Out of Sight Out of Mind (27 page)

‘Brilliant. Fucking brilliant.’ Vic was almost hopping out of his skin, watching the patterns forming on the three screens. ‘It’s working!’ Carried away, he called up to the CEO, who raised a hand like a shovel in response.

Vic turned back to the computers, crouching over the machines, eyes darting from screen to screen, tweaking the settings, watching the lines pulse and shift in unison.

She had his back. Jay could feel her presence, like a silent warrior guarding the pass. He spun more strands forward, building the structure and testing if it would hold. He could feel the edges of Alec’s consciousness now – total concentration and some fear. He reached out to reassure. Madison was following him, one step behind, keeping them both stable, giving him the platform on which to work.

As if we’ve done this all our lives.

The new structure was solid now. He moved across it, balancing both spans. Sparks flew as Madison drew on more power, to let him step over and into Alec’s mind.

He had the connection. His internal sight split. He was poised, looking back and looking forward. Janus, linking the three of them together.

He pushed on, heading for the part of the brain they had identified.

The space was dark, red and enfolding. He conjured light. The brightness flared. Too strong, too soon. He controlled it, damping it down as the bridges blinked. An overload of power. The feed Madison was giving him was incredible. Behind him, she had steadied them.

Secure, Jay began to weave again, connecting the small pathways in Alec’s brain that would make the link. Alec was quiescent, holding down his power, letting it rest like fog on the sea. Jay felt the other man’s reaction as he skated over a synapse. He banked down the flush of triumph as the links began to form. When they were finished, Alec, who couldn’t currently hold a pencil, would be able to draw.

Amazingly, Jay found himself able to think and reason outside the delicate work he was doing. The energy coming from Madison was unstoppable. He could feel the cool clarity of her mind in every move he made. He reached for another connection.

Alec kept his energy as flat and diffuse as he could, husbanding his resources. He could feel what Jay was doing, like a buzz in the corner of his brain; feel the unions snapping into place. Any time soon Vic would have all that he wanted.

It would be done.

Alec tested the last link, as it clicked into place. That was his cue, to let his power go, feeding it back to blow the machine, supported by Jay, and Madison. He and Jay had rehearsed it. But not like this.

With a leap like a smile and a surge of control, Alec reached out, pulling in the energy from Vic’s computer, as he and Vic had practised, feeling it swell and hammer in his brain. He turned and sank hooks, like claws, into the golden bridge, making its surface ripple. He felt the bridge scream.

Then he began to flow along it, a dark torrent, into Jay’s mind.

It was like a claxon going off. Madison coughed as the sound of sudden anguish vibrated in her mouth. Darting along the bridge, she saw at once what was happening. The darkness was visible to her, eating the connection between Alec and Jay.

‘Alec’s turned,’
she telegraphed the words to Jay. She got back only a stutter of affirmation.

She could feel him, fighting for his life, inside his own head.

Vic hunched over the computers, a manic gleam in his eyes, but his hand rigidly controlling the pinwheel. Edging the current up.
This baby was rocking
. He risked a glance upwards. Creed’s face was contorted; eyes rolled back, body rigid. Alec’s features were smooth, like a mask of triumph.

Jay was losing ground, but only an inch at a time. The first irresistible tide had washed across half the bridge, in a sweep of destruction, turning it black and dead before Jay could muster his defence. Now the advance had slowed to a trickle as Jay battled. Madison could feel him, pushing Alec hard, trying to break the band that was holding them. She pulsed kinetic force towards him, in slow measured beats. Now Alec was waning. He’d begun to fall back.

Jay flared out along the bridge, storming forward with his last reserves of energy.

In a half-second, Madison, with an oblique view, saw the trap. In horror, she felt Alec draw strength as he might draw breath. And surge.

Jay was going down, floundering against the black tide. If Alec poured in and through Jay’s mind and on to the second bridge, Jay would be gone.

For an instant of pure panic, she froze.

She felt both the bridges waver and the echo of Alec’s hunger bouncing off Jay, like a cry in the dark.

Her nails bit her palm as her fingers curled into a fist.

She had no direct connection to Alec, and no time to forge one against the kind of defences he would undoubtedly have in place. A direct attack would be a distraction, forcing him to fight her, but it still might not be enough. And could she do it? She’d never used a mind connection in a hostile way.
Too much risk. Too much risk
.

Her nails were biting deep enough to draw blood.

Her only sure way to Alec was through Jay, along the connection already in place. If the tide on the bridge wasn’t forced back, if the link was ripped away from Jay without being closed, if he was left isolated, exhausted and without power, with the bridge between him and Alec still burning and the surge of black fire making its way inexorably towards him … She didn’t have time to analyse all the hideous implications and what they might mean. The only way she knew, the way she was certain of, lay ahead. She had to use what had already been built. Positive against negative, light against dark. Through Jay’s mind, to block Alec, then pour his power back and reclaim the bridge.

‘You’re done. Move.’
The message to Jay was barely a thought, more like an instinct.

Exhausted determination came back at her. He was panting, all but spent, but still resisting with everything he had left.
‘Break … save.’

She didn’t answer, just pushed out to him, feeling for his trust. After a tortured second of incomprehension she sensed him understand. Relief screamed over her as he opened to her. The agonised lurch rocked them both as he fell aside to let her through. To engage with Alec. She steadied herself in an instant.

For a split second, she thought of her father. ‘Sorry, Dad. I have to do this.’ With a prayer for forgiveness, she lowered her last, most intimate defence.

Everything went still.

Then, rising like light, she hurled everything she had, everything she was, through Jay’s mind, to the bridge beyond.

The explosion was still vibrating off the walls. All the metal in the building was rattling. Shards of rust pattered down from somewhere in the rafters, like brown rain. Madison opened her eyes to the smell of burning.

She could hardly see. The flash of blue light that had accompanied the blast had dazzled her. She waited for her sight to clear. Vision came back slowly.

In front of her Jay was doubled over, head in his hands. Alec was on the floor, tumbled beside his fallen chair. Madison turned behind her, to the source of the smell.

All three computer monitors were shattered, black and smoking. Vic lay sprawled across the furthest one. His eyes were wide and staring. A faint blue haze seemed to be dancing over his body. As Madison watched, the blue glow crackled into nothing.

She got up shakily, testing her legs. They would just about hold her. Her ears were still ringing. What the hell had she done? Nausea rose in her throat.

She crossed uncertainly to Jay. He straightened up as she approached. Relief flooded through her when she saw that his eyes were normal. She leaned against him, resting numbed hands on his shoulders.

‘Madison—’

‘You will all remain perfectly still.’

Madison almost broke her neck from the speed with which her head jerked up. She’d forgotten the ape-man in the gallery. The gun he was holding was large and looked very serviceable. The snout swung towards her.

‘Dr Albi, you will ascertain if Mr Carver is alive. Dr Creed, you will stay where you are, with your hands where I can see them.’

Mind racing, Madison picked her way over to where Alec was slumped. His face looked grey, but he did seem to be breathing. With distaste she put her hand on his chest. She felt a heartbeat. As she straightened up a blinking light caught her eye. Alongside the ravaged monitors, the massive black box of the power drive was humming busily.

She tilted her head to look up. Ape-man was leaning over, the gun resting on the rail. ‘He’s alive.’

The massive head nodded. ‘Please return to Dr Creed.’

Madison did as she was told. The man with the gun was looking both ways along the gantry. At first she thought he was looking for the best way down. Then it hit her, with a start. Where were the rest of the hired help? Why hadn’t anyone come running at the sound of the explosion?

She was spinning round, to scan the doorways, when there was another enormous crash, followed by the clattering of metal on metal.

Then all the lights went out.

‘Jay.’ She felt for his hand. It was warm and firm in the blackness. ‘This has to be …’

‘… the backup.’

‘Do we want to be here when they arrive?’

‘Not if we can avoid it.’

There were voices and torches. Dark shadows flitted cautiously over the staved in door at the furthest end of the building.

‘Up, I think.’ Jay pointed towards the faint silver outline of the stairs.

‘What about him?’ She didn’t need to explain who she meant, the man with the gun.

‘He’ll be doing the same thing we are, looking for a way out.’ Jay pushed her gently forward. She was going, when she remembered the power unit.

‘Jay – the computer, part of it is still working.’ She pointed to the blinking green light.

With a soft curse Jay swept up one of the chairs and slammed it against the power drive. There was a hiss, and a shower of sparks, and flames spurted.

‘Not any more.’ He hustled her towards the staircase. There were distinct shapes at either end of the factory floor now, men in combat gear, moving steadily forward. The light from the blazing computer bounced over the gantry.

‘Look.’ Madison pointed. Alec was pelting down the metal landing. As they watched, he reached the ladder to the roof and started to climb.

‘How did he get there?’

‘When the lights failed. He must have been waiting his chance. That’s the best way out. There’ll be a fire escape, over the roof.’

Madison’s legs were still wobbly. She needed a moment before she tackled a ladder. ‘You go after him.’ She urged Jay on. ‘I’ll follow you.’

He moved, then turned back, pulling her against him for a swift, hard kiss.

‘I love you.’

‘I love you,’ she whispered.

He was smiling as he raced to the stairs. ‘I know you do – now.’

Madison had made her way, shakily, to the top of the stairs, when the power came back on.

One of the security force was standing at the bottom of the staircase, staring up at her. The others were crowded around the fire and Vic’s body. She shuddered, fighting down nausea again. When she looked back to the gantry, her heart nearly stuttered to a stop. Directly in her path was the ape-man. He no longer had the gun.

Madison didn’t have time for thought, or hesitation. Pure adrenaline took over. She kicked out smoothly, aiming for the man’s crotch. He doubled over with a scream as her foot connected. Madison dodged to one side as he overbalanced. The heavy body rolled down the steps, right into the arms of the advancing security man.

‘Ask him what happened to his wife,’ she yelled down as the ape-man was pulled roughly to his feet. ‘Tell them to look in the concrete under the pool.’

The bellow of rage the ape-man gave told her that the brief flash she’d had into his mind, the clear, cold picture, straight from his memory – a smile of satisfaction, a shrouded bundle and pouring concrete – had been right on the money. She sprang for the ladder.

It was cold on the roof. Jay stopped just outside the door of the fire escape, waiting for Madison and getting his bearings, uneasily aware that Alec was out here somewhere. The dormer that housed the escape entrance was at the end of a row of skylights. It gave on to a tiny platform and a narrow railed walkway that stood out from the roof, bisecting its slope and running its whole length. Above, the glass of the skylights, protected by wire mesh, stretched towards the roof ridge. Below the tiles were steeply pitched. The end of the walk was in shadow. Jay hoped, fervently, that there was a ladder there connecting to the adjoining flat roof. He was wondering what sort of repair the whole thing was in when Madison hurtled through the door. He caught her. She was panting.

‘Hey! Is anyone behind you?’

‘Don’t think so … for a while … busy with the ape-man and the wreckage.’ Her voice broke. ‘Jay, I killed that man.’

‘Don’t think about it.’ He pulled her roughly into his arms. ‘You had no way of knowing what would happen, and he was willing to kill us. Remember what we agreed? Right now, we have to get out of here.’

‘Yes’, she said, visibly pulling herself together. ‘Which way?’ She turned in his hold, to peer around.

‘Left. It looks like it leads to the next building. The other way is a dead end. It’s just the end of the roof.’ Jay pointed and froze as a figure staggered up from a sitting position in the darkness further down the walkway, and began to lurch towards them. Alec.

The moon drifted out from a veil of cloud, glinting on metal. The gun in Alec’s hand was wavering alarmingly.

‘Oh, hell!’ Madison sat down abruptly in the doorway. Then she raised her voice, ‘Alec, if you’re going to fire that thing, then do it and get it over with. You might like to take the safety catch off first.’

Jay shot her a startled glance. He got a how-should-I-know shrug in response. ‘Worth a try,’ she whispered.

‘He only has to press the trigger.’

Madison shook her head. ‘He’s afraid of the thing. Look at the way he’s holding it. If he does any damage, it will be by accident. But it’s still damage. If he thinks it’s just an encumbrance … See.’ Alec was turning the weapon uncertainly in his hands then, with a sudden gesture of impotent fury, he tossed it away from him. The gun clattered off over the tiles. Jay let out the breath he’d been holding. He moved forward until he could see Alec more clearly. There were tears on the other man’s face. Alec lifted his arm to wipe them away on his sleeve.

‘I thought we were friends,’ Jay said softly. ‘Why did you do it, Alec? Was it for the money?’

‘No.’ Alec’s head swivelled violently. ‘It was for Gina. I loved her. We were lovers.’ He thumped his chest. ‘It was
my
baby. She died … I wanted you to feel what she must have felt. It was
working.
’ He turned towards Madison. ‘You … it should have worked. Then you … You have more power than
he
has—’ Disbelief quavered in his voice.

‘Yes, she does.’ Jay turned thoughtfully to Madison. ‘But she kept it very quiet.’

Madison flapped a hand. ‘Look, we can stay here, having a conversation about this, until that lot down there finish what they’re currently doing and come looking, which will not be long. Or we can find out how to get down. I vote for getting down.’ She stood up and advanced towards Alec. ‘You go first.’

Jay caught her shoulders and put her behind him as Alec turned and began to stumble off. ‘I think the fight’s gone out of him. But I’m not taking any chances.’

‘You believe him? About Gina and the baby?’ Madison asked quietly.

‘Yes. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it. He was the obvious person.’

‘You trusted them both.’

He looked back at her. ‘And talking of trust – what you did in there. Thank you, my love, for trusting me.’

‘You trusted me first,’ she said awkwardly. ‘But now, I think you should be keeping your eyes on where you’re walking. I don’t like the feel of this stuff we’re treading on.’ She pointed as a piece of metal broke off and clanged away into the night. ‘It hasn’t been maintained in years.’

Another piece broke off and clattered after the first.

The moon was gliding in and out of the shifting clouds.

Jay slowed his pace, peering from side to side, trying to trace Alec’s lurching progress ahead of them. He raised his voice ‘Alec, slow down. It’s not safe.’

The only response he got was a startled cry, as Alec disappeared.