Accused (Ganzfield) (28 page)

Oh, God.

I felt… re-infected with traumatic memories. Despite listening in on Hunter’s thoughts all afternoon, I hadn’t actually
seen him since that day in court two months ago.

Trapped. Tortured. Afraid.

Trevor’s arms were steel around me. His thoughts crystallized hard with blood-red fury. He pulled me against his chest and stared down Hunter as the vehicle drew closer.

Hunter stared back and his thoughts paled buttercup-yellow as he read Trevor’s face.
The telekinetic. He looks like he wants to kill me. Now he might have his chance.
A gallows laugh huffed out of him.
I always knew he’d make a good assassin.

Trevor picked up that thought through our shared abilities and began to quiver.

NO.
I forced my lungs to inflate.
He doesn’t know anything. You’re not like that.

Maddie, right now, I am.

CHAPTER 16

Ann and Zack sequestered Hunter on the far side of Blake House—out of my mental range. I went back to checking the memories of our guests, but my rattling thoughts kept me from concentrating. Trevor’s emotions see-sawed between fury at Hunter and horror at the intensity of his own reaction. It made my head hurt.

“Honey, you need to eat something.” My mom brought out two more plates for Trevor and me, but the food seemed tasteless and hard to swallow and I set the plate down as soon as she went inside. My own thoughts swung between the sick weakness elicited by Hunter and anxiety over the imminent arrival of General Dale.

Seth radioed in from the front gate. “He’s here.”

Speak of the General… and he appears.

Zack and Ann came from around the corner of Blake House. I met Ann’s eyes and answered the worry in her thoughts.
I’m okay. I… I… when I saw Hunter, I just got a little…
I shook my head.

We headed to the main building, skirting the rows of passive agents and the bored charms who still guarded them. Williamson appeared at the door. At his nod and silent suggestion, Cecelia charmed the Feds sitting on the driveway into believing that staring at the barn door was fascinating. The floodlights made the front porch feel like a stage and the five of us fell into place in an almost formal arrangement—like a V of migrating birds—in the center. Ann and I flanked Williamson. Trevor and Zack were close at our sides, clasping our hands and sharing our abilities. Conference call—minder-style.

Ladies and Gentlemen, His Majesty, the King of the Minders, and the High-and-Mighty Princesses of Ganzfield along with their Prince Consorts.

Zack’s lips tightened in a smirk and he leaned around Ann to meet my eyes.
You heard me one of those times I thought that princess-thing about you, didn’t you?

Of course.
I frowned.
Wait. “One of…?”

What did Williamson want us to see in General Dale’s mind before Zack charmed him into forgetting about us? Or was there another reason for us to be here? I couldn’t think of any. It didn’t make sense to give him a show of strength. We were just going to charm the General’s memories away.

Williamson frowned.
Just pay attention and listen. I’ll let you know if you need to do anything more.

The silver car with blue and white government plates rolled to a stop in front of the porch. General Dale had driven himself; I’d have thought he’d have a driver or bodyguard or something. The car door slammed shut. His short-cut, white hair and the three stars on his shoulder caught the light from the porch.

Calm.

I was amazed at how relaxed he was, especially since his mind showed just how much he knew about… everything.
Hunter arranged an attack here, against my express orders. How he got Simpson to sign off on that…
His raptor gaze took in the long rows of federal agents sitting passively in our driveway
. Those files Isaiah Lerner sent didn’t exaggerate—these people here have some impressive abilities. Jon’s telepathy was strong back in the nineties. Has he found a way to make it even stronger?

My brows shot up.
He knows Williamson’s a telepath? And he knew before he had received Isaiah’s files?

Williamson frowned.
Just listen.

General Aaron Dale’s face broke out in a genuine smile. “Jon! It’s been a long time.”

“Good to see you, too, Aaron.” Williamson nodded. “So, you’re a General now.”

“I got your message. I wish I could’ve gotten here sooner.” Wry amusement flashed from him. “Am I to assume that Project Star Gate was more successful than previously reported?”

Williamson smiled. “But you already knew that, Aaron.”

The General laughed. “I already knew that.” He stepped up onto the porch and shook Williamson’s hand. His voice was nearly a whisper as he leaned close. “The real question is what made me forget in the first place?”

Williamson kept his face neutral. “You know that, too.”

“I was sorry to hear about Elise.” Dale’s grief was genuine.

Ann’s shock flashed through us.
He knew Elise? You all were friends?

Williamson cut a quick glance at her.
Very good friends. But once the project ended, we couldn’t let people outside of Ganzfield keep sensitive information.
Dirt-brown sadness rolled through him. Elise had made sure Aaron Dale hadn’t remembered anything about G-positives or dodecamine—just the early aspects of the program, which had only had limited success.

Enough of this
. I floated a thought into Dale’s head.
How did I know about this before I got those files and videos from Isaiah Lerner?

Williamson cut a sharp look at me.
I told you to just listen.

The General caught me in his gaze.
“I see Jon’s not the only one who can put ideas into people’s heads. I wrote out the most important information longhand. Filled up a pretty thick binder. I then mailed it to myself, bouncing it to a couple of different military addresses. Whenever I received it, I’d add any new pages I’d written and send it back out immediately to another location.”

My eyes went wide.

The General gave a half-smile. “At least, that’s what I read in my own handwriting when a binder full of information showed up in my mail one day.”

He’d had no memory of the other things in the binder. However, it’d catalogued the late successes of the Star Gate program—material he couldn’t find in the official record—such as identification of the G-positive genetic sequence, the creation of dodecamine, and details about the abilities of telepaths, charms, and remote viewers. His friends, Elise and Jon Williamson, had been mentioned frequently, and his notes described what they could do—including how Elise could make people forget things on command…  which was the reason he’d started the binder in the first place.

Just in case.

“When I received that email from Isaiah Lerner—someone who’d also been connected to the Star Gate program—I took a serious look. Too much of the material he sent fit with the notes in my own handwriting that I didn’t remember writing.” His chin lifted in challenge as he returned his gaze to Williamson. “You two didn’t trust me?”

“We didn’t trust anyone who didn’t have the G-positive genetic marker. We had to cover ourselves—keep the secret—so we wouldn’t be exploited or treated like lab rats.”

Dale looked at the agents sitting on the driveway. “No casualties?”

Williamson shook his head. “None. We aren’t going to harm them, of course. They’re federal agents and they were just following orders.”

“You’re planning on erasing my memories of this, aren’t you?” Dale rubbed his chin.

Williamson’s eyes were sad. “I think that’s best.”

“What if I could offer an alternative?”

We saw his plan before he could say another word. It wasn’t the forced conscription we’d feared, but it wasn’t far off. Ann gasped. I felt something rock-like sink in my gut. Trevor’s hand tightened on mine.

Dale’s eyes flickered to each of us standing on the porch, noting our reactions. “Are they all telepaths, Jon?”

“What’s your alternative suggestion?”

“Looks like you might already know. I want to put your talents to work for the greater good. We have a serious security issue in the State Department. There’ve been a series of intelligence leaks in Europe—at embassies, consulates, and military bases. We don’t have any leads and none of our usual methods are working.”

Williamson’s eyes narrowed. “So you want a telepath.”

Dale’s eyes scanned the group again. “I’d only thought about getting one, but I’ll take as many as you’ve got.”

Ann hissed in another sharp breath and her mind disappeared behind Zack’s mental shield.

“Jon, this is a win-win.” The General chopped one of his hands across the other as he made his point. “We can protect American interests and, in return, I can make sure this Ganzfield location—and what you’re doing up here—becomes highly classified. We can keep people like Paul Hunter off your backs, end the surveillance, and put out any fires caused by today’s events. You’d remain anonymous and America would be safer.”

The General didn’t say the rest out loud.
I made multiple copies of my records before coming here. I gave the sealed packages to several people I trust. They have instructions to return the packages to me at different times and in multiple ways. Even if they erase my memory, I’ll get the information back.

Ah, hell. Charming away his memories of us wouldn’t stop him for long. I leaned behind Williamson.
Zack? Think we can get a fix on who’s got those packages?
Maybe if we sent Zack and Cecelia out fast enough, they could charm everyone and—

Maddie.
Williamson scowled.
Just listen.

Just listen to what, Jon?
I scowled back, feeling Trevor draw closer behind me.

He had my back, but he gasped as he shared my realization.
Williamson’s not planning to charm General Dale. He’s going to take the deal.

What? Do you KNOW what these military guys DID to me?
I bit my lip and blinked away the tears. Dammit, I wasn’t going to show weakness now—not in front of the General.
I held out for months to keep Ganzfield secret! I went through… you’re not going to… it can’t have all been for nothing!

It wasn’t for nothing.
A look of pity flashed in his eyes.

I felt killing energy well up behind my forehead.
It WAS all for nothing if you’re planning on… on giving us away like a litter of telepathic puppies!

Williamson’s face darkened with anger.
No one’s being given away like a puppy. Civilian contractors get paid—and they can quit.

A mirthless laugh exploded from me.
Fine. I quit.

Take one for the team, Maddie.

Screw you, Jon.
How dare he throw my own words back at me! I wrapped my arms around myself and glared at him. Ah, hell… he was right. This would solve the problem. For some reason, this made me even madder at him.

Trevor’s fingers squeezed mine
. No one’s going to force you to do anything. Not while I’m here.

I sniffed. Plans whirred through my head. Charm the General to forget. Intercept the packages. Zack could make him tell us who had each of them, right? We could get him to call off the surveillance, make everything right… until Belinda sent another powerful person all the intel she’d gathered, or someone else decided to investigate Ganzfield, or something happened to put us back on the government’s radar.
So, we can stay here, crouched and ready to spring at the next threat—
I closed my eyes and sighed
—or we can take Dale up on his offer.

But I was pissed off that Williamson had just assumed I’d be taking part in this. I wasn’t the only telepath here! I knew Williamson needed to keep running Ganzfield and I didn’t want my mom dragged into this. That left—

I leaned around Williamson’s shoulder.
Hey, Ann—

Her eyes widened as she shook her head.
I don’t want to be a spy-hunter!

Zack gave a half-smirk.
Although, it would be kinda cool…

I shook my head back at her.
Neither do I. Hey, let’s flip a coin for it. We’ll let Trevor do the flipping.
Telekinesis had its perks. Hmm, maybe he should try roulette sometime…

Ann let out an unintentional snort of nervous laughter then shook her head.
I’d be better off with rock-paper-scissors.

I bit my lip.
Between two telepaths? I think that might rupture the space-time continuum.

Ann shook her head.
You are such a nerd.

Shut up.

She cocked an eyebrow.
Me? I didn’t say a word.

I hadn’t really considered Ann spy-hunter material, anyway. That left one more option
. Hey, Seth! SETH!

What?
I knew
he’d have moved in range to hear this meeting with the General.

Wanna be a spy-hunter?

No.

You sure?

I don’t even know why you bother to ask. You’re the one who’s trained for missions and stuff. Take your little superfriend team to Europe, catch a few spies, and then go sightseeing or something. And you know you want to take Trevor to Paris. Ooh la la!

My scowl disintegrated.
The whole team.
If I’d had the whole team in that underground facility, they’d never’ve been able to hold us. Hell, they never would’ve been able to take us in the airport.
Take one for the team
. Big picture. Solve the problem.

I leveled a cold gaze at General Dale, who’d been watching with interest as we gave each other silent stares.
They must be communicating telepathically. It’s like sci-fi.

I popped a thought into his head with all the subtlety of a searchlight.
What do I really intend to do with the telepath?