Finding Sky (24 page)

‘Trust me,’ I told him seriously. ‘I’m feeling good about this.’

With a laugh, he shoved a sizeable chunk of his money on the fifteen. Catching on to the fun of the moment, several other people risked a chip or two on the same square.

With a confident smile, the croupier spun the big wheel and dropped in the ball.

‘First time, honey?’ asked my Texan, tucking his thumbs into his belt.

‘Yes.’

‘You’ve got a nice accent there.’

‘I’m English.’

‘Pleased to meet you. Now, little lady, don’t go getting upset when you lose your money—treat it as a lesson. Wish I had when I was your age. I’d’ve had myself a nice condo in Florida if I hadn’t wasted it all in places like this.’

I smiled and nodded, turning my attention back to the slowing wheel. Little did he know but he was one step closer to that retirement place.

The ball jumped, clattered, then dropped into its slot. The croupier looked down and swallowed. ‘Black fifteen!’

There was a gasp from all at the table, bar me. Then …

‘Yee-ha!’ The Texan threw his hat in the air. Next he picked me up and spun me round, giving me a kiss on both cheeks. ‘Luck is a lady and here she is!’

Our joint winnings were impressive. I walked away with nearly five thousand dollars, the Texan with several hundred thousand, much to Sean’s horror.

‘Promise to spend it on a place in Florida?’ I asked the Texan, who introduced himself as George Mitchell the Third. I could just see him handing it all back to the Kellys with another rash bet.

‘I promise, honey. And even more, I’ll call it after you. What’s your name?’

‘Sky Bright.’

‘Perfect. Bright Skies here I come.’ With a wave of his hat, he headed for the cashier’s office, hitching his trousers up by the belt.

Gamblers being a superstitious bunch, I found myself besieged by requests for tips for the next spin. Sean pulled on my arm.

‘I think we’d best be heading out,’ he said smoothly, his lights pulsing an angry red.

‘OK. Whatever you want,’ I replied sweetly.

‘I’ll make sure your winnings get to you. A cheque OK?’

‘Um … to my parents, please. I haven’t opened my own bank account in the US yet.’

‘Fine.’ His grip on my arm was just the far side of comfortable, showing that his control was slipping. He tried to make a joke of it. ‘I should take you out of here before you break the bank. How about you go ruin some of our competitors?’

Did that mean he suspected I had used savant powers to beat the roulette wheel?

‘I think I’ve had enough. Beginner’s luck and all that. Don’t want to push it.’

He mastered himself, getting back on track. ‘OK, let’s go eat then. We’ve got an excellent restaurant on the top floor, views across to Red Rock Canyon. I’ll just drop your chips in the office.’ He headed for the cashier’s window. I could tell from the aura of satisfaction that surrounded him that he had no intention of me seeing a cent.

I couldn’t resist checking Zed was still listening even with the risk. Maria Kelly had to be busy, didn’t she?
You get that?

Yeah. I’m still laughing about the roulette—well done, baby. I
couldn’t help giving you the tip—Victor’s not amused
.

Hearing his voice in my head grounded me, lessened the fear.
One of my finer moments, thanks to you.

There was a pause.
I’ve got to be quick.
Victor says Daniel
Kelly is up top. We think this might be it.

They’re going to try and wipe my mind again?

Very likely—but we won’t let that happen. Don’t forget to keep
your shields strong. We’re moving in to position, got a team on the
floor below posing as a cleaning crew.

Where are you?

Close. I’d better stop talking to you now in case Sean picks it
up.

I don’t think he can, but maybe Maria is about the place some
where. She’s the more powerful savant, I’d say.

Then we must break this off. Stay safe.

Yeah, you too.

 

The trip up in the lift was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I had to hide the fact that I was feeling sick with nerves, remembering all too well what had happened last time I’d been alone with Daniel Kelly and son.

‘So, what you fancy? They do a good club sandwich,’ Sean said, rubbing his hands together. All he needed was a black cape and to cackle ‘bwa-ha-ha’ to complete the bad guy act. I found him pathetic.

‘Um, yeah, that sounds lovely.’

‘You like Las Vegas?’

‘It’s unique.’

He sniggered. ‘It is that. A manmade playground.’

‘You in college?’

‘No. I went straight into the family business.’

‘Hotels?’

‘And other things.’

It was the other things he preferred—the racketeering and the violence. I could sense he thought of himself as following in Dad’s footsteps. He was quite pitiable really, with none of the edge his father and sister had. He was only truly frightening when he threatened to suck the emotions out of me.

The lift doors opened on an all too familiar corridor. I couldn’t help hesitating before I stepped out.

‘Problem?’

‘Er … no, just a moment of déjà-vu.’

He stroked his moustache to hide a grin. ‘I know the feeling. Look, Sky, I just want to introduce you to my father; he’s CEO of the family business. It won’t take a moment. Is that OK with you?’

I shoved my hands in my pockets, glancing down quickly to check that my microphone was not visible in my cleavage. ‘OK.’

I’m doing this for Zed
, I told myself as I followed Sean into the boardroom.

As he had been that day weeks ago, Daniel Kelly was waiting at the head of the table. ‘Ah, Sky, good to see you again.’ He got up and waved the door closed with his telekinetic powers.

The lock clicked.

What? He wasn’t even bothering to hide that he was a savant.

‘I’ve met you before?’ I asked, hoping I sounded genuinely puzzled.

‘You can drop the pretence now. I’m fully aware that the FBI has sent you to us in the vain hope we’ll incriminate ourselves. But that’s not going to happen.’

Then why was he talking like this? I couldn’t help but glance down again.

‘You can forget about the wire. Maria’s running interference. They’ll just be getting static. Sean, where are your manners? Show our guest to a chair.’

Sean seized my shoulders and pushed me down on to a seat on its own by the window.

‘What are you getting from her?’ Daniel Kelly tapped his fingers on his crossed arms.

‘The smug confidence has gone.’ Sean inhaled deeply. ‘Fear—wonderful fear.’

‘Take as much as you like,’ his father said. ‘She’s cost us enough with that stunt she pulled in the casino.’

I shuddered as Sean bent to my neck and rubbed his cheek against mine. I felt like a tyre developing a puncture, air rushing out. My training with Victor fled with it; I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to do. Fear escalated; I was shivering uncontrollably. Worst of all, I couldn’t feel Zed with me any more. All the most frightening times in my life crowded to the fore: my parents’ argument, Phil’s beatings, abandonment, being shot at in the forest, the warehouse.

‘Wonderful,’ murmured Sean. ‘She’s like a vintage wine—intoxicating, potent.’

Daniel Kelly decided he had indulged enough. ‘Stop now, Sean. I want her conscious.’

Sean brushed a sweaty kiss on my jaw and stood up. I felt clammy and washed out, energy having drained away with the emotion. I hugged my arms around me.

Think
, I ordered my fractured mind.
There’s something you
can do. Windsor Castle
.

But my shields were a house of cards, tumbling down at the first shock.

‘If I am right, the FBI will be trying to gain access to this floor so we don’t have long. Unfortunately, Sky, you are going to go on a teenage rampage, your doubtful sanity having given way. Seizing this gun,’ he indicated a handgun lying on the table, ‘you’re going to run through the casino shooting at innocent guests. The FBI will have to take you out to stop you—sacrifice their pawn. Rather poetic isn’t it?’

‘I won’t.’

‘You will. Of course, they’ll suspect the truth but there will be no evidence, what with you being dead and all.’

‘No.’

‘How tragic for the Benedicts.’ He perched on the edge of the table, checking his watch. ‘You see, Sky, I’ve decided that to make them instrumental in the death of innocents is the best revenge. They’ll have to live with the knowledge. It’ll cripple them permanently and the FBI wouldn’t dare use them again.’

I had to get a grip on myself. Victor had told me what to do if I faced mind-mugging again. I had to get it right as not only my own life was at risk this time. I couldn’t imagine anything more horrifying than causing the death of others. He was not going to do this to me. I refused to let him.

I clenched my hands on the arms of the chair and began to project waves of my power. The table shook; a glass carafe juddered to the edge and crashed to the floor; a crack developed in the window, snaking up to the ceiling.

‘Stop it!’ Kelly said sharply, slapping me round the face. ‘Maria! Sean, drain her!’

Maria rushed in as Sean bent once more to my neck. I felt him this time before he could begin absorbing the emotion. I pulsed out one beat of anger, hitting his mind like a punch to the chin. He reared back.

‘What the—!’ Sean grabbed his head, blood dripping from his nose. ‘You little witch!’

‘Maria, do something!’ ordered Daniel Kelly as the ceiling panels began to fall into the room.

Maria thrust both palms towards me. It was like hitting a wall after freewheeling down a hill. I was thrown back in the chair, ending up on the floor, my attack cut off.

‘Our little savant has learned to use her powers, has she?’ With a wave of his hand, Daniel Kelly righted my chair. ‘But you don’t seriously think you can match the three of us, do you? No, I can see from your eyes that you don’t. You’re still waiting for your cavalry to charge in and save you, but the bad news for you is that they won’t. This floor is locked down and they have no warrant. By the time they get one, the drama will have relocated to the casino.’ He grabbed my head between his hands and squeezed. ‘Now sit back and relax. This won’t take long.’

The next thing I remember is walking out of the lift into the hotel lounge. A pianist sat at his instrument crooning a song about people needing people. But I didn’t need anyone. I wanted to shoot them, didn’t I?

I strolled into the casino, gun tucked in the small of my back under my shirt.

‘Hey, it’s Lady Luck!’ George Mitchell the Third swooped on me.

‘What you still doing here, George?’ I asked him. Was I supposed to kill him too? I felt a bead of sweat run down my face. I wiped it away.

‘Just saying goodbye to the tables. I swore to you I wouldn’t be back and I’m a man of my word.’

‘That’s good, George. You best get going.’

‘Yeah, I’m saddling up and heading out.’ He tipped his hat to me, then squinted at my face. ‘You don’t look so good, honey.’

‘I feel a bit strange.’

‘Go lie down. Take a load off. Can I get someone for you?’

I rubbed my forehead. I wanted someone. Zed. He was close.

‘Your parents?’

Artists. Art.
Didn’t know you understood art
. Old Masters. Layers. It was important but I couldn’t remember why. Images were flicking through my brain like wind stirring the leaves of one of my graphic novels, opening on random pages.

‘I’m OK. I’ll go up to my room in a moment.’

‘You do that, honey. It was nice meeting you.’

‘And you, George.’

He turned his back, walking away with a wide-legged gait.

Shoot him.

No!

Take out the gun and shoot him.

My hand crept round to the gun in my waistband, fingers curling round the butt, drawing it clear. Then someone screamed—Maria Kelly rushed for the security guard and pointed at me.

‘She’s got a gun!’ she shrieked.

I looked down at my hand. So I did. I was supposed to run and fire the thing at random.

Do it.

Old Masters. False memories. Scrape away.

The security guard hit the alarm. I stood irresolute in the middle of the casino as gamblers dived for cover. A slot machine paid out a win to an empty stool.

‘Sheesh, honey, you don’t want to fire that thing!’ called George from the safety of the other side of a pinball table.

My brain was screaming at me to act. I couldn’t stop myself—I raised the muzzle to the ceiling and squeezed the trigger. The recoil was incredible, jarring my wrist. A chandelier shattered. How could I have done that? I was trapped in a nightmare with my body and brain no longer under my control.

That’s it—now target the people.

No, this was wrong. I hated guns. I stared down at the big black thing in my hand as if it was a cancerous growth, wanting to drop it but my mind shouted at me to start firing.

Then, scrambled from the upper floors of the hotel, the FBI made it into the casino, pushing hotel security aside. I must have looked odd, standing in the middle of an empty floor, surrounded by spilled cards and chips, a ticking roulette wheel, but making no effort to defend myself.

‘Drop the gun, Sky!’ called Victor. ‘You don’t want to do this. This isn’t you.’

I tried to shake it loose but my fingers wouldn’t uncurl, my brain over-riding the command.

Turn the gun on yourself. Say you’ll kill yourself if they come any
closer
. Daniel Kelly’s words brought the muzzle under my ear.

‘Don’t come any closer,’ I said in a shaky voice.

There was a scream to my left. Security guards were restraining my parents as they tried to reach me.

‘Sky, what are you doing?’ Sally cried, her face drained of colour.

‘Come on, love, put the gun down. You need help. No one’s been harmed—we’ll get you help,’ Simon said desperately.

Somehow their words didn’t penetrate. More powerful were the whisperings that I should end it all, punish the Benedicts for using me.

‘Stay back—no one come any closer!’ My finger tightened on the trigger. There seemed no other way.

Then Zed stepped out from behind Victor, shaking his brother off when he attempted to stop him.

‘She won’t shoot me,’ he said calmly, though his lights were flickering red with anger.

Was he angry with me? I hadn’t done anything, had I?

No, he’s not angry with me. With someone else. The Kellys.

Zed came towards me. ‘Second time I step in front of a gun for you, Sky. We’ve really got to stop meeting like this.’

He was making fun of me? I was threatening to kill myself and he cracked a joke? This wasn’t the script. People were supposed to run in terror—I was supposed to die in a hail of bullets.

‘You shouldn’t be here, Zed.’ Thirsting for something that made sense in this madness, I drank in the sight of him—broad shoulders, the strong lines of his face, the deep blue-green eyes.

‘Sky, you have to understand that now I’ve found you, I’m not going away. Deep down you don’t want me to either. Soulfinders don’t hurt each other. We can’t because it would be like harming yourself.’

‘Soulfinder?’ What was I doing? The internal compulsion to pull the trigger melted like frost in the sun. This all felt wrong because it wasn’t my script. My destiny stood in front of me, loving me enough to risk me shooting him. Soulfinder. The Kellys hadn’t known that I had a power they could not defeat; I’d already been found—I’d managed to protect that secret when they’d destroyed all my other defences. Recognition of my soulfinder punched through the suffocating false layers with a strength not even a skilled savant could counter.

It all became clear. My fingers loosened on the gun butt and I let it drop to the floor.

I gave a shaky shrug.

‘Um … what can I say? Sorry?’

Zed rushed the last few yards and grabbed me in a hug. ‘Those Kellys got you again?’

I buried my head in his chest. ‘Yeah, they did. I was supposed to punish you by either doing myself in or getting gunned down by the FBI.’

‘Clever—but they can’t beat my girl.’

‘They almost did.’

‘No!’ Daniel Kelly stormed into the casino flanked by Maria and Sean, hungry for a consolation prize as the main one eluded him. ‘I’m pressing charges against this girl. She threatened my guests with a gun—shot at my property—disrupted play. Arrest her.’

My parents reached my side seconds before the Kellys.

‘What’s going on, Sky?’ Simon looked ready to punch Mr Kelly.

‘Sally, Simon, meet Daniel Kelly and family.’ I waved at them. ‘They’re responsible for my kidnapping last time and tried to brainwash me this afternoon into going on a shooting spree down here.’

‘The girl is mad. She’s already spent a month in a mental facility. She is totally unreliable.’ Daniel Kelly got out his BlackBerry, speed-dialling his legal team. ‘She needs to be locked up for the safety of the general public.’

Victor scooped up the gun with a handkerchief and tucked it in an evidence bag.