Page 118 of No More Spies

“Guys, this isn’t helping Kala or Devi,” TJ was arguing.“I’ll go.”

Everyone wanted to sacrifice. Too bad. This was his place.

Big Tag started to turn toward them.

Kenzie got in her dad’s face, like she knew he needed thedistraction. “I’m going. I’m going to save my sister.”

“Like hell you are,” Ian started in on his daughter.

“They’re totally dysfunctional at times,” Zach said,watching them. There was the slightest grin on his face.

He did miss them. Coop was going to have to givehis…brother…some slack. “Ready?”

Zach sighed. “I can’t talk you out of it. It was stupid totry. Let’s get our girls.”

They turned and jogged into the darkness.

* * * *

Kala knew she was dreaming, knew that somewhere outside thisquiet place inside her own brain, her body was going through torment. He’dstrapped her down again, forced an IV into her arm, and asked her over and overwhere Zachary Reed was.

After a while she knew he didn’t care about the answer. Itwas all just play to him. A means to deliver his torture. Perhaps a way topretend she deserved it.

Didn’t she deserve it?

At some point she’d passed out, and her brain hadn’t done agreat job of disassociating since she found herself in the kitchen again. Thesame one where she’d faced down Julia Ennis all those years ago. Where Juliahad told her how much she reminded her of herself at a young age.

She’d carried those words for so damn long.

She’d also had this dream about a million times.

The door came open and Julia entered wearing the same slacksand blouse she’d been wearing the day she’d found Kala with her head in therefrigerator, hiding the knife she’d stolen.

In the dream, Kala was always fifteen again, vulnerable andaching at the thought she was like the monster who’d tried to kill her cousinKyle and his awesome wife, MaeBe. In the dream she was scared and stubborn, andshe listened to what Julia had to say.

“Hello, Kala. It’s been a while,” Julia said.

Oh, Lena would have a field day with this. She knew she wasdreaming, and now dead Julia understood the passage of time from the afterlife.

Or perhaps these were all parts of her soul she had to mendso she could be the best Kala she could be. The best person, best friend, bestlover, best mother someday. It was odd but she got a bit misty as she sat downat the kitchen table. “Hello, Julia.”

Dream Julia stared at her. “You’re not a child.”

“No, I’m not. It’s funny because at fifteen I would havetold you the same, but time and experience changes our perspectives. I’vestarted to wonder why you’re the one who haunts my dreams. When I think aboutit, you weren’t violent toward me. I’ve started to suspect nothing happened tome on the plane.”

Julia stared at her. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt you in thatfashion.”

She had. Kala simply hadn’t believed her. “Oh, you violatedmy person. You wrecked me for years. Don’t expect me to thank you for notraping me.”

Julia’s eyes narrowed. “You know you wouldn’t be the first.You should be grateful.”

“I’m going to stop you there. No. I am not grateful I wasn’traped. I’m mad that other women are. You don’t get brownie points for sparingme something absolutely no one should ever be forced to endure. And don’t giveme the whole my generation had to deal with it shit. If I go through somethingterrible, I’m going to try to make sure no one has to suffer through it again.I’m not looking at women younger than me and turning a blind eye when they’reharmed because I had to, so they should too.” She was getting emotional in adream. So weird what could happen when she asked the right questions and washonest about the answers. So many doors opened.

“Well, you won’t have to endure. You’re a predator.”

Kala’s eyes rolled. “Shut up. You’re mostly meaninglesshere. I think I’ve found out what I’m truly afraid of. You see, it’s hard whenyou’re a twin. You wonder at times if you share a soul, and if you do, how didit split? I suppose I saw you as something of a shadow version of my mother.When I was fifteen, I heard all the stories. She loved Dad so much she dideverything she could to get him back. I thought it was romantic.”

“Yes, I rather know that story myself.” Julia took the seatacross from her, intelligent eyes studying her. “I did what I did for love.”

---