Dead Awakenings (16 page)

People kept telling her that. “So that’s what you did? You let go of your old life and started a new one here? Underground, everyday, never leaving, never seeing the people you used to know.”

Cami shrugged. “My family is here now, and the two men I love are here. What’s out there for me to go back to? Do I miss shopping at the mall? Hell yes. And about once a year I dress up and put on a wig and go out and shop for a day or two. I go into the city and stay at a hotel, but I don’t ever stay away too long. Both Victor and Curtis worry. Besides, I find that the temptation is too great when I’m out among humans too much. I’m weak by nature.”

“What about the Feeders? Do they dress up and go out?”

“No. Feeders aren’t…they don’t care about anything but the feed. If you still have your humanity, and aren’t trying to drown yourself in pity, it isn’t a very nice place to be.”

All the talk of eating off diet made her hunger flare. She changed the subject. “So what does everyone do here?”

“Well, you’ve met most everyone so far. The security team is Ronan, Bobby Lee, and John Casey. Then you have the tactical team.”

“The what?”

“The tactical team. The guys who go out and pick up the newborns and bring them here. Victor’s the muscle, Luca’s the one who is able to reach the newborns minds. He’s also a pretty good piece of muscle himself.” Cami wiggled her eyebrows, and Evaine laughed lightly. “Ronan’s the computer brains, Aron’s the doctor, and Nate orchestrates everything from here. But, uh…word is, as soon as you’ve learned to harness your ability, you might be the new muscle.”

Evaine blanched. She didn’t want to hurt anyone again. “What do you do?”

“I take care of the Forgotten. I feed them, bathe them when they let me, talk to them. Do what I can to make them comfortable.” Cami’s eyes swept down the row of cells. “Raze, Kade, and Alec are other enforcers that we sometime call on to help out. But they don’t stay here. They’re nomads. They keep to themselves unless we need to get a hold of them. Most stay within three hundred miles of one of the Haven Houses. No matter how careful you are out there, there are always times when you could need a friend’s help, especially medically. Anything could kill you for good.”

“How do you get a hold of others who aren’t here?”

“Karen.”

“The resident White Pages,” Evaine intoned.

“Yeah, her. Of course I prefer to call her the resident snob, but that’s a totally different subject for a completely different day. Anyway, she sleeps a lot because she dreams of those outside of here. She has a mental link to all of us. We aren’t sure how. But there’s a common thread in all of our DNA. She can tap into that thread with her mind and find people anywhere. Sometimes Nate will ask her to tap in and find a specific person. She finds all the newborns.”

“So can she contact anyone?”

“No, she can’t contact people, only locate them. Then Victor or Luca go pick them up, depending on whether they’re an on-diet eater or an off-diet eater. On-diet eaters like us are easy for Luca to go to alone. Off-diet eaters can sometimes require more persuasion—that’s where my Victor comes in.”

Finally she asked Cami the question she had asked everyone else, but no one would answer. “Do you know where Luca went before my testing? Where he went tonight?”

Cami shifted her eyes, and furrowed her brow. “I think he—”

“Cami!” Victor broke in and Evaine whirled to glance at him.

How long had he been there?

“I think you’ve told her quite enough for one day.” He glowered at Evaine.

Cami smiled, winked at Evaine, and then skipped off to Victor’s side. “Don’t pay any attention to Mr. Hurt Pride over here. He’s mad because no one’s ever beat him before in a fight. He’s used to being the star.”

Victor frowned, but Cami beamed and laced her tiny fingers into his enormous ones. He rolled his eyes and suppressed a smile.

“Well, don’t be a stranger. Come and see me anytime,” Cami said cheerfully.

“Our room—it’s our room,” Victor said.

“Yes, well, we’ll see, dearest, won’t we?” Apparently there was some kind of inside joke going on that Evaine was not privy to. “Anyway, I’ve asked them to give you a room near mine so we can see each other more. And don’t let this big baby scare you away from visiting. He’s really just a pussy cat.”

“More like a saber-toothed tiger.” He growled, picking her up over his shoulder and carting her down the hallway. Cami squealed with delight, and Evaine could hear a tinkle of laughter echoing down the hall behind them as they left. Evaine smiled to see them go; they looked so normal.

Turning, Evaine found Curtis looming over her, his hand pressed to the glass, watching Cami disappear with Victor. He looked pained. She put her hand up to where his rested. Curtis looked down at her hand with sad eyes, then threw his head back and let out a terrible cry. It was a pitiful sound, full of sorrow and longing. When he finished he slumped onto his mattress and stared at the blank wall.

How could someone do this to another human being? What could possibly make them be so cruel? To go to such scientific extremes?
Evaine’s rage began to build. She wanted to kill them. To do to them what they had done to her and Luca and Curtis and everyone. If only she hadn’t called the number on that stupid piece of paper.

Her head snapped up. A piece of paper. Someone had given her a piece of paper with a number to call because she had needed money. But where? Where had she gotten the paper? She had to remember!

“Evaine! Are you all right?” Ronan dropped the bag he had been carrying on the floor and rushed over to her. She hadn’t realized that she had been pounding on her head.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” She closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Does your head hurt? Should I get Aron?”

She sucked in a deep breath and put on a fake smile. “No, no, really, I’m fine. I’m so frustrated I can’t remember anything. I’m sure it’s in there.”

“You can’t rush it. It will—”

“Come back or it won’t. I know.”

Ronan chuckled. “You’re so hell-bent on figuring out who you were instead of realizing what a great person you are now and what you could be. I don’t think you realize the abilities you’ve been given. You’ve helped already in so many ways. I don’t mean your telekinetic ability, I mean your presence. It’s awakened all of us.” He stopped suddenly. Evaine got the feeling that if he could’ve blushed, he would’ve. “Hey. You haven’t been topside in a while. You want to go walk the grounds with me? I have to drop this bag off in the barn.”

“Absolutely.” She was flooded with a rush of anticipation.

“Great.” Ronan smiled and picked up the bag.

She followed him to the elevator feeling better than she had in week.

Chapter Fifteen

Tristan awoke to a wet nose in his face. He’d fallen asleep at his computer again. The time flashed midnight on his monitor. He groaned. He had forgotten to take Kale out…again.

He sat up and yawned. “Leash.” When he looked down Kale hadn’t moved; the leash was already in Tristan’s lap. Man, he was becoming so unreliable, he couldn’t even take care of a dog. Good thing Zolma was coming back. Tomorrow the apartment would be cleaned and his clothes washed, real food would be in the house and Kale would get a longer walk.

In the elevator Tristan’s mind drifted to his latest conversations with Jannie and his grandfather. He had to get into the office and show his face. He wouldn’t stay long, but he had to see Collin and say hello at least. Then he would need to get the new client list and go over the Martz Pharmaceutical proposal. He shook his head. What was he thinking? He couldn’t go in and do all that. He needed to stay home.

Maybe he didn’t. Even the police lieutenant had told him to move on. Maybe this would be where it all started. With him making the decision to go out and do something, anything.

The elevator opened. Kale whined and tugged on the leash, forcing Tristan forward through the lobby. Tristan didn’t want to move on; he wanted to live the life he had dreamed of. The life with kids and PTA and Christmases with his grandparents. Summers at the lake house and winters skiing. But most of all, a life with Evaine.

When he had gone off to college and she had tried to break up with him, he hadn’t been able to manage to go out with a girl for more than one date. None of them measured up to her. Their smile, their walk, ideas, philosophies, ambitions. Every event he took one to, every show, every opening of a gallery, every society thing that he was required to attend on his grandparents behalf, had been empty when he had taken someone else. Like a horse show, where he was the stud being appraised, fawned over and prized, but never truly valued. Evaine had been the only woman who had ever made him feel worth something more than his family’s fortune.

The park, a couple blocks from Tristan’s apartment, was oddly quiet. Kale begged to be let off the leash. Tristan glanced around. The hairs on his neck prickled like he was being watched. Kale growled and woofed at the small group of trees about fifteen yards away. A rustle of leaves caught Tristan’s attention.

“Hey, you need something?” he called out.

There was no reply and no movement. He turned to leave when he heard another rustle. Kale went crazy, barking and pulling on his leash. It took all of Tristan’s strength to try to restrain the dog. In the end, Kale won the battle. The leash snapped and the dog surged toward the wooded area. He stopped just inside the trees, barking and growling. Tristan reached the tree, totally out of breath, and tried in vain to regain control of the dog.

“Kale…Kale, knock it off. There’s nothing up there you crazy dog, but—” Tristan looked up and saw the brightest orange, cat-like eyes set into the whitest face he had ever seen. “Uh, hey,” he stammered. “Do you need some help?”

The man jumped down from the limb on the tree, landing lightly on his feet, right in front of Tristan. Kale went mad barking and lunging, but the man glared back and growled, and Kale fell silent. Tristan stepped away a pace, pulling the dog by his collar. The man had a good three to four inches on Tristan and at least thirty pounds of muscle. Decked out in all black clothing, a skull cap covered his head. A long white ponytail hung below. The way the man watched Tristan made him feel like…meat.

“Hey, man, there aren’t any raves or anything on this side of town, and I don’t carry any cash on me.” Slowly Tristan pulled Kale toward the street. It took everything inside of him for Tristan to turn his back and walk away. He swallowed a large lump in his throat as the hairs on his arms stand up like toy soldiers. When Tristan reached the edge of the park he turned. A chill skittered over his skin. The man hadn’t moved, but the menace wafting off of him made Tristan fear for his safety. Like he was looking into his own grave. His arms strained and flexed to keep Kale walking forward, and he was tiring quickly from the burden.

Tristan picked up the pace and half walked, half ran to his building. He felt eyes watching him the whole way.

“Oh, Kale, you broke your leash,” Zach, the doorman, scolded. “I bet you had a heck of a time getting him here.”

Tristan breathed hard, trying to catch his breath. “You could say that.” He was still shaken.

“Nice walk besides the broken leash?”

“No, not so much really.” Tristan looked over his shoulder.

“Did something happen, Mr. Atwater? Should I give the police a call?”

“No. No, it’s fine, Zach. Just some raver, probably high and looking to party, that’s all.”

“Well, you let me know if you have any more problems and I’ll call and get someone to sweep the area.”

“Sounds good.” Tristan relaxed a bit. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, fumbled them with his shaky fingers, and dropped them on the pavement. “Dangit.”

Zach picked up the keys and handed them over.

“Thanks. I’m always losing these.”

“Me too. That’s why my wife bought me this.” Zach showed Tristan a chain attached to his belt loop.

“I should get one of those.” Tristan laughed. Someone moved down the block. Tristan looked up in time to see a black duster disappear around the edge of the building.

Back in his apartment, Tristan sat on his leather sofa, shaken by what had happened. The orange eyes burned into his memory. What the heck kind of contacts were those?
The look on the man’s face had been one of pure hatred, but Tristan was sure he had never seen the guy before. The clock read close to 1:00 a.m. He needed to get some sleep; but if he was going into the office in the morning, he had to at least be somewhat up to speed on the Martz project. Reaching into his bag he pulled out his files. He hadn’t touched them since they’d fallen days before.

He spread the papers out on the floor and began putting them in the right files. When he got down to his last few pieces he noticed a bright green piece of paper sticking out. Picking it up, he unfolded it. His mouth went dry and he swallowed hard. It was a flier for medical testing, like the one he had seen in Mac Peters office. Tristan reached out and shuffled through the last papers. They were Evaine’s. A syllabus, some homework, and a few pages from a script. Tristan’s body went cold and his fingers shook. There was a number at the bottom of the flyer. Reaching for his cell phone he dialed it.

A female voice answered. “Orion’s answering service.”

Tristan wasn’t sure what to say.

“Hello?”

“Uh, ya,” Tristan said. “Uh, I got this flyer and—”

“I’m sorry, sir, but Orion Industries is closed right now. Can I take a message or would you like to call back in the morning?”

“Do you know anything about the drug trials?” Tristan’s throat tightened until he was barely able to speak.

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t. If you would like to call back—”

“Thank you.” Tristan hung up quickly.

Tristan sat and stared at his phone, his head reeling. Evaine couldn’t have done it. She wouldn’t have called them. Tristan knew she’d been strapped for cash, but he had talked to her slum landlord Carl the month before and told him that if she was late with the rent, to let him know and he would wire the money over. Carl had called at 8:00 a.m. the morning of the fifth. Evaine hadn’t known.