Page 114 of Darkness

“Only if you tell me anything, no matter how small, anything you’d call a threat.”

“You know I will.” Though “threat” might be subjective. Farren’s phone rang. “Sorry.” Before he could answer, indescribable pain lanced through him, flames of agony licking over his skin even worse than before. He staggered toward the desk, shrieks tearing from his throat. Shit! He couldn’t breathe and vaguely registered sinking to his knees.

Leary’s concerned face came into view. “Austen? Are you okay? Damn it, Farren, talk to me!”

Using his first name struck Farren as odd, a moment before pain came over him again. From a distance, he heard pounding footsteps, then a frantic, “Something’s wrong with Arianna. And the other demons.”

“We’re not demons,” Farren ground out from between clenched teeth. His voice came out hoarse, his throat as raw as his nerves.

“Hush!” Leary shouted to whoever entered his office, “Get the medics!” He lowered his voice to a growl at Farren. “We’ll talk later.”

Slowly, the pain ebbed to the point of Farren noticing Leary clutching his hand. Maybe the boss didn’t hate travelers after all. Farren lay on his back, for once appreciating the softness of the ugly gray carpet.

“What happened?” Leary asked. “Are you okay?

“I… I think so. I don’t know what happened, but seems the others felt it, too.”

A medic with a stretcher appeared at the door.

“I don’t need medical attention,” Farren snapped. “See to Arianna and the others.”

“You’ll go with him.” Leary put an edge of steel into his order, helping Farren stand on shaky legs with perhaps a bit too much force. Farren nearly fell twice during the four steps to the gurney, but Leary’s death grip on his arm kept him upright.

Once the medic strapped him in, Farren counted overhead lights in the hallway as they whizzed by. “Where are we going?” He tried not to panic at the lack of mobility created by the straps.

Leary trotted beside the gurney. “To the clinic.”

“The clinic?” The one down in the basement most agents didn’t even know about? Why were they going there? To use one of the bodies? Or to… Farren braced himself to show a skill he’d hoped to keep hidden. His heart hammered. He ripped the straps holding him down and rolled off the gurney. They were taking him and the others to the basement. Did anyone actually think the shared experience meant some kind of doom to humankind?

He staggered to his feet, turning on Leary. “We’re not a threat. We won’t hurt you.”

“Then what the hell was that?” Leary stood by the gurney, hands on his hips.

“I… I don’t know.”

“Then you go with the others and stay there until we figure it out.”

“No. I’m of more use to you here.” Not to mention, Farren could be made to disappear with no one the wiser. The travelers employed here all lived on-site, with no social lives to speak of. Being made to leave the area where they acquired their bodies to keep the former occupant’s families from…

No. Not to help the former families, but to keep the travelers from putting down roots, telling anyone of their existence, so they wouldn’t be missed if…

Farren whirled, catching the medic’s wrist, stopping the hypodermic on its downward swing. Without knowing quite how, he managed to open his mind, feeling the other agents fighting their own battles and Devon hiding Arianna in the supply room.

Their fear, rage, and betrayal all came to him loud and clear. He couldn’t feel the Nutrix in the clinic. With any luck, she hadn’t been in the compound.

Farren reversed the direction of the syringe, sinking the needle into the medic’s arm. Leary barreled down the hall, weapon raised. What the hell? Farren wasn’t wearing his.

Leary took a shot.

The bullet ricocheted off an invisible wall. Farren and Leary stared at each other, eyes wide. What the fuck? Farren turned and ran, mentally screaming, “Get out!” to the other travelers. He’d have to come back for Arianna. He sent her assurances and dashed up the stairs while trying to recreate the mental wall that had withstood a bullet. Talking to the others in his mind. Stopping bullets. Those talents were new.

And might prove useful.

The lights flickered and went out.

One of the other traveler agents must’ve killed the power. Good. Elevators were now disabled. With the bit of extra time bought, Farren darted to the supply room. “Come on, Arianna, let’s go.”

Eyes wide, she peered out from behind a bank of file cabinets, grabbed his hand, and ran, throwing off her high heels.

---