Chapter Nine
Jeff woke, and he immediately knew that he’d gotten more sleep last night than he had in weeks, even with the interruption midway through. And I’m certainly not complaining about that, he thought, mildly amused with himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex in the middle of the night. He stretched, and then turned to Nick, only to find his soulmate awake, and watching him. Nick had turned the light on the nightstand on low. Closed up underground, it still felt like night even though it was nearing nine in the morning according to the clock on the far wall.
“How do you feel?” Nick asked softly.
“I’m good, actually,” Jeff replied, taking stock of his body. He felt better. More rested. Calmer. Ready to deal with the mess that his life had become. “What about you? You were pretty freaked out last night.”
Nick grimaced. “Yeah.” He ran a hand over his face. “Sorry about that.”
Jeff smiled wryly. “Well, having apocalyptic visions is no fun.”
“I’m usually a bit more controlled than that, though,” Nick said.
“I get the feeling that you’re used to being in control,” Jeff said, leaning over to kiss his soulmate. “But life has a way of throwing curveballs at people.” He leaned their foreheads together. The soulmate thread that bound them together brightened. “You’re a good man, Nick. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” He leaned back and slid out of the bed. While there was nothing he’d like better than to stay in bed with Nick all day, he sensed the other man’s restlessness.
Nick sighed. “You’re the only one who knows about the visions. I’m usually the guy who swoops in and saves the day, and that can’t happen if people think I’ve lost my mind.”
“You think that your gifts as a Seer mean you’re crazy?” Jeff shook his head as he walked into the bathroom. He couldn’t imagine anyone believing that about Nick. His soulmate was the epitome of competence.
“I don’t believe that, but other people may,” Nick said, joining him in the bathroom. He turned on the shower. “It’s not like I didn’t experience a lot of that sort of disbelief when I was younger and just coming into my powers.”
Jeff spat out toothpaste and rinsed his mouth, then turned around leaned against the counter. He could see Nick’s point. “If you’re bonded, they’ll take you more seriously when it comes to Craft power, won’t they?” Nick was already in the shower, and Jeff watched as lather slid down his toned body appreciatively. The soap’s mint aroma filled the bathroom, refreshing and somehow sexy. I’m going to associate that scent with sex for the rest of my life.
“Maybe, maybe not, but I’m not willing to take the chance until you’re safe.” Nick started washing his hair.
That could take years, Jeff thought, frowning. He scratched at the dried lube on his hip, then shook his head. “I refuse to believe that people will be so obtuse. You said the Council Head is your friend. From what I know of him, he’ll believe you.” Jeff had vague memories of Theo Fraser and his soulmate, Guy Keaton. The man was young, but sharply intelligent. He smiled wryly when he realized that his memories were actually Nick’s. “By the way, the memories you shared with me are going to take some getting used to.” He shook his head. “It’s very weird remembering someone you’ve never met.”
Nick turned off the shower and grabbed a towel. “It’s a mindfuck, that’s for sure.” He opened the glass door of the shower and stepped out, wrapping the towel around his waist. Water beaded on his chest, and Jeff stared at it, momentarily distracted from their conversation. His lover was a hell of a fine-looking man. He itched to run his palms all over Nick’s smooth, strong skin.
“You’re right. Theo will listen to me. He’s an Empath, so that gives him an edge when it comes to reading people.” Nick snorted. “I honestly don’t know how I’ve kept my Craft power a secret from him this long.”
Focus, dude. Jeff snapped his gaze back up to his soulmate’s face, ignoring the way his cock twitched in interest. “Hey.” He touched Nick’s arm, appreciating the way his lover leaned into him. “Possibly it’s because your friend has had other things on his mind, like his attempted assassination. And why wouldn’t he trust you? You kept him alive.”
“I did my best,” Nick said, going quiet. “I could’ve done better.”
“I don’t believe that. You did what you could in the situation you found yourself.” Jeff knew his soulmate was thinking about how Theo had almost died at the hands of a sniper. Nick had found the man and killed him, and that death still weighed on him. “You are a good man, Nick.”
Nick gave him a look. “I’m not a bad, man, but a good one?” He lifted a shoulder, then nudged Jeff towards the shower. “Go on. Wash up. Much as I’d like to spend the next few hours naked with you, we have a busy day ahead of us.” He glanced out at the bedroom. “I’ll get breakfast organized.”
Jeff nodded, even as he worried about Nick. His soulmate was a good man, but he was too hard on himself. And it’s up to me to make sure he realizes that. It didn’t take him long to shower. He pulled on some clothes that Nick had found for him, and then he picked up the flash drive Nick had carefully placed on the counter. He stared down at it. “So many lives ruined over this,” he murmured, then shoved it into his pocket. The serum was in the refrigerator, and he’d grab it before they left for his old lab. Strictly speaking, it didn’t need to be kept perfectly cold, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. Not now. Not after his parents had paid for it with their lives.
In the kitchen, Nick was just sliding a perfect looking omelet onto a plate. “Sit. Eat.” He placed the food on the small bar that separated the kitchen from the rest of the suite. “How far is it to your lab?”
Jeff began eating. “About three hours from DC, if the traffic is good.”
Nick grunted, then sat down and began eating. “We can’t linger here.”
Jeff already knew this. “Did you have another vision?”
Nick looked away. “No.”
“But?” Jeff frowned. What wasn’t his lover telling him?
Nick sighed, then carefully placed his fork on his plate, as if he might lose control and hurl it across the room if he let himself be less precise. “I can feel my power at the edges of my mind. The bonding helped give me control, but it hasn’t stopped the visions. They’re still there, waiting for me to look at them.”
“And why is that bad?” Jeff reached out and put a hand on Nick’s wrist. “Do it. Look at them, and then let them go.”
“Let them go? There’s no such thing.” Nick raised eyes dark with worry. “It’ll be fire again, you know.”
Jeff nodded. “So what if it is?”
Nick grimaced. “This isn’t just about me anymore, Jeff.”
Jeff pushed his plate away. He couldn’t eat anymore, not with Nick so unhappy. He walked over to his soulmate and put hands on his shoulders. “I know, Nick,” he said as he reached out with his power.
Nick went still, then gasped as Jeff’s energy touched him. “What are you doing?”
“We’re bonded, right? I want to see what you see. You don’t have to go it alone anymore,” Jeff said, sifting through the cells of his lover’s body. Nick was strong and healthy. “Let the vision come. I’ll watch it with you.” His gift touched Nick here and there, clearing out inflammation and easing sore muscles, but then the power flared, and he knew his soulmate had taken him at his word.
“I hope you know what you’re getting into,” Nick said through clenched teeth. “I don’t do this. I never deliberately call the visions up.”
“It’s better to call them up now, when you’re safe, than to have them push through you on a motorcycle on the highway,” Jeff pointed out.
“True.” Nick inhaled deeply, and then his power swept through both of them.
Fire, sliding up dark walls. The sound of an explosion.
Vivian yelling, face distorted. She holds a hypodermic needle like a knife.
Two men with weapons. Soft grass. Black SUV parked near a cracked sidewalk.
A third man holding plastic restraints. Bare lightbulb dangling.
Jeff inhaled, trying to surf the surface of the vision. “Let it pass through you,” he said, hands tightening on Nick’s arms. He instinctively knew that if they tried to fight the vision, it would hurt.
Nick nodded, face tight. “It’s almost done.”
Jeff closed his eyes, visualizing their bond like a golden safety line. He reached mental hands out, steadying the wavering vision with his power. “Easy.”
Vivian yelling. The syringe is in her arm. She’s injected herself.
Jeff is in the corner of a basement, hands restrained behind his back. Bruises on his face.
An explosion. Flames.
“Shit!” Jeff abruptly pulled away from Nick, heart pounding.
Nick shook his head and opened his eyes. “They’re after you.” His expression was grim. “And your ex is crazy. She injected herself with something.”
“Her insanity isn’t news. I’d bet she wants to inject herself with the serum.” Shaken, Jeff ran a hand over his face. “We need to move. We need to find her before she finds us.”
Nick nodded. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Jeff wrapped his arms around himself. The vision had felt like a movie rushing through his brain with the surround sound cranked up to maximum capacity. Even worse, he had a feeling that the building in the vision was his old lab, and they were heading straight for it. Should he tell Nick? He thought about it, but then decided not to mention his suspicions. It wouldn’t change anything. No wonder Nick is so pessimistic. These visions can really fuck with your head. He cleared his throat. “Jesus, that was … shit.” He rubbed his face. How had he been so naive to think that he could help Nick with his power? You were human until a day ago, he admonished himself.
“That was easier,” Nick said, surprisingly.
Seriously? Jeff barked out a harsh laugh. “Are you kidding me?”
“I wouldn’t joke about this,” Nick said, gaze distant. “Do you remember how it felt getting sucked into the vision? I actually had some control this time. I was able to stop the vision, instead of it cycling over and over again until I snapped out of it.” He rubbed the stubble on his chin. “And I’m not exhausted. That’s new.”
A newfound respect for his soulmate’s strength welled up inside Jeff. He’d seen Nick’s past, and experienced the visions, but he hadn’t known exactly what a toll they took on his lover. “Okay,” he said, inhaling slowly and then letting the breath out again. He really wanted to grab Nick and take him back to bed, but they had no time. “We’re okay.”
“Yes, we are, and now it’s time to go.” Nick tossed the food they hadn’t eaten into the trash and loaded the dishwasher.
Jeff watched him, still grappling with the aftereffects of the vision. No wonder Nick had seemed so intimidating at first glance. He’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, Jeff thought, thinking of what it must have been like to experience that kind of power as a child with no one to help him through it.
“You ready to go?” Nick asked, reaching into the refrigerator. He drew out the serum, and tossed it to Jeff. The sealed metal tube was so cold it felt hot against Jeff’s fingertips. He stared at it as moisture condensed on the side, and then shoved it into his pocket with the flash drive.
“I’m ready.”
****
Nick knew Jeff had been shocked by the intensity of the vision, but for him, the control he’d had during it had been a welcome relief. He’d been able to call the vision on his terms, and then let it go without any of the usual mental gymnastics: no slipping from dream into nightmare and then into vision. And as far as I’m concerned, that’s a huge win. He guided the motorcycle along the interstate, watching the traffic with a practiced eye. Jeff’s former lab was in Virginia, and they had to navigate the usual clusterfuck of cars intent on killing anyone going even the slightest bit slower than the rest. Of course, he wasn’t really concerned with the terrible traffic. He was much more worried that Jeff’s ex and her men would find them on the road, out in the open and vulnerable. The vision hadn’t been specific enough to show him where to expect the threat, but it had been clear enough to convince him that they had to be careful.
“Only a half hour to go,” Jeff yelled over Nick’s shoulder.
Nick nodded, easing into the right lane. He drove for the next twenty minutes in silence, and then took the exit for Newport News. Lush patches of vegetation broke up the urban landscape of this particular part of Virginia. They passed the city park, and then he slowed down, following Jeff’s cues to a nondescript building in the middle of an industrial park north of the air force base. He parked at the far end of the lot and turned off the motorcycle.
Jeff stepped away, twisting back and forth at the waist to stretch out tired muscles. “Damn. That was a long drive.”
Nick pulled off his helmet and eyed the mostly full lot. “Are we going to have trouble getting in?”
Jeff shook his head. “I texted a friend before we left. She still works at the lab. She said she’d meet us out here at one-thirty.” He squinted at the door to the building and then smiled. “And there she is.”
“Let’s go,” Nick said, heading for the front of the building. He wanted to get inside. The back of his neck itched out here in the open. He glanced around as he walked, keeping an eye on Jeff and the surrounding landscape, but nothing pinged his radar. That doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there. It just means you can’t see them, his paranoid inner voice cautioned.
“Jeff! You jerk!” The woman waiting just outside the glass doors smiled at them, and then mock-glared at Jeff. “You never text me, and then out of the blue you decide to just show up?” She impatiently pushed her long, red hair back behind her ears. Despite the glasses, her sharp blue eyes told Nick that this woman wasn’t a slouch when it came to brains.
“Alanis. You look great.” Jeff smiled wryly and held out his arms. “You know why I had to go.”
“Yeah, yeah. I was there that day, too, you remember? I still can’t get the image of Charlie sticking his—” She cut herself off, glancing at Nick, then coughed. “Well. When we caught Charlie and Vivian together.” The woman sighed, then gave Jeff a tight hug. “You’re a crappy friend. You’re lucky that I’m not.”
“I’m sorry, Alanis.” Jeff hugged her and then stepped back. “You’re right. I’m a terrible friend, but I promise I’ll be better about it from now on.” He glanced at Nick. “Nick, this is Alanis Silverman. She was my sidekick and best friend here at PharmaCarin.”
She smiled and held out her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Nick Auspex,” he said. They shook, and Nick liked the firm way she held his hand. He looked at Jeff, who nodded ever so slightly in permission. Nick turned his attention back to the woman. “I’m Jeff’s soulmate.”
“His soulmate!” Alanis looked at Jeff, clearly perplexed. “I didn’t know you had Craft power.” Then she laughed. “Hell, I didn’t know you batted for the other team.”
Jeff grimaced. “I didn’t when you knew me, but I do now.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s a long story, and part of the reason we’re here.”
Nick nudged him towards the doors. “It’d be better if we went inside to talk.”
Alanis frowned. “Jeff, what the heck is going on?” She looked at Nick, then stepped back and swiped her employee ID. “Wait. Never mind. You can tell me when we get upstairs.”
They followed her inside the building. There was no security guard, which Nick thought was odd, but then he saw the cameras set high in the corners. “No security?” He glanced around, feeling a chill as he realized that this building looked like the one in the vision he and Jeff had just shared. White walls, glass doors… shit. He wondered if Jeff realized it, but then the tightness of his soulmate’s shoulders registered. He either knows that this is the building in the vision, or he already knew and didn’t mention it. Either way, it didn’t much matter. They were here, and what would happen would happen, regardless of what he tried to do to prevent it.
Alanis shrugged as she led the way to the elevators. “We have to swipe just to get in the building, and then we have to swipe at the elevator.” She demonstrated as she pushed the button. “And then, we have to swipe again to get into the lab.” She made a face. “Why pay a human when you can use machines to do the work for you?”
“Big corporations like it that way,” Jeff muttered, sounding disgusted. “That’s part of the reason I quit working here.”
“Yes, well, this job pays my bills. Not all of us can be famous artists, Jeff,” Alanis said sharply, striding into the elevator when the doors opened. She stabbed the button for the fifth floor.
“Alanis, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that,” Jeff said, following her inside. “And I’m not famous.”
Nick brought up the rear, noting the camera mounted just above the keypad on the elevator.
“Well, you’re on the way to being famous,” Alanis replied after moment, sounding less combative.
“I really am sorry,” Jeff said.
Alanis sighed. “I know. It’s fine.” Then, she smiled impishly. “Can I have an autograph? Maybe it’ll be worth some money someday.”
Jeff rolled his eyes. “No.”
Alanis laughed, and then the doors opened and she walked out, gesturing as she went. “Everything is just like when you left, Jeff.” She pointed to the frosted glass doors, then swiped her card again. PharmaCarin was spelled out in white letters on the glass to match the pristine white walls. The security lock beeped, and she headed into the office. Jeff and Nick exchanged glances, then followed her inside.
“Jeff! Alanis told me you were stopping by,” a man said, standing up from his desk as soon as he saw them. “Long time, no see, man.”
Nick’s gaze swept the room, not surprised by the open concept design. Seems to be all the rage these days, he mused, taking in the long tables and low dividers. They didn’t do much for privacy, and he saw how some people had used books and other things to create walls for themselves. Everyone was watching them walk in, which also didn’t surprise him. The prodigal son returns, he thought, amused. He could feel Jeff’s unease over their bond.
“Hey, guys,” Jeff said, sounding uncomfortable.
“I heard you and the witch broke up,” someone called out. Another person shushed him, but Jeff had already heard, if the flush on his face was any indication.
“Yeah, well, things with Vivian didn’t work out,” he said, not elaborating.
“I’m not surprised. She was a royal bitch,” Alanis said bluntly.
Jeff turned to her, surprise chasing across his face. “You didn’t like her?”
“Dude. No one liked her, except maybe Charlie, and his friend, Grey. He started here after you left. He’s a giant asshole, too,” Alanis said, tugging him towards a conference room tucked in the corner of the open space. “I told you not to date her, remember?”
Jeff let her tow him along, mouth twisting apologetically at Nick. Nick shook his head and followed. “What was it about her that you didn’t like?” he asked.
Alanis pushed open the glass conference room door and paused. More modern white walls greeted them. “She was obviously using Jeff to get to something. The thing is, none of us had any idea what she really wanted, or why.” She walked inside and sat down at the polished wood table. “That woman was bad news.”
“I wish I’d known that a couple years ago.” Jeff sat down next to her and rubbed his face. “Believe it or not, she shot at me. And I think she murdered my parents.”
“Wait, what?” Alanis sat up straight, eyes going wide. “I knew she was a cheater ho, but a killer? Are you serious?”
“Deadly serious,” Nick said, reading the woman’s posture. She was genuinely shocked. Nick had made a living out of watching people for threats, and Jeff’s friend was clearly horrified by what he’d said. “We think it had something to do with the research Jeff’s parents were working on.”
“Oh my God,” she said, gripping the table. “How do you know? Did the police tell you?”
Jeff grimaced. “The police think it was a murder-suicide, but I know my parents. They wouldn’t have done that.” He looked at his friend and then stared out of the huge windows. The scene showed the vast expanse of the parking lot, not a particularly good view of anything. “My parents wanted me to have Craft power, and were really disappointed when I was born with none.”
“I don’t understand. You said you two are soulmates,” Alanis said, looking from Jeff to Nick and back again.
“We are,” Nick said, wondering how to explain what had happened. “Jeff’s parents injected him with a serum that triggered his powers.”
“The bonding triggered my powers, Nick. My parents’ serum may have primed the cells, but I was fully human until I met you,” Jeff said to him.
“You know that Vivian was born gifted, right?” Alanis said.
Jeff frowned. “What?”
Alanis looked at him. “You didn’t know?”
Jeff shook his head. “Vivian was human, like me.”
“No. She told me once that she was born with Craft power, but only a little. She didn’t have enough power to specialize in anything. She didn’t have enough power to do anything, so she didn’t like to mention it.” Alanis tilted her head. “She told me this when she first started working here, before you met her.”
Jeff stared at her. “I had no idea.”
Unfortunately, Nick knew all too well what had happened. “She targeted you as soon as she found out about your parents, Jeff. She must have known about your parents’ research.”
Jeff grimaced. “Yeah. She did like to read all the scientific journals, so it’s possible she read about their work.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck, ruffling his hair. “Wow. I feel really naive.”
“No, not naive. Kind.” Alanis stood up and began pacing. “She was a real piece of work, Jeff. I tried to warn you.”
Jeff rubbed his eyes. “I know.”
“She was probably working with the Craft Council rebels even before she met you,” Nick told him.
Jeff nodded. “Did anyone else suspect Vivian wasn’t what she seemed?”
“Only everyone,” Alanis said.
“Ugh.” Jeff stood up and strode to the window near her. “I’m such a fool.”
Alanis put a hand on his shoulder. “No. You’re a good person. You don’t deserve any of what happened to you. I admit, though, I was really happy to see you dump her. Not so happy that you moved away, but happy that you got away from Vivian.” She smiled briefly, then her expression fell. “And I was really sorry to hear about your parents.”
Jeff shrugged. “Thank you.”
“Do you have any idea where Vivian might be now?” Nick asked.
Alanis pursed her lips. “I think she used to live in Hampton, but I have no idea if she’s still there.” She glanced at Jeff. “You know she quit here soon after you left?”
“No. I didn’t keep tabs on her. I just wanted to get away,” Jeff said.
Alanis nodded. “Well, we can check the employee database to see where she’s at now.” She grinned. “Lucky for you, I still have access to it.”
Jeff snorted. “You hacked into it, didn’t you?”
“My lips are sealed,” Alanis said, heading for a laptop set on the windowsill. She picked it up and set it on the table. “Okay, let’s see what we’ve got here.” She logged on, fingers flying across the keyboard. After a moment, she frowned. “That’s weird. Her information is wiped.”
“Wiped?” Nick asked.
“Gone. Disappeared. Nada,” Alanis said. “It’s as if she never even worked here.” She sat back, her expression troubled. “Jeff is still here, listed as an ex-employee, but Vivian is gone.” She slid the computer back so the two men could see the display.
“How the hell are we going to find her?” Jeff muttered, stabbing at the page down key.
Nick straightened up as tension prickled at the back of his neck. “Never mind that. Something’s not right,” he said, striding back to the windows. The parking lot looked the same, but his Craft power surged, sending a wave of energy through him. He blinked, certain that a vision was about to take him to his knees, but instead, the power fanned out, touching everyone in the office. None of Jeff’s former coworkers pinged his instincts, and his power swept out further, then snagged on something on the first floor. “Someone’s here,” he said, grabbing Jeff and shoving him towards a wall. Standing in front of the windows wasn’t safe.
“What? Who’s here?” Alanis asked, closing her laptop and tucking it under her arm.
“Alanis, maybe you should go,” Jeff said, letting Nick pull him out of the conference room. “Remember I told you someone tried to kill me?”
Nick looked for the stairs. They needed to get out of here, pronto, and there was no way he was taking the elevator.
“Over there, Nick,” Jeff said, pointing.
Nick nodded, grateful his soulmate didn’t argue with him. People in the office were giving them confused looks, but he didn’t have time to unruffle people’s feathers. They’ll find out eventually, he thought, wondering how the Council would spin this chain of events. Maybe they’ll suppress everything.
“I didn’t see anyone outside,” Jeff said to him, voice low and urgent.
“Doesn’t mean they’re not coming,” Nick said, eyeing the white walls. This place looked like his vision, and it creeped him the fuck out. They needed to get the hell out of here. So much for going on the offensive, he thought, bitterly. Here they were, still reacting to threats as they occurred, dammit.
“Where are you going?” Alanis asked as she followed them.
Nick stopped her as they reached the doors for the stairs. “You don’t want to follow us, Alanis.”
“Someone’s found us,” Jeff said, glancing around. “I don’t know how, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Vivian had a friend here who called her.”
Alanis scowled. “Everyone hated that woman.” She glanced around, glaring at random people. “It was probably Grey. I saw him leaving as I led you in, the jerk.”
“Let it go, Alanis. I don’t want you to get sucked up in this.” Jeff shook his head. “I’ll get in touch with you when all of this is over. I promise.”
Alanis stepped back. “You’d better, Jeff.”
“We need to move, now,” Nick said, feeling his energy prickle again. Walls with fire licking up the white paint flickered across his vision, and he blinked, frustrated. He might not be going into full-on vision mode, but this weird half-vision state was almost as debilitating. Just as he pushed open the door to the stairs, an ear-splitting alarm went off.
“Oh, shit,” Jeff said.
Nick grabbed his soulmate and dragged him into the stairwell. To his horror, the same white walls that featured in his latest vision greeted him. “Shit!”
Jeff cursed, too, obviously recognizing the scene. “They’re not on fire yet,” he said, grimly.
“They will be soon enough. Come on,” Nick said, heading down.
“I’m right behind you,” Alanis said, crowding them on the stairs. “That’s the fire alarm.”
“Of course it is,” Jeff muttered, descending faster.
Nick had no idea how Alanis kept up with them while wearing heels, but she did, even as people began streaming out of the offices into the small stairwell.
“Almost to the bottom,” Jeff said, correctly interpreting Nick’s frustration. He ran down the last set of stairs and pushed open the door before Nick could stop him. Horror shot through him. What the hell was he thinking, running out like that? He needed to assess for threats first.
“Jeff!” Nick rushed out after him into blinding pain and smoke. “Jeff! Where the hell are you?” He looked around, trying not to breathe too deeply, which was nearly impossible after running down all of those stairs. He squinted against the smoke, and then, out of nowhere, a sledgehammer hit him in the chest, twice. He gasped, and nearly went down. Flames licked up the sides of the walls just outside of the doors, and he cursed as he pressed his hands to his chest and fought to stay on his feet. I’m hit. Fuck! He thought, panicking, and then the smoke cleared a bit and Jeff appeared in the midst of the chaos.
He half-turned, hands outstretched to catch Nick, clearly sensing his soulmate’s pain, but then hands reached out of the mess of people and smoke and noise, and grabbed him, dragging him away before Nick could even move. Sparkles scratched at the edges of his vision, and he saw Vivian’s face twisted into a snarl just before darkness took him down.