Manipulation (Shadows) (14 page)

“Want me to take you home?”

“I’m not ready yet.” Her voice sounds so sad and quiet.

“Should we get out of here?” The mood is still heavy.

“Yeah.”

Addie and I walk. It feels like hours, but also minutes. We don’t speak. She still looks over her shoulder, and I still wish I had more power to calm her. It’s just two people our age. This shouldn’t be feeling so weird.

She pulls her phone out of her bag. “It’s almost eleven. I need to go home.”

“We’re almost there.” I point ahead.

A true smile breaks out onto her face then. “Thanks, Dean. You take good care of me.”

I pull her into my arms before we hit the covered awning that stretches to the road. There’s light underneath and a doorman, but I want to feel alone with her for just a few more moments.

“You’re intense. You know that, right?” Her cheek is pressed against mine.

“Is that good, or bad?”

“Better than the opposite problem.” She pulls just far enough away from me to see my face. “And I’m getting used to it.”

“Well, I don’t mean to be.”

“Do I get to see you tomorrow?”

“Whenever you want.”

“Goodnight, Dean.”

“Night.” I pull my arms from around her and take her face in my hands. I feel her lips against mine before she steps away to walk inside, and I stand outside her building wishing our night wasn’t over.

TWENTY-FIVE

Addison

I’m restless when I get home. My day with Dean is still floating around in my head—both the good and bad. I keep my room dark and let just the lights from the city come in the windows. My brain needs distraction. Because as much as I want to think about the good things—Dean letting me in his head, his hands on mine, and his lips on mine. I don’t want to think about the bad stuff like seeing the people from Dad’s computer and the research and the idea that people like Dean and I could be collected. Would we even be worth collecting? I’m not sure. What would they do with us? Who would they be?

Someone knocks on my door, but I know it isn’t Ellie because she just walks in and has probably been asleep for a while. The footsteps go back up the hallway. Now I feel bad, but not bad enough to see who it is or what they want. I stand up and stretch, still in my clothes from earlier in the day. I zip off my skirt and put on my favorite yoga pants. Then I switch my shirt for a long-sleeve tee. Much better. My stomach growls as I give my hands a good scrub, and I remember that Dean and I never ate after our lunch this afternoon.

I walk out of my room and into the kitchen. The house is dark, and I hear Dad’s voice. The knocking on my door must have been him checking to see if I was home yet. Now that he’s back to business, I’m glad I didn’t answer him. I hate it when he checks in just cause he feels the need to and then goes straight back to work.

I step next to the sink with my glass in hand. Now I wait. Curious as to who he’s talking to in the middle of the night and wondering if Mom’s home.

“I’m well aware of her age, but it’s not that simple.”

Is he talking to Mom? Are they discussing Ellie?

“She’s my daughter, dammit!” He growls. I don’t hear Mom’s voice. Who is he talking to? And which one of us is he talking about?

Another pause. I can’t breathe.

“Well, eighteen doesn’t seem as old as it used to,” he snaps.

A wave of something cold and dread passes through me. He’s talking about me.

“Look, I can keep an eye on her here. She shouldn’t be forced into this now.”

I’ve never heard my dad sound like anything but the boss while he’s on the phone. He doesn’t now. He sounds like he has no control. My heart’s frantic, banging against the inside of my ribs. Why am I reacting like this? It’s Dad.

“Fine.” Dad sounds tired. “She’s out with friends. I’ll bring her in when she gets home.”

I’m shaking, unsure if I’ll be able to move. Bring her in? That adds weight to the theory that people like Dean and me are being collected. Is that what’s happening to the people we saw earlier? The ones who were chasing us? I’m angry with myself for not talking to them. It would have been so easy. Now I’m afraid I’m being paranoid.

“No, the boy won’t be a problem. Not if we have her already.” His voice is resigned. I can’t breathe. Dad’s one of them. The collectors… Is that it? He is part of The Middle Men, that I’m sure of. But how much a part of it is he? Enough to turn in his daughter?

I almost drop the glass in the sink. Then I realize it’ll make noise. I set down my glass with shaking hands. How long do I have? What am I going to do? I run to my room.
Have her already…take her in…the boy won’t be a problem…

A chill runs through me like a wall of something frozen. It only urges me faster. I take my cash stash and stuff it in the pocket of a hoodie. I grab a black jacket, even though it’s still warm out. I grab my backpack from school and stuff it with another change of clothes, pajamas and a few pairs of panties. There’s no way for me to bring everything I want to. All I can think is get out, get out, GET OUT!

Something passes just out of my line of sight, and I jump letting out a whimper. I know nothing’s there so
why do I keep seeing things?

My hands shake, my insides shake, and the room is blurry like I’m running through a badly directed film.

Where am I going? How long will I be gone? The thoughts don’t pause in my head long enough for me to register them. I slide my jacket on over my hoodie, pick up my backpack and head for the door. I grab my Adidas under an arm and quietly close the door behind me as I start up the hallway.

Ellie.

I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle a sob. My cheeks are wet. Have I been crying? I step into her room. It’s black, and she’s fast asleep.

“I love you, Ellie. I have to go,” I whisper.

“What?”

“Shhh…” There’s nothing I can tell her that won’t be terrifying.

“I’m in some kind of trouble, Ellie. You’re safe. Call Uncle Mac if you need to. I have to go. Don’t tell Dad you saw me.” My voice shakes. My chest shakes. I can’t believe this is real.

“Addie?” she whispers, but her voice is full of the desperation I feel.

“I’m so sorry…” I clutch her to me tightly. When will I see her again? I can’t think it. It hurts too bad. I stand up to walk out. “I need your silence, that’s all.”

“Does it have to do with what you can do?” she asks.

I freeze. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I got all that information from Dad’s computer.”

Ice runs through me. “Just… Remember how we talk using Dad’s hidden thing?”

She nods. Her wide eyes are made even more vulnerable by her tears.

“Soon. I promise. Love you.” Before I can process the look of fear on her face, I close her door.

I’m being ripped apart. Should I have woken her? Too late now. I run on the balls of my feet, now knowing my dad is definitely a part of this, and that he’s not the boss and that he plans to bring me in.

I step through the front door and close it quietly behind me. I hit the elevator button. Then I pound it with my fist. Why is it taking so long?
The foyer shrinks as the seconds tick by.

My cheeks are soaked, my body’s shaking and all I can think about is getting to Dean before they do. Whoever they are. And my dad. My
dad
…

The elevator opens. I jump in and slam my hand on the lobby button. My eyes dart to my door, the door I expect Dad to come out of at any moment. But he doesn’t. I don’t see him. The elevator closes and I nearly collapse onto the floor in relief. Now I just need to get to Dean. Please let me be there in time. I start to lace up my shoes. Please, please, I just need Dean.

TWENTY-SIX

Dean

Why won’t the banging stop? I groan and roll over in bed.

“Dean?” Bill pokes his head in my doorway. “Do you know what’s going on?”

“Huh?”

“Someone’s banging on our front door and calling your name?” He disappears out of sight.

I climb out of bed and put on jeans. I don’t bother with a shirt. It’s one AM, and I’m not going anywhere.

When Bill opens the door, Addie bursts through and comes straight for me. There are tears streaming down her face, immediately tensing me up. What happened? She’s shaking but she stops, staring, before she reaches me.

“What’s going on?” I’m trying to keep my voice calm, but I’ve never seen her like this.

“Dean, we have to go.” She shakes her head. “I’m so sorry.” She’s hyperventilating, gasping in for air and Bill lowers her into a chair.

I’m frozen like an idiot. “I don’t…”

“Go!” She’s completely panicked. “We don’t have much time. They’ll be here any minute.”

I bolt toward my room. I can’t know exactly what she’s talking about, but I know enough. My brain was rolling through our research as I fell asleep. Addie freaking out like this has to have something to do with that, right?

“Dean? What’s going on?” Bill calls.

“I’m sorry, Bill.” Addie’s voice is near hysterical. “It’s my fault. Something my dad’s involved in and the whole thing is confusing. I promise we didn’t do anything wrong, just bad circumstances.” Her voice pauses and chokes as she tries to talk.

Where are we going? What do I pack? What do I do? Her dad… We’re going to Carolina. To the people from the boat. I stuff my pack as full as I can. The bottle of Daniels from Katy rests in my drawer—I grab it. There’s three hundred dollars stashed in my closet. I grab that, too. My iPod is already in the outside pocket. I run into the living room and jerk things off the back shelf until I find my sketchpad and a box of pencils.

“Dean?” Jeannette’s in her robe, her hair haloed around her face in a frizzy mess.

It hits me. I’m going to have to say goodbye to them. They’ve been more like parents to me than I realized. I grab Jeannette first. “Thank you, for everything.”

She grabs me back, sensing the urgency of our situation.

I grab Bill next.
God, please don’t let me cry.
Not now. I squeeze my eyes tight. “Thank you.”

Addie’s by the open door, and she
’s
listening down the hall and waiting. “Dean… I’m sorry, but I barely got out. They know about you and they’ll be here next.” Her voice is shaking.

“Don’t worry.” I look at Bill and Jeannette through blurry eyes. “You’re fine.” I hope I’m not lying.

Leaving them stunned in the middle of the night is not at all how I thought I’d say goodbye to Bill and Jeannette.

I put my arm around Addie and we walk out. Having her underneath me eases some of the live wires sending shocks through my body. Everything’s shaky blurry—the walls, the doors we pass, the stairs we walk down. Chills run through me again, and I feel Addie sob in fear next to me. I try to stop her. To put my arms around her, to feel like I can help both of us.

“Not now, Dean.” She takes my hand and starts to run.

“What’s going on? What happened?”

“My dad’s one of them, Dean. His Middlemen thing. I overheard a conversation…” Her voice breaks but she doesn’t look at me. “I overheard a conversation, and I think we were right. I think people like us are collected or something. I don’t know. I don’t understand all of it, but I knew I needed out of there and I know he’s going to come looking for us.” She uses her free hand to wipe her tears away and I wish we weren’t in such a hurry because I want to take her in my arms. Her dad. What are the odds…
?

Another thought stops me in my tracks.
Katy
. Who knows when we’ll back?

“No, Dean. No time.” She’s shaking her head.

“No one knows about Katy,” I argue. I can’t imagine just walking away.

“No one that we
know of
, knows about Katy.”

“Addie, you may not understand this, but she’s been my best friend since I moved in here. I can’t leave without saying goodbye.”

“Tell me we’ll be okay.” Her lower lip is shaking. We’re walking now, but fast.

“We’ll be okay. Fine. Come on.” I put my arm around her again and try to think nothing but positive thoughts, and I also try to think nothing that she might construe as me forcing something on her.

Her arm pulls on me more tightly as we walk. Whatever I’m doing is working.

We go up the stairs to Katy’s place. Both her parents are in shows right now so she’ll be alone. If she’s here. That would suck. To miss her. Addie tenses next to me. As much as she tries to be okay with Katy and I, I’m sur
e part of her isn’t okay with how close we are
.

“It would be weird for me, too.” I kiss her head. “Thank you.”

Addie’s silent.

I knock. “Katy?”

Katy answers the door a minute later in tousled hair, a tank and boy’s pajama pants. “Dean? Addison?”

Addie tries to smile, but is latched to my side.

“We’re leaving.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We’re in trouble, but not the kind we got ourselves into.”

“Katy?” Jesse steps up behind her, looking groggy. Katy blushes.

“Just a sec.” She glances behind her, then back to me. “When will I see you?”

I shrug
because I don’t know when I’ll see her again. Or anyone I know
.

She puts her small arms around me and hugs me so tight I can’t take a deep breath. She doesn’t look up and then does the same to Addie
,
almost knocking her over. “You two take good care of each other.” Katy still hasn’t moved, which means that her and Addie are still hugging tightly.

I can see Addie soften. Her face relaxes, she closes her eyes and rests her head on Katy’s, which I’m sure is what Katy’s been waiting for.

Jesse’s eyebrows are drawn in confusion but there’s nothing I can say to him.

Katy lets go of Addie and steps back inside. Her huge doe-eyes meet mine as they fill with liquid. “See you around, Dean.”

“See you around.” It
stabs and pulls at my chest—
leaving her, and Bill, and Jeannette. I can feel tears coming, but I’m still determined to keep them down.

The door closes. Addie grabs my hand and immediately starts to run. I grab her, pull her to a stop and kiss her, in the dirty hallway of Katy’s building. I’m scared and desperate and need to feel her close to me like this.
By how desperate her mouth is on mine, I’m guessing she feels the same way. I pull back
, just an inch. “Ready to go?”

I feel her breath as she exhales. “I’m ready.”

“Okay.” I take her hand. “We’ll keep a close watch until we can find somewhere to crash for the night. I have a little money.”

“I’ve been saving too. It’s not a lot, but it’ll help.”

I chuckle. “I’m really afraid to compare your stash with mine.”

She ignores my comment. “Our only lead is the people we saw today.”

“I know.”

“I thought about going to the harbors here, but I really just want out of town right now. Somewhere I feel safe.”

“So, to the Carolinas?”

“I can’t believe this is happening. I mean, it doesn’t feel real, does it?” Our hands are still clutched together like one of us will disappear if we let go.

“No. It doesn’t feel real,” I agree.

“Let’s get a cab. Maybe we could find someplace in Jersey to stay tonight.”

But my brother.

“Dean. Time.” She’s terrified. Her voice still shakes.

“We’ll talk in the cab. How about we use our powers of persuasion to get someone?” Fortunately there’s still a bit of traffic. “Just think it, the next one that comes by. Okay?”

“Okay.” She clutches my hand even tighter.

I spot a yellow cab.
Pull over here.

A jolt of a chill runs through me.

Addie makes something like a short, strangled scream next to me.

“What is it?” I whip my head around.

“Did you feel that? And I thought I saw something. Like a…a…moving shadow.” She makes a choking sob sound and her arms wrap tightly ar
ound me as we climb into the car
.

“I got a pickup on
Eighty-Seventh
.” The driver looks mad about pulling over.

“That’s where we’re headed.”
To see Jeremy.

He steps on the gas. Guess we’re okay.

Addie’s trembl
ing next to me. I’m trying to keep it together. She needs me to keep it together, right? Only we have a handful of cash, no place to stay and something unknown after us.

“I saw it Dean. Like a person, only not a person. Like a shadow of a person.” She jerks again next to me. “I thought it was a code or something.”

Goose bumps break out over my body. “Shadow people.”

“I’ve watched so many horror movies, and I always laughed at the girl in tears and now I’m her.” She attempts a smile as she looks up at me. “This can’t be real, Dean.”

I wipe her tears with my thumbs across her cheeks. “You’re so brave, Addie. We’re going to be okay.” Only hell if I know if we’ll be okay or not. This is madness. And she’s right. It doesn’t feel real.

Her phone rings in her pocket. She jerks it out and immediately hits the button. “Uncle Mac?”

“Hey, Bunny. What on earth have you gotten yourself into?”

“Why do you say that?” But her voice is shaky and even over the phone he’s bound to notice.

“Because I got a call from your Dad a few minutes ago asking about you.” His voice is low and calm.

“What did he say?”

“Said he had to find you, that you were out with friends. He asked me if you’d had me do any favors for you.”

“And you told him.” She’s nodding as if she knew he’d have to.

“I did.” There’s a pause. “Don’t trust your phone, Addie. I don’t know what your dad is into, but I know some of it isn’t good. Ditch the phone, you know where to find me if you need me. Let me know where you are.
All the time. What’s going on.
Okay?”

“Okay.
” It comes out in a whisper breath.

“I’ll wait to hear from you.”

“We’ll be heading south.
”

“Meeting up with anyone?” he asks.

“Yeah. We haven’t exactly met, but—”

“Don’t tell me
now
. It sounds like you’re ahead of the game.”

“Thanks, Uncle Mac.” Addie breathes out. “I love you.”

“Love you, too. And yes, I’ll watch out for Ellie.”

I squeeze her shoulder as she shakes in soft sobs next to me. Addie rolls down the window and pitches her phone onto the street. I wonder why her dad hasn’t simply called us. Actually, he probably tracks her through the phone. That would make sense for someone like him.

“Here we are.” The driver says. “
Eighty-Seventh
.”

“Oh no.” Addie’s eyes hit mine.
“Dad has to be here.”

“I heard. Let’s get out and get moving.” If her dad’s not here now, he will be soon.
Jeremy
. It tugs and pulls at me but we have to go.

“Agreed.” Addie’s hand squeezes mine. “I’m so sorry.”

We stand up out of the cab and Addie falls against me. “That’s
Dad’s car. He can’t see us
.
Can’t.
”

“I know.” I stand on the sidewalk. We’re on one of the lucky New York streets with trees. “Pull up your hood. We’ll walk together, okay?”

“Take my hand. I don’t think we should talk out loud.”

“Okay.” I can’t believe we’re doing this together. I can’t believe she trusts me to do this with her.

Second Avenue
, she says.

I see it.

Cab there and go south?
             

And go south.

I’m so sorry about your brother.

I’ll see him again soon.
Will that be enough to appease her? It doesn’t make me feel better at all.

I set him up to talk to you online.

Is that safe?

Very.

I kiss her forehead. How the hell am I going to keep her safe when I don’t know what we’re doing or what we’re up against? Since I was a kid I felt older that I actually was. For the first time, I feel younger.

Thank you, Addie, for trusting me
.

Just as the thought goes from me to her, a chill hits us. Something jumps from the shadows only it still
is
a shadow, like a person and then slides away again. Just like that my heart’s on speed. My vision blurs with adrenaline.