Perfect Specimen (10 page)

“Sometimes. I guess that’s where I got the idea for the novel. But mostly about bears. And snakes. Animals, not people. At least, not usually.” She grimaced. “I don’t remember them that well.”

“That’s okay.”

“Dad was really sweet to me,” she said, her eyes welling with genuine tears. “But maybe you’re right. Maybe he shouldn’t have told me about Mom.” She covered her face with her hands, silently pleading with her parents to forgive her. “I reminded him so much of her. So I guess he never wanted me to turn on him the way she did. That makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Mark nodded.

“I was determined not to be like her. And I don’t think I am. But I can’t keep running from my past. It’s not fair to my own daughters. Right, Mark?”

He nodded again.

Turning to Clay, she resisted an urge to stroke his face. He looked so confused. So helpless in the face of this perverse confession.

Perfect
.

Still, he was Clay, so he rallied. “We’ll get through this, Sara. Together.”

It didn’t surprise her when Mark said, “It’s a lot to absorb. For
all
of us.”

But it did shock her when Randy of all people agreed. “Yeah, Sara. You look exhausted, and now we know why. Maybe you should go lie down for a while.”

For once, all three brothers seemed to be on the same wavelength because Clay echoed his little brother. “You should rest. I didn’t realize—well, I’m sure this has been rough, but I’m proud of you for coming clean with us. That’s the first step. Right, Mark?”

The psychologist nodded. “Sara definitely needs to rest. But maybe she should do it at home—”

“No!” Randy and Clay protested in unison, and Sara realized that each of them in his own way still wanted to save her.

Fortunately, Mark Ryerson wasn’t the hero type. He was too practical—
and
too good of a brother—to watch his family ensnared in a history of mental illness that could never be happily resolved.

She needed to help him. To give him time to explain the facts of life to Clay. And maybe even to Randy, although she had a feeling the Trekkie’s interest would wane now that he knew Sara’s problems were anchored to terra firma.

Rising to her feet, she told them, “I really am exhausted. So . . .” She gave Clay a loving smile. “Maybe I’ll just take a nap in your old bedroom. Would that be okay? You can wake me when it’s time for dessert.”

When he stood as if to join her, she added quickly, “I need to be alone. Just for a few minutes. This has been—well, I guess it’s what they call a breakthrough. Right, Mark?”

“It’s a good idea. Take all the time you need. We’ll be right here when you’ve had a chance to gather your thoughts.”

She knew exactly what Mark was really saying. He needed Sara out of the way so he could explain the facts of life to Clay. That this sort of hereditary delusional disorder was serious stuff—the kind of thing that could curse Clay and his own children for life. It was also the kind of thing Sara needed to work through on her own. If by some miracle she managed to deal with it, she could contact Clay. But for him to participate would be counterproductive.

Thank God for the Internet . . .

She was ready to make a graceful exit when Mark surprised her by asking, “Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Oh!” She nodded sheepishly, remembering that she needed to tell him about the visit she had received from Lizzie. Mark might not have been the right counselor for an alien abductee, but he was perfect for a teenager whose self-esteem was dipping dangerously into full-fledged depression. “We need to do this part alone, though.”

Randy grabbed Clay by the arm. “Come on. We can wait in the den while they talk in private.”

She could see Clay was reluctant, so she kissed his cheek and whispered, “It’s not about me. It’s for a friend. Trust me, okay?”

“Yeah, I trust you.” His warm voice resonated with strength, but also with pain as he reminded her, “I’ll be right next door if you need me.”

Chapter 7

Sara waited for Clay and Randy to leave the room. Then she turned to Mark. “Your brothers want to rescue me.”

He nodded.

“But
you
don’t. You just want me out of their lives, right?” Before he could answer, she smiled to soften the criticism. “Have you ever met Randy’s friend Lizzie?”

Mark straightened, clearly surprised. “Have
you
?”

“She came to my apartment and basically begged me to let her go to Ra-ahl in my place. She actually believes there’s another planet that wants my DNA. And she’s so desperately unhappy, she’d rather go there than face her life on Earth. It broke my heart, Mark.”

“Unbelievable,” he murmured.

“I tried to explain to her that Ga’rag was just a character in a novel, but she got angry. Like I was trying to keep Ga’rag all to myself.” Sara sighed. “Can you help her?”

“Help Lizzie?” Mark’s hazel eyes seemed to mist over. “Are you serious? After all you’ve been through, you’re worried about
her
?”

Alarmed, she took a full step backward. Then she told him bluntly, “Lizzie’s salvageable. I’m not. We both know that. And we both know Clay can’t go through this with me. When he thought I had an abusive husband, he wanted to rescue me. Get a restraining order. Get custody of my babies. All the things a lawyer can do. But this . . .” She bit her lip. “This is something I have to do myself. Right?”

For a moment, Mark seemed unable to respond. Then he said, “You definitely have a long road ahead of you. But you’re smart and resilient. In the right hands—with the right care—you’ll be fine. I’m sure of it.”

Sara looked into his sorrow-filled face and saw the truth—that even though it killed him, he was going to turn his back on her. To choose his brothers over a hopeless case.

If only she could make it easier on him by explaining that she didn’t need a therapist any more than she needed a hero. Not because she could do it alone, but because she already had a male in her life who could make everything better.

She had Ga’rag.

* * * *

When Mark walked into the den, Clay was ready to pounce. “What did she say? Is there more? Man, that was brutal, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was brutal.”

“So?” Clay exhaled sharply. “It’s official, right? She’s delusional? The husband and children don’t exist?”

Mark rubbed his eyes with his palms. “No husband. No children.”

Clay winced. “Are you okay?”

“No.” He stared into Clay’s eyes. “That girl is amazingly sweet. She’s also so far gone it scares me. I’m out of my league with her, Clay. And even if I weren’t, I can’t treat her. You see that, don’t you?”

“But this was a breakthrough. Like you said.”

“Like
Sara
said,” Mark corrected him.

“Yeah,” Randy agreed. “She was conning you again, bro. It’s unbelievable how you fall for it every time.”

Clay glared at the younger brother, who had cleared some room around the desk and was fiddling with the computer. “Shut the fuck up, would you?”

Turning back to Mark, Clay demanded, “What’s going on? You just said there’s no husband. It’s a delusion. Right?”

“That’s what she wants us to believe.”

“Huh?”

Mark rubbed his eyes again. “Like I said, it’s out of my league. But I’m pretty convinced at this point she thinks she’s part of an extraterrestrial science experiment. She doesn’t want us to find out about it because it would endanger her half-ET children, so she distracts us with a different delusion, plus a history of abuse, plus a history of delusional disorder in her family. She functions at a very high level, Clay, but she’s as unstable as they come. I can’t stand by and watch you go through this—”

“Hey, you guys!” Randy interrupted them. “Get over here. Looks like the show’s about to start.”

Clay spun on him. “Didn’t I tell you to shut up?” His gaze settled on the image on the monitor. It was Sara, kneeling on the floor in the guest room. “You’re
spying
on her? God
dammit
, Randy!”

Mark strode over to the desk. “Turn it off, pervert. Now.”

“If you taped us having sex, I’ll kill you,” Clay added with sincere menace.

“Pay attention!” Randy gave them a defiant glare. “Just listen, will you?”

Clay winced, noting that Sara indeed seemed to be speaking. “What the fuck?”

Randy adjusted the volume, so that Sara’s voice came through more clearly.

Just in time for them to hear her say, “I was so convincing, even the younger brother believed me. So please,
please
don’t kill them. It’s over, Ga’rag. I promise.”

* * * *

Sara raised her eyes to her captor, trying not to notice how wildly his gills were quivering. Then she explained. “Delusional disorders are hereditary, Overlord. They now believe my mother suffered from one. That will help confirm the diagnosis for Mark. And just in case he needed a trigger, I implied that my father molested me. It killed me to say such an awful thing, but I did it for our daughters.”

“Stand up.”

Sara complied. Then she flashed a reassuring smile. “Right now, Mark is telling Clay to distance himself from me. So I can get treatment. And Clay’s resisting, but in his heart, he doesn’t want a crazy woman for a love interest, so he’s mentally backing away from me. All I need is a few more minutes—”

“You have been making that promise to me all day!” Ga’rag raised the whip in his clawed hand, and in that instant, pressure exploded in her face.

“No!” She grabbed for a box of tissues on the nightstand. The pain was blinding, but she didn’t dare care. All she could think of was her children, and the need to keep the telltale blood off of her dress so the Ryerson brothers wouldn’t get suspicious.

But it seemed Ga’rag was miles ahead of her, because the blood didn’t gush as much as usual. Just enough to rattle her, and she resented that even more.

“We had a deal,” she reminded him unhappily. “I’d do what you wanted, and you’d take me with you. Stop testing me. Stop
torturing
me. Just take me with you. Now.”

The geneticist’s mouth curved into a smile. “You are so strong, Sara. And so clever. But only compared to other Earthlings. You know that, don’t you? Compared to me, you are nothing.”

She nodded.

“Fine, then. I will consider your request. Say your farewells to your lover and go home. I will give you my decision before morning.”

Sara watched as he vanished from the room. She wanted to rejoice, but could not. As much as she wanted to see those children again—as much as she needed this experiment to end—the idea of saying good-bye to Clay almost paralyzed her.

And at that moment, she realized the truth. She really had fallen for him despite her best efforts, her survival instincts, and her responsibility to her children. His strength, his devotion, his lovemaking, his integrity—

Snap out of it,
she warned herself as she tossed the bloodstained tissues into a wastebasket.
Wash your face, compose yourself, and get this over with. For Clay’s sake and for yours.

* * * *

After splashing cold water on her face to ensure that all traces of the nosebleed were gone, Sara went to the den, confident that Mark had done his job by now, explaining to Clay and Randy that she suffered from a debilitating delusional disorder. He would have told them that treatment could take years, and might not be successful. Even if it were, it was hereditary—a condition she could very well pass along to her own children should she ever recover enough to consider starting a family.

In other words, he would have warned Clay to get out now while he had the chance.

One glance at Clay’s face confirmed her prediction. He looked helpless—almost shell-shocked—although he managed to give her a weak smile as she entered the room. Even Mark seemed dazed, while Randy just stood and stared at her as though he truly didn’t know what to believe anymore.

Perfect
.

“You all look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she told them with a cheerful smile. “I guess you’re as tired as I am. I’d actually like to call it a night, Clay, so if you don’t mind taking me home . . .”

He walked over to her and cupped her chin in his hand. Then he gazed into her eyes. “There’s something I want you to see first, honey. Okay?”

She bit her lip, confused. He didn’t seem just disappointed, or even brokenhearted. He almost seemed afraid.

Of
her
?

She knew she shouldn’t take offense. Mark had clearly scared him to death with predictions of how destructive this disorder could be. Still, she found herself missing the old take-charge Clay—the one with all the answers.

“What is it, Clay? You seem—well, upset. Is something wrong?”

His confidence returned, at least on the surface. “Everything’s fine, Sara. There’s just something Mark and I want you to watch. After that, we’ll all sit down and decide what to do next. Okay?”

Before she could respond, he added firmly, “You’re not alone. Just remember that. I’m right here with you and I’m not going anywhere.”

Touched but also frustrated that he wasn’t yet ready to let go, she stole a glance at Mark and was again surprised by his pale appearance.

Because he usually treats stressed-out executives. You’re his first Lizzie Borden and he’s not quite sure what to do next
.

“Sit down here, Sara.” Clay led her to the computer desk. Once she was seated, he rested one hand on her shoulder and used the other to click the mouse and a video began.

A video of Sara.

“What on Earth?” She recoiled as she recognized the setting. Then she turned to Clay and whispered, “You were spying on me?”

A rush of betrayal mixed with anger erupted inside her, but Clay short-circuited it by instructing her tersely. “Keep watching, Sara. This is important.”

Still hurt, she turned back to the monitor just as the camera panned out, showing more of the bedroom, and she winced as she watched herself on her knees, talking a mile a minute to—well, to no one.

Grabbing the mouse, she raised the volume and could hear herself explaining rapidly to Ga’rag that the problem with the Ryerson brothers had been handled. Except Ga’rag wasn’t there. The picture had widened enough now to give her a view of the entire room, and it was seemingly empty.

“I don’t understand,” she murmured, turning toward Randy, who was hovering nearby. “He’s invisible? To the camera, I mean? I’m the only one who can see him?”

“That’s my theory,” Randy agreed, but for the first time since she’d met him, she could see he was having doubts.

Mark moved closer to her, squatting so that his eyes would be level with hers. “How are you doing, Sara? Do you want to talk a little? Or rest—”

At that moment, a yelp of pain exploded through the speakers and Sara turned back to the monitor in time to see herself grab a box of tissues and press a handful against her face. Stunned, Sara clicked the pause button and stared at the image. It was horrifying. Not because there was blood spurting from her nose, but because there was no blood at all.

Not a trace.

“I think that’s enough for now,” Mark told her, lifting her limp hand from the mouse. “Clay?”

“Yeah, come on, honey.” Clay pulled her gently to her feet and led her to the sofa, urging her to sit. Then he draped a soft blue afghan around her shoulders. But he didn’t sit beside her. Instead, he crouched, the way Mark had done, and stared into her face with concern. “It’s a lot to handle, so just take your time.”

“Sara?” Mark took a seat to her left. “You’ve had a shock. We all want to help, but right now, the important thing is to get some rest. So . . . I want you to take these.”

“What?” Pulling herself out of her fog, she realized he was holding a glass of water and two small pink pills.

Confused again, she decided to focus on Clay. “What do
you
think? About that video? It’s odd, right?”

His voice almost cracked when he said, “Yeah, but we’ll get through it. Just remember you’re not alone. You have me. Us. We’re not going anywhere.” He exhaled sharply. “Take the pills, Sara. They’ll help you relax. Like Mark said, this is a shock. For all of us. But it’s a good thing. Trust me. Because now we can really begin to help you.”

His voice was soothing, but she tuned it out, distracted by thoughts of what Ga’rag might be thinking—or planning—at that moment.

If there
is
a Ga’rag
. . .

“Sara?” Mark tapped her forearm. “You need to take this medicine and get some rest. If you don’t, I’ll be forced to consider other options.”

Clay growled. “Mark—”

“I’m serious,” the psychologist assured him. Then he explained to Sara, “There’s a great facility less than twenty miles from here. I’d like to take you there for observation.”