the exits.

As they clambered to get over each other, staff looked on stunned, trying to tell them all to calm down. But no one was being calm.

Even the few politicians I recognised in the crowd were walking very quickly to the doors while trying to make it look as if they weren’t utterly terrified. I saw James Miller, his golden hair blending into the surroundings. He wasn’t smiling now.

And there was Frankie. She hadn’t moved from the middle of the room. She was watching all the people rush around her like she was standing in a train station. Curious, rather than worried. She looked faintly amused by all the fuss.

Kushi edged forward and reached up to take Frankie’s hand, while holding her headless doll in the other. Frankie smiled down and patted the girl on the head, reassuring her.

Prestige stepped forward to stand on the other side of Frankie, his eyes wary and tight, hand twitching at his belt. Had he really been able to sneak a weapon in here, or was it just a nervous twitch? Kia was flapping her arms around and trying to drag Frankie away to the lifts. Frankie whispered something in her ear and she calmed down. Suddenly Pia was standing there in a sharp grey suit. He went to sit in the corner, looking miserable.

Only Hamid and Hazid looked relaxed. They were taking the opportunity to raid the buffet bar, making each other eat weird-looking things.

Ella was the first to see me as I walked into the room.

She stiffened and then quickly stepped in front of Frankie to block me from her view and shook her head. Warning me to stay away? Well, it was too late now.

The rest of the guests were trying to squeeze into the lifts, but security guards had blocked the way, stopping anyone from leaving. They were trying to tell everyone to calm down and stay put. But no one was listening. They were screaming and crying, helped along by Rosalie shouting, “Oh no, oh no, we’re all going to die” a lot while looking at her nails.

Frankie saw me at last and smiled. This time she looked genuinely surprised.

“Scott, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so soon.”

I felt Aubrey’s hand on my shoulder and saw Rosalie and Zac walk over to stand next to me. “Ah, and you’re not alone this time, I see. Are all your friends Shifters then?” She smiled as I clenched my jaw, worried. “Good.”

She rolled her head in small circles, as if she was getting ready for a workout. Then she centred her head and glared at Zac.

“You will take your girlfriend here and go home and make mad passionate love to her. A much better way to spend the evening, I think you’ll agree?”

There was a moment where we all looked at Zac, waiting for a reaction. Had Benjo been telling us the truth? It seemed so. Nothing happened.

“I couldn’t agree more. But I’m afraid I’m not going anywhere,” Zac said.

Frankie looked momentarily taken aback. Then she turned her attention to Rosalie. “That’s a very pretty dress, my dear. You wouldn’t want to get it dirty. Why not go home now?”

Rosalie laughed, a loud clear “Ha!”

Frankie tried again, “Ah, Aubrey. How nice to see you again. I must say, I’m rather surprised to see you supporting Scott. After what he did to you. A strong woman like you should never allow yourself to be…”

“Shut it, bitch,” Aubrey snapped.

“Oh, so brave,” Frankie said, holding her hands together. “Just like your father. Oh, yes, I know you, Aubrey. I had you killed when you were just a tiny thing. It broke your father. And I can do the same to you.”

“No you can’t,” Aubrey said, her voice cracking slightly, as if she was having to fight to keep her rage in check. “Not any more. And whatever you made Scott do, you’re going to undo it.”

“Or else?” Frankie said. But I could see we had her rattled. Her power wasn’t working on any of us. I allowed myself to breathe and stepped forward.

“Or else I tell everyone here at this fancy party exactly what you and your broken children do.”

The crowd had mostly vanished through the lifts; celebrities and VIPs hustled away by security. The few people left stopped to stare at Frankie and us.

Frankie threw her head back and laughed. Then spun around, arms outstretched to the huddles of terrified guests. “These people are my friends, Scott.” She turned back to me. “Do you really think they’re going to believe an unhinged boy? Look at yourself, Scott. I feel for you, I really do. And I could have helped you–”

“I have proof,” I shouted.

“No, you don’t.” She said it without a flicker of concern. Not a single doubt.

She was right. A photo of Ella and the PM’s daughter on holiday together wouldn’t be enough. Even all the incidents I’d gathered showing that one of her children had been around when accidents happened would be written off as nothing but coincidence. The only death she’d yet to undo was that of Tsing Ken-ze. And from what she’d said, that could be any moment.

How exactly did you trap someone who could undo every mistake and leave no mark? Even if I managed to link Ella to an event, Frankie would just cut her off and walk away. The only way I could do this was to make her confess in front of hundreds of people, pinning the confession in place. And for that, I needed leverage.

“Tell them, Ella. Tell them what she made you do.”

“I just want it all to stop,” Ella screeched, holding her hands to her ears. “I just want it to all go away. I never wanted to do those things.”

“Ella,” Frankie snapped. “Be quiet now. Go home.”

“No one is going anywhere,” I said.

Frankie ignored me. She shook Ella by the shoulders. “Go home.”

Ella seemed to come to her senses. She wiped a tear from her cheek and her body sagged as she let the other choices come into her mind. She closed her eyes, expecting any minute to be back home, never having come to the party. Maybe she’d be in bed. Or watching a bad movie. Anything but here.

I counted slowly in my head, waiting for the realisation to strike.

Ella’s eyes snapped open. “I can’t Shift.”

Frankie looked around. “Kushi, go home,” she said.

The little girl did as Ella had done, only she scrunched her eyes up really tight when the change wouldn’t come and then started to wail.

“How are you doing this?”

“We all have our little secrets, Frankie.”

I circled her, cautious not to block the view of the camera so Benjo could keep his button eyes on Frankie. I was trusting everything to him now. “No one is going anywhere until we finish this,” I said.

“Well, well, well,” Frankie said. “So it’s come to this. You and your family against me and mine. And what for, Scott? So you can have your power back?”

“It’s your power that should be taken from you. Look what you’ve done with it. You’ve used it to destroy people,” I said.

“I have used it to save everyone! You have no idea what I have done for this country, for the world! I have used this power to control fate itself. And yes, I have manipulated and cheated, but it was all for the greater good, Scott. For your good. For everyone’s good. Do you have any idea what chaos these petty politicians and men with their money would have called down on us if it wasn’t for me, guiding them. Showing them the way to go. Do you have any idea what they’d do to this planet? They’d rape it of all its reserves and then turn on each other, if I wasn’t there to stop them. And I’m so tired. So very tired. But I don’t have a choice. Isn’t that ironic? That I, of all people, don’t have any choice? Once I started down this path, I knew there was no way back.”

I resented the empathy I felt for her. I knew what it was to have a job to do, to sacrifice everything in the pursuit of it.

“There’s always a way back,” I said, because I had to believe that.

She let out a high-pitched laugh that echoed around the silent room. “You want to finish this? Then let’s finish this,” Frankie snapped, the first time I’d seen the angelic mask drop. “Prestige, kill them. Kill them all.”

Prestige looked at Frankie, his eyes sad and questioning. And then he sighed and reached into his belt. He had got a gun in here after all.

Aubrey reached into her jacket and pulled out Sir Richard’s gun and directed it at the boy. I could see that he had the steadier hand.

“Wait!” I shouted, reaching out to Prestige. “You don’t have to do what she says. None of you do.” I looked at all the kids. “I know you don’t want to do the things she makes you. Even after you’ve undone it it’s still there, isn’t it? Like a bad dream, haunting you. Eating away at you. Believe me, I know. Ella, tell them. Tell them all the things they’ve done. That she’s made them do. You remember, I know you do.”

“No,” Ella said, tears now flowing freely. “It’s bad enough that I remember.”

“Nonsense,” shouted Frankie. “I don’t make you kids do anything. I’m here to protect you. I’m here to protect you all.”

“And that’s just it. You think you’ve been put on earth to protect everyone. To make the world a better place. So you play your games with politicians, manipulating them into doing what you want. And you use these kids as your pawns. Your foot soldiers. Because you’re too much of a coward to do it yourself.”

“I don’t like the shouting,” Kushi said, pulling her doll to her chest.

“Kushi, even you. That bunny she gave you. The one you were meant to give to the old Chinese man. Did you know it was poisoned?” I said.

“It’s just a game,” Kushi said, her huge eyes wobbling. “Frankie said it was just a game.”

“Because it is a game for her. And Pia, you know why you can’t settle? Because you’re running from yourself and the things she’s made you do. And here’s the thing. She made you do them. They weren’t your choices. She planted them in your head like a weed so you’re grateful to her when she takes them away. Grateful. When it was her all along. You’re just tools to her. Playthings. Nothing more than empty dolls.”

“Prestige…” Frankie prompted.

I stepped forward. “What do you think she’s going to do with you when you’re no use to her? Do you see any of her old children around, all grown up and living happy lives? No, because as soon as entropy sets in she’ll throw you away and you’ll be stuck, forced to live with the things you did.” I locked my eyes on Ella now. Hoping that I could get through to her. “See how she’s already pulling away from you.”

“Maybe he’s right?” Ella said, stepping next to Prestige and laying a hand on his outstretched arm. “She promised me I’d find peace. But I don’t feel it. She gave me a home and I thank her for that. But a home is not enough.”

“She’s right, Prestige,” I said. “You’ve seen enough death. You don’t have to listen to anyone any more. You can be free.”

“Aim for his heart,” Frankie said, sneering.

Prestige looked down at Ella, then back at me. “I’ll never be free,” he said. The first words I’d ever heard him speak.

Then he fired his gun.

 

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

 

I heard shouts and screams along with the crack of the bullet. I closed my eyes, waiting to feel its impact, waiting to feel the bullet tear through me.

But nothing came. He missed, I thought.

I slowly opened my eyes, a relieved smile playing about my lips. Then I saw Aubrey was standing in front of me, holding something to her chest. Something red and wet.

Prestige hadn’t missed. He’d aimed for my heart after all.

Aubrey must have jumped in front of me, to stop the bullet.

“Scott,” Aubrey said in a small voice. Not her voice at all. It was too scared, too lost to be Aubrey’s.

She started to crumple and I caught her before she hit the floor. Wet hands held my face and I didn’t dare to look down to see where the wetness was coming from.

“It’s OK, Aubrey,” I said, more to myself than to her. “It’s all going to be OK. You just Shift and get out of here. Like we planned.”

She shook her head only a fraction. “Not coming with you was never an option.”

It took me a while to understand what she meant. That joining me had been her only choice. So she couldn’t Shift her decision not to come. But that was fine, there had to be other ones. There had to be. Her eyes started to roll back in her head.

“Stay with me, Aubrey,” I shouted, shaking her. “Find another way out. You’re good at this. Just don’t be here. Stay away from me, like you said you should. Don’t come looking for me at the museum. Whatever it takes, find a way out.” I was shouting now.

“Since the day I met you, Scott Tyler, there was no way out.”

She was smiling, her grey-green eyes locked on mine.

“So, don’t meet me,” I said, my voice croaking as I knew what that meant. It meant that with a single thought I’d be back in my old life, never having known Aubrey or any of this.

She tried to laugh and red bubbles formed around her lips. “And miss out on all of…” Her eyes went still and the sparkle in them faded away.

I tried not to panic. It was going to be OK. The hypnic jerk, the brain’s reboot trick. It would happen any second as her dying mind searched for ways to save itself. The way I’d rebooted myself after Benjo had killed me. Any second and she wouldn’t be here.

Only it didn’t come.

“I don’t understand,” I said, looking up at Zac who had come to stand over us. “Why won’t she Shift?”

He didn’t have an answer.

I looked down into Aubrey’s pale face. There was a smudge of black on her cheek. Dirt from the tunnel or from her make up, I didn’t know. I thumbed it away.

Whoever said that dead bodies look as if they are sleeping must never have seen one. Aubrey looked dead. Cold. Absent. Whatever had been Aubrey was gone. I held up one of her hands, and pressed it against my face. But I felt nothing. Only the press of cooling flesh against my skin. Something glinted around her neck. I reached down to pull out the necklace I’d given her. My lucky penny. She was still wearing it.