Mindsurge (Mindspeak Book 3) (26 page)

“Frankly, I don’t know why they would.”
 

I straightened. “Why
wouldn’t
they? My money not good enough?”

Coach cocked his head. “Money isn’t the issue. The president’s staff and the Secret Service are currently analyzing every angle and possible threat that could arise from selling that island. And they’re balancing that against every possible threat that could arise from
not
selling that island.”

“What about Ms. Meyers? Surely she impressed upon them what’s at stake.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure she did. I doubt she’ll soon forget your little demonstration. I’m going to take a wild guess that Evelyn Meyers didn’t sleep much last night after that performance.”

I chuckled.

Jack removed a mitt and tucked it in his armpit. He wiped his forehead against the sleeve of his T-shirt. I was the one working out, and he was sweating?

I reached out and touched his arm. “Hey. You okay?”

Instead of answering, he said, “You think Sandra did something to cause my and Georgia’s severe attacks?”

Noticing the beads of sweat across his nose, I crinkled my brow. Clearly, Sandra did
something
. But I had no idea what.

Jack’s hand shook as he tipped a water bottle back and squirted a power drink in his mouth. He’d been trying to replenish his electrolytes for two days. “I need to take a break.”

Coach held his phone up as he backed away from the conversation. “I’m going to make some phone calls. And Lexi, your mom is making dinner tonight. We’re supposed to be at the house by seven. I have a surprise for you.”

I hated surprises.

When coach disappeared through the door, I zeroed in on Jack. “What’s going on with you? Something’s not right.”

“I’m fine.”

“Bull.” I brushed my fingers along his forearm and started to grab his hand, but he yanked it away.

“I said, I’m fine.” His tone cut straight through to my heart.

“Okay.” I reached for my own water.

He closed his eyes briefly. When he reopened them and found mine, his expression softened. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired from getting so sick. I feel like I just got over the flu.”

“It’s all right. I’ve had enough for today anyway.” I took a drink of water. “Why don’t you take a nap before we meet with everybody.” We’d be discussing our plan to save Jonas and destroy Sandra’s operation. I was ready to confront her, and the sooner the better, if we wanted the element of surprise on our side.

“That’s a good idea. I think I will take a nap.” He leaned in and brushed his lips across mine. “I’ll call you later.”

I took another drink of water as I watched him exit the room. I had examined the different areas inside his head after the run-in with Addison and Maya. Everything seemed to be intact and functioning normally, but I had a horrible feeling.

Jonas, I wish you could hear me. Something’s not right with Jack. I need your help.

Silence. What had Sandra done to Jonas? Or to Jack? I walked to the corner of the workout mat and pulled my cell phone from my backpack. Maybe Georgia had thought of something.

“What do you want?” Apparently Georgia’s mood was no better than Jack’s.

“How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been hit on the head a few dozen times with a baseball bat.” A confusing pattern of noises followed. “What? No. Fine, you talk to her.”

“Lexi?” It was Fred. “She’s not herself. I don’t know what Maya did, but Georgia has never taken this long to recover from an episode. Never. She’s mostly slept since we brought her back to the house. She’s been confused a lot, extremely thirsty, and I just watched her take four ibuprofen. I don’t know what to do to help her.”

“Don’t leave her alone, okay?” All of those symptoms were side effects of the epileptic attack, but they should have already subsided by now. “I’ll call you back.”

I grabbed my bag and took off in the direction of my dorm room. On the way I called Kyle. “Any luck finding the Skype or cell phone number for Sandra? I need to talk to her. Now.”

“As a matter of fact…”

“Give it to me.”
 

He rattled it off without a second of hesitation.
 

“How did you find it so quickly?” I asked.

“I asked Seth.”

“Seth? Are we sure it’s current? Why would she keep the same number?”

“Why not? Seth figures she’s arrogant enough to think everyone will eventually bow to her awesomeness.”

I thought about that for a few beats. It was true. She’d expected me to join her. “Thanks for the number.” I hung up.

A few minutes later I entered my dorm room and headed straight to my computer. I pulled up the Skype interface and typed in the number.

It rang and rang, but there was no answer. I tapped my fingers on my desk in a nervous pattern. We were leaving for Hawaii soon, and I was going to need Jack’s and Georgia’s help.

I decided to use the free time to pack for our trip. It somehow seemed stupid to pack for a trip to take down an evil empire of scientists and IIA operatives, but I did need some necessities, after all. I pulled my suitcase out of my closet and began throwing in clothes and a few toiletries. When I was almost done packing, a ring sounded from my computer.

The muscles in my neck clenched. I turned to find Sandra’s number flashing across the screen. I quickly sat and angled the screen so that my suitcase and packing mess was hidden. Then I answered the call.

“Hello, Sarah. I’m so thrilled that you called. What’s new at Wellington?” Sandra was as cheery as a mother calling to catch up with her teenage daughter.

“Cut the crap, you evil witch. What did you do to Jack and Georgia?”

“Why? Are Jack and Georgia feeling a little… off?” She fake-frowned. If I could have reached my hands through the computer screen, I would have wrapped my fingers around her neck and wrung it until she blew out her last breath, her body fell limp, and her eyes went glassy.

“You know, you think you’re going to win this, but you won’t,” I said. My voice came out calm and even, but the war inside my chest was anything but. “You might even think you’ve won if I were to come to Palmyra, but if Jack becomes one of your casualties, you will lose. I would rather sacrifice myself and die than let you get whatever it is you think I have.”

Sandra made that annoying clucking sound with her tongue. “You sound like you’re giving up, Sarah. That’s the last thing I want.” She leaned in closer to the camera so that her face filled the entire screen. “I have a deal for you, Lexi. Jonas is already here. But if you and the other original clones come to Palmyra, I will make sure we get Jack and Georgia all fixed up and back to normal. And not only that: if you work with us, then I promise we’ll allow all the other clones around the world to live normal lives.”

I scoffed. “Why would I believe you? The last time I entered your web, you murdered your own son in front of me.” And my best friend.

“He was malfunctioning; it needed to be done. However, you can rest assured that I will not kill any of the original clones. But beyond that… you have no idea what I’m capable of, Sarah.” Her words were coated in infinite threats. And I believed each and every one.

“No deal.
I
will come. Just me. I’m the one you want. Leave the others alone. But first, you have to tell me how to make Jack and Georgia better.
Then
, and only then, I’ll do whatever it is you need at Palmyra.” The horrible taste of bile rose to the back of my throat. I was selling my soul to the devil. But I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to Jack. What had she done to him? And why couldn’t I see whatever it was?

I wanted to find Maya and Addison and punish them for their part in this, but I knew in my heart that this was all Sandra’s doing. She had found ways to control both Maya and Addison. I honestly didn’t think either one of them had a clue what Maya had done to Jack. That’s not to say I could completely trust either of them. That they were under Sandra’s thumb was reason enough to be wary. But I needed Maya and Addison to help me get inside Palmyra. I had to trust them at least that much.

“Deal,” Sandra said. She sat back, crossing her arms in arrogant triumph. “Except… you come first, and
then
I’ll give you the cure. And you’d better come soon, dear… or Jack and Georgia will die.”

“Can you do it?”

“Yes, but Lexi, this is a terrible idea,” my mother said. “We might not be able to remove the tracker after it’s been implanted.”

I’d worry about that if and when I ever got away from Palmyra. “It’s the only idea I have that protects everyone else.”
 

“I’ll be right back,” my mother whispered. “I’m going to check on dinner. The others will be here soon. And you still need to figure out a way to tell them the plan.” By “them,” I knew she meant Jack.

Alyson turned quickly to go, but before she got to the kitchen door, I heard her pull in a labored breath. She swiped at her face. My heart squeezed at the sight of her crying.

I leaned back into the oversized chair, my feet propped up on the ottoman in front of me. It was difficult to admit this to Alyson, but it was nice to be in a comfortable home instead of the cold, stark infirmary basement.

I lifted my flattened palm in front of my face. The tracker sat on its edge in the middle of my hand. From this angle, I had a view of its tentacles. If Alyson could program this tracker to mirror Maya’s, but trim the tentacles to give them less gripping power, she could then place it at the base of my skull and make it indistinguishable from Maya’s implant. Then all I had to do was make sure my appearance and personal knowledge were identical to Maya’s. We’d have an eleven-hour flight to go over the details. Of course, I still needed to entice Maya to cooperate.

The theory was that if I could pretend to be Maya, then I could get inside Palmyra. And if I could do that, then somehow I would find Jonas, and the cure for Jack and Georgia, and then get out. Easy, right?

I sighed. It was impossible. But I had to at least try.

And unfortunately, I would have to do it alone. Georgia and Jack were still ill, seeming even sicker than before, and I’d never get Fred to go to Palmyra without Georgia. And I needed Kyle to hack into the system and be my voice from the outside. I might be able to use Briana, but she was so very new to using her abilities, and I wasn’t sure I could risk something going wrong.

The doorbell rang. Alyson passed from the kitchen to the foyer behind me. When she returned, Kyle, Jack, and Briana followed. They all glared at me as if I’d told them Wellington would no longer serve dessert in the dining hall.
 

“What?” I asked.

Jack traded glances with the other two, then stepped forward. His face was pale, and a grey hue darkened the skin under his eyes. “You’ll go inside that place by yourself over my dead body.”

I crawled out of the chair. “Jack, I—”

“Save it. Alyson called. She told us what you’re planning.”
 

I glared at my mother.
Snitch
.

She wrung her hands. “I didn’t come back into your life to help you walk into a death trap. I knew you’d listen to your friends before you’d listen to me.”

“Tell me what this is about.” Jack linked his pinky with mine. “What’s changed?”

I stared down the laces of my running shoes a moment before I found the strength to meet his gaze again. “Sandra… she did something permanent to you and Georgia. Well, Maya did it, but it was Sandra who forced her to do whatever it
was.”

“What do you think she did?”

“I’m not sure. I examined your head, but I couldn’t find anything.”

“Then how do you know she did something?”

“Because she told me. That was the ‘gift’ she mentioned.” This was my fault. If I had just listened to her after she’d sent the very first “gifts” on the night of my birthday party. She had warned me to leave Jack out of it.
 

“What exactly did she tell you?” His jaw hardened.

“That if I’ll join her inside Palmyra, she’ll reverse whatever it was she did to you and Georgia.” I left out the part about what would happen if the effect wasn’t reversed—that he and Georgia would die. I’d make sure that didn’t happen.

“Lexi.” Kyle sat his laptop on a nearby writing desk. “Briana and I have studied the layout of the full lab. It’s not very big. It’s not as intricate as the lab she had at UK.”

Briana nodded. “I’ve memorized the faces of the doctors and lab techs that appear to be current residents of the island.” Her voice was low, which was strange for her. “There aren’t many.”

“And security seems to be light,” Kyle added.

“Maybe because it’s on an island that’s supposed to receive very few visitors, and never ones who aren’t announced by the government.” Jack spoke as if he’d researched the island himself.

There was a knock on the door, and Alyson answered it.

“We brought dessert,” Seth announced as he lifted two large grocery bags. Coach walked in behind him with a couple of oversized black briefcases.

“What’re those?” I asked.

“New toys.”

An irrational excitement bubbled up in my chest; I loved the unique weapons that Coach came up with. And this time, I was going to need something inconspicuous. I would never enter Sandra’s lair packing a gun—I might as well just announce that I was the enemy.

“You guys start without us,” Jack said. “I need to talk to Lexi a minute.”

Jack pulled me toward the door. On the front porch, he dropped my hand and turned to me. “Did you search my entire body?”

“No. I didn’t have time. I knew you were off a bit, so I did a quick search of your head before you left to take a nap. When I didn’t find anything, I Skyped Sandra. She was expecting my call.” I averted my gaze from Jack’s. I couldn’t stop the moisture from pooling in my eyes again. “I can’t lose you,” I whispered. “I’ll do whatever I have to.”

Heat radiated from his feverish body as he pressed himself against me. His arm snaked around to my back, bringing me even closer. He leaned his forehead against mine. “You are not going to lose me. We’ll figure this out.”