State of Mind - 5. Chapter 5

Nora braced herself for the pain, but the intensity of it still caught her off guard. With a strangled yelp, she withered to the floor, pulling a stack of papers with her. Waves of agony wracked her body. Time passed, she had no idea how much, then a pair of arms encircled and steadied her as she rode out the last of the bone-grinding tremors.

A questing presence in her mind filled the void left by Aleck's withdrawal. "Easy now. The worst is over."

Nora doubted that. She peeked through her tear-damp hair. Graviel looked calm. Too calm. His soothing mental touch betrayed nothing, but she wasn't fooled.

"Better?" Graviel asked. He pulled back from Nora's mind, ensuring his departure was slow and controlled.

Nora nodded. Her throat felt dry, her eyes scratchy. She'd survived, but the experience wasn't one she'd forget.

Graviel fixed her with a grim look. "Is he dead, then?"

She tried to hide her shock, but Graviel was too perceptive. His eyes narrowed to slits, and his lip peeled back in a silent snarl. He hauled her off the floor and into a chair. Shocked by his strength, she had little time to prepare before his barrage of questions began.

"He's not dead? Where is he? What happened? Why did he break the connection?"

Nora fumbled with her glasses. "He's not dead. I don't know where he is. He didn't say." Her voice caught on a sob. "May I please have a drink?"

For a minute she thought Graviel would refuse. Then, without a word, he snatched an empty glass from her table and carried it into the kitchen. Wary, Nora watched him go. Her allegiance was to the Organization, but her connection to Aleck was strong. They'd been paired many times. He trusted her, at least he had. She still believed in him.

When Graviel returned with a glass of water, Nora drank it down in three gulps. "Thank you," she whispered. Graviel nodded, but didn't speak. His jaw was tight, his eyes twin shards of ice. He was waiting for answers.

Nora swallowed twice before she could speak. "I don't know much else. He said his life was in danger. He, um…" She glanced at Graviel. The man hadn't even blinked. "He didn't try to give me his location. I'm guessing…I'm guessing he didn't know it."

Graviel stroked his beard as he digested the information. "You say you believe he was unconscious for a time. It's likely he was unaware of his exact whereabouts." He refocused on her. "Is that all?"

Nora took a deep breath. "That's all, sir," she lied.

Graviel stared at her. Nora stared back, keeping her expression open and her mind closed. She wasn't suicidal. Graviel could crush her with a thought. Still, an uninvited probe of another Gifted would be an unforgivable breach of etiquette. It was their creed, their unspoken law. She'd never known Graviel to betray it.

Of course, she'd never known a situation like this one. Hopefully it wasn't a day for firsts.

Her answers had been truthful, just not complete. Because at the very last, before she and Aleck had been separated, she'd sensed no fear. No danger. Instead there'd been confusion, betrayal, and a hot rush of anger, tinged with bitterness and aimed at Graviel.

Nora would keep those facts to herself. She had no desire to see Aleck added to the list of the hunted.

An eternity later, Graviel rose. He looked down at Nora, face devoid of expression. "He's been compromised. That much is obvious, despite the alarming lack of information. Alert the rest of the team."

*~*~*

While Nora made phone calls, Graviel excused himself to the small bedroom and shut the door.

Damn Grier to hell and back. He'd take every opportunity to poison Aleck's mind with his self-righteous propaganda when neither knew what was at stake. Graviel's hands balled into fists. Twice now, he'd opened his heart to other people. Twice now he'd been betrayed. He'd come to terms with losing Grier.

But Aleck…. Graviel knew the one thing that would drive him away. "Trust is given freely once," he mumbled. He stumbled to the bed and sank onto the edge. His cell phone sat on the bedside table, waiting. It would be nothing to reach out. Grasp it. Seal both Aleck and Grier's fate.

He couldn't.

Perhaps he should've confided in them both. Grier would've understood the nature of their enemy. But would he have approved of Graviel's unconventional solution? Probably not. And there was the crux of the matter. He'd hoped it wouldn't happen, but he'd expected to lose Grier.

He'd not prepared himself to lose Aleck.

He scooped the phone off the table and dialed, blinking when the numbers swam in front of his eyes. He pressed send and stared out the window into the vibrant city beyond. "Forgive me, Aleck," he whispered.

Three thousand miles away, the phone was answered and Graviel gave his report.

*~*~*

"Where are we going?"

The sullen tone made Grier's lips twitch. "I've made arrangements to leave the country."

Aleck didn't comment, but did take increased notice of the passing road signs. "Is that who you were talking to earlier?"

Grier considered ignoring him. "Yes," he relented, "if you mean the phone call before we left the house. I needed to know where to meet the plane."

Aleck shrugged. He was uncommunicative, still reeling from Graviel's betrayal. It was, Grier knew, the first of many unpleasant realizations Aleck would experience. He hoped the boy didn't pout this much after each such discovery.

The road stretched out before them. They'd wound down out of the mountains of eastern Pennsylvania to an endless vista of rolling hills. Besides the occasional passing car or stray cow, there was little to break the monotony of farmland and pasture. Grier's lids drooped. Monitor or no, he'd taxed himself to the limit of his capabilities. The warm car, the buzz of the engine, and the plush seat worked in tandem to put him to sleep.

He fought it for an hour before Aleck roused from his sulk to notice. "Why don't you rest? Let me drive."

Grier answered with a snort.

"You have to sleep sometime." Aleck turned away, picking at a splotch of dried blood on his jeans. "You've got nothing to fear from me. We've struck a bargain."

"So you say."

"I have some honor."

The implied more than you ever will made Grier gnash his teeth. He didn't take the bait. "You have honor," he said with a roll of his tired eyes. The car drifted to the shoulder and he jerked it back onto the road. "You really are wet behind the ears."

"And you're exhausted. Let me drive." The cool, unaffected tone belied Grier's accusation; Aleck hadn't reacted to the insult. "I've given you my word. What more do you want, Grier?"

Now they were getting somewhere. Grier pulled onto the shoulder, tossing gravel and dust into a cloud around the car and startling a groundhog back under a pasture fence. The road was empty; there wasn't another car or person in sight. "What I want is simple. In fact, you've probably already guessed it. But as it's a rather important point – critical, you might say – it bears repeating. Let's consider it a show of solidarity. How do you hide your presence from me? Does it work on everyone? Who else has this talent?"

"Slow down." Aleck rolled down the window and captured a deep breath of air. Grier did the same, willing his sleepy senses to sharpen. "Let's cut to the chase, since I do know what you want," Aleck said. "How I hid myself from you…it's something that I can teach you."

Grier's nostrils flared. A spark of hope, the one that'd died when he realized his New York sanctuary was compromised, took on new life.

"Pleased?"

"Obviously," Grier drawled. It was the proverbial gold at the end of the rainbow. Hiding would still be his way of life, but at least he could do so with a measure of peace. He glanced over to find Aleck staring at him, face blank.

"Who can do it?" Aleck repeated, eyes locked on Grier's. "Just me, at the moment. Well…" he paused, "and Graviel, but he hasn't perfected it."

Grier slammed a fist against the steering wheel. He knew it'd been too good to be true. Still, Graviel was just one person; he couldn't be everywhere at once. "How kind of you to share," he said under his breath.

"He asked nicely."

Well of course he would have. Graviel was all about propriety – if he was serving afternoon tea. When it came to truth and honesty, however, the old man took a pass. Grier indulged in a spot of self-indulgent wallowing, then shoved it aside. Whatever friendship, whatever respect, he believed had existed between Graviel and himself was dead. "This…ability…works on everyone?" he asked, eyes focused on the road before them.

Aleck nodded. "I've never come across another Gifted who could sense me if I was hiding myself. I can walk through a crowd of them and not a single one would be the wiser."

Far more valuable than gold then. "Will you teach me?" He phrased it as a question, in deference to Aleck's quirky desire for mutual politeness. In the end, though, he knew Aleck would acquiesce. Solving the mystery of Graviel's lies was too rich a boon. Check and mate. For better or worse, they were now a team.

"Yes," Aleck said, confirming his suspicions. "I will."

Grier threw his door open. "Need a potty break? Please say no."

"I'm good." Aleck unfastened his seatbelt. They passed each other in front of the car and slipped into their new seats with perfect synchronicity.

Grier waited until they were pulling back onto the road before speaking. "No country music. No hip-hop, and don't even think about tuning in to that psychopath Limbaugh."

Aleck floored the accelerator, and Grier fell back against the seat with a grunt. "Anything else?"

"Yes. Don't sing."

"May I hum, master?"

Grier turned away before Aleck saw his lips twitch. He sank into the seat and rested his forehead against the window. First he'd sleep, then he'd beat back his growing affection for Aleck's dry wit.

"Where are we headed?"

"Go west, young man." Grier cracked an eye open. "Wake me up in two hours."

"Yes, sir." Grier watched through lowered lids while Aleck blew out a frustrated breath, then pushed a hand through his hair. "Ass," he whispered.

Grier closed his eyes. Despite his best efforts, a smile crept across his face. "You know what, Devlin?" Aleck didn't answer, and Grier risked another glance. Aleck had his hands at ten and two on the steering wheel – didn't that just figure – and was concentrating on the road like he was navigating through a tornado. A tic twitched in his jaw. Grier's smile widened into a grin. "I've worked out part of your problem."

"Just part?"

"Give me time. I expect the full scope of your neurosis has yet to manifest."

Aleck swung to glare at him, and perhaps that dark, brooding 'fuck off' look worked on most, but all it did to Grier was kick his libido into gear. Again. "Watch the road," he said, voice husky. Having Aleck obey did nothing to dampen Grier's lust.

"You were saying?" Aleck asked, his tone equally strained.

What the hell had he been saying? The sharp rays of the setting sun poured in through his window, and the drowsiness was setting back in. He felt drunk with it, or maybe that was Aleck's presence. "I was saying I'd figured out part of your problem."

"And?"

"You're too damn honest." Grier closed his eyes. He hadn't the energy to argue, and as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew Aleck would want to debate them. He waited, growing groggier by the minute, until Aleck spoke. Score one for predictability.

"Too honest. I'll work on that," Aleck said. Disappointed, but too far gone to examine why, Grier slipped into a deep slumber.

*~*~*

Despite Grier's warnings, as soon as he was sleeping, Aleck found a country music station and twisted the volume low. It was the act of a rebellious teen, but he didn't care. He suspected Grier was so sound asleep anyway that he'd snore through a war. The road began to twist and turn up another mountain range, but traffic stayed light. Aleck had plenty of opportunity to study his companion.

Even in sleep, Grier's body was tense; his fingers clutched the seatbelt and his jaw shifted back and forth. His face was all sharp angles, the features hawk-like. A shadow of dark hair covered his cheeks and chin. Thoughtful, Aleck reached for his own face, scratching at the stubble as he drove. His eyes wandered to Grier more than was prudent.

Two hours and twenty minutes later, he swung into a rest stop, found a secluded parking space, and killed the engine. His head throbbed. Tilting it back against the head rest, he listened to the ticking engine and the distant sound of other travelers as they moved through the lot.

"Where are we?" Grier asked thickly.

"Somewhere in western Pennsylvania," Aleck said, keeping his eyes closed. Beside him, Grier shifted and opened his door, and the muted ruckus grew sharper. They sat together in silence for a time, listening. Aleck tuned out the horns and engines and concentrated on the voices. Despite the late hour, the lot was full. He opened his senses, surprised to find the energy level so high. This time of night, most travelers were weary. He sure as hell was. Beside him, he felt Grier doing the same, searching for other Gifteds.

Grier frowned. "You were there a minute ago, but now I can't sense you."

Aleck smiled at the begrudged tone. "I think we're alone. You're the only one I can feel in the immediate area."

"I concur." Again with the grudging respect. Aleck held his tongue, not wanting to shatter their fragile peace. Grier swung his legs out of the car. "I'll be back."

"I'll be along in a minute." Stretching his legs would feel good, but first he needed to fight off his escalating headache. Where had Grier stashed his painkillers?

"Behind my seat, side pocket of the duffel bag." Grier smirked when Aleck blinked in surprise. "I don't need to read you to know you're suffering. You do drama like a teenage girl."

The bag was easy to reach. Aleck hooked it with his right hand and gave Grier the finger with his left. "Didn't you need to take a piss?" The pills were right where they were supposed to be. Aleck resisted the urge to claw the cap off.

"There's a bottle of water back there too." Grier walked off, and Aleck dry-swallowed two capsules before fumbling behind the seat for the water. Time was short, but he indulged in a light meditation, turning his mind inward while he focused on easing the tension in his neck and other muscles.

It was natural, as his body shut down, that his mind opened, and he didn't fight it. He reached for Grier, keeping his touch light, but vigilant. He expected a rebuke, but none came. Pleased, Aleck tightened their connection. The thoughts of those around him dulled to a buzz. He felt the drug start to zing through his blood, dampening the last of the pain, and – now that Aleck knew what to look for – a good bit of his emotion. Eyes still closed, he frowned, for once resentful of the side-effect.

The sooner you wean yourself, the sooner you'll feel human again, Grasshopper, came Grier's voice.

"Christ, you're annoying," Aleck replied out loud. He sat up with a groan, pocketed the keys, and stepped out of the car. His body protested, and Aleck compensated by running through a short series of stretches. At the edge of his awareness, Grier's presence prickled with edginess. Aleck snorted and started across the parking lot. Did the bastard have any other state of mind besides grim and irascible?

He crossed under the harsh fluorescents of the gas station and started along the sidewalk to the restaurant, his stomach grumbling from the pervading odor of grease and smoke. Some carbs would do him good. And with the day he'd had, he deserved them.

A group of teenagers swarmed by, running toward the entrance, pushing each other as they raced to be the first inside. Aleck stepped out of their way, and in that minute, when his head was full of their adolescent ramblings, he sensed the presence of another Gifted.

He slammed his mind shut and stepped off the pavement into the shadows by the building's entrance. Hiding himself dulled his own senses to a certain degree, and knowing he'd just left Grier on his own with no warning kicked his concern up another notch. The chance that this person was a threat was slim, but it didn't pay to take chances. Aleck watched and waited. The sudden burst of adrenaline punched his headache back to full-force. No surprise there, and he could use the advantage. The pain helped him shake off the last of his lethargy.

He saw her before she saw him. Aleck hissed and slunk back against the brick, willing her not to turn her head. Of all the agents on the prowl that night, it had to be Kaye, one of the few Gifteds who knew him on sight. Her presence was no coincidence.

It'd been months since he'd seen her, but little about her appearance had changed. Little ever did. She swaggered by the nest of teens, and didn't even pause when every boy in the group swiveled to watch her pass. Her silk tank, pale pink, was tucked into the tightest pair of leather pants the boys had probably ever seen outside of Playboy, and her mass of blond hair framed a sculptured face and sky-blue eyes. Kaye had never believed in fading into the background, even on assignment.

She pushed through the doors and disappeared inside. Aleck waited a few seconds, then followed.

The noise was a physical thing, as stifling as the mass of bodies. His senses were tuned low, so he heard very little mental chatter. Entering a closed space with so many people meant muting his awareness, drowning out the thoughts of others so he could think. Grier would've done the same. Which meant he didn't know Kaye was following.

With fast food restaurants along the perimeter and seating in the middle, the building resembled a sports arena. A convenience store occupied one end of the dome and a bank of restrooms the other. Aleck had been mere seconds behind, but already Kaye was lost in the crowd.

"Fuck!" He risked stepping into the open and was rewarded with a flash of blonde hair near the alcove that housed the bathrooms. Aleck followed.

His heart slammed against his chest as he worked his way through the press of people. By the time he'd reached the wide hall that led to the toilets and vending machines, he'd traded panic for calm. His shoes made no sound on the tile and his body was loose and ready to fight. In increments, he opened his mind, casting out for Grier. All that bounced back was distress and anger. Then, in a condensed burst, pain.

Aleck broke into a run, bypassing both restrooms for the door marked "Employees Only" at the end of the corridor.

He skidded to a halt by the door, cursing at the electronic keypad. A simple lock he could've tumbled in a heartbeat, but not this. Another flash of pain pushed the air from his lungs. Tinged with fear – the first Aleck had felt – it faded after a few seconds.

Aleck slapped his palm over the pad, but before he could focus, the door swung outward, pushed by a man with a rolling bucket and mop. "Hey," he said to Aleck. "This area's off-limits, buddy."

"Move," Aleck snarled.

The man gasped with the force of the suggestion and jumped aside, tripping over his bucket and crashing to the floor. Aleck barreled through. To hell with caution.

The door opened on a string of connected kitchens for the food court restaurants. In the first, two men in matching blue visors chopped vegetables while their coworkers chatted in low voices over a sizzling deep fryer. They all stared when he rushed in. So much for slipping by unnoticed. Aleck ignored their curious looks and ploughed ahead to the next room. There, a half a dozen girls in red and white-striped shirts worked side by side, prepping pizzas. Stacks of flat cardboard boxes littered the floor, and an oven along the back wall threw garlic-smelling heat into the room. Aleck drew up short, panting. One of the girls gave a low cry and dropped her ladle. Another watched him with wide-eyes while she groped for the phone.

"Don't," Aleck said. "Keep working. Everything's fine."

Her hand stalled midair as the order penetrated her mind. "Okay." She went back to kneading her dough. The others followed suit, spreading sauce and shredded cheese onto the pizza shells, their jerky, uncoordinated movements indicative of forced suggestion.

Aleck spun in a circle. No sign of Grier or Kaye.

"Fuck it." He opened himself, exposing his presence to any Gifted that might be close. In return the world sharpened, like a camera brought into sudden focus. He sensed the girls' trepidation and heard their unspoken questions, but couldn't locate Grier. Enough wasted time. He chose the closest one and probed her mind.

She'd seen them. Five minutes ago. Grier first, then Kaye. Aleck jogged across the kitchen, through a short hall, and into the next area. There was no need to question any of the three people here. They were all sprawled on the floor, still as death. He knelt by the first, a teenage boy with the nametag Kurt pinned to his green polo, and checked his pulse. Just unconscious. Aleck blew out a relieved breath.

His connection with Grier buzzed and crackled. He was close, very close. More pain came, localized at his right shoulder. Aleck winced, but drew the sensation in instead of deflecting it, searching for the source.

There. He spun round to a door in the back, near the exit. A white laminate sign mounted on it said Dry Storage. Next to that was a hand-written post-it note that read order more napkins.

Aleck pushed the handle, edged the door open, and slipped inside. His silent entrance hadn't gone unnoticed. Grier lay on his side, facing the door. He was holding his right arm, and his lip was curled back in a grimace of pain. He looked straight at Aleck, but not a flicker of emotion crossed his face.

Kaye stood over him, brandishing a stun pen. "Where is he? Tell me!"

That answered one question. They hadn't felt his approach because they were both closed off, each protecting themselves from the other. It accounted for Kaye's choice of weapon. Her mental attacks, which were formidable, had proved ineffective against Grier's shields.

"Tell me!" she shouted again.

Grier shook his head.

"If you've hurt him, I swear to God--"

"Kaye," Aleck said. She spun at the sound of his voice. He took another step into the room, keeping one eye on the stunner as he slid closer. "I'm right here. I'm fine."

"Aleck." The warmth in her voice didn't last long. Her eyes narrowed. "You don't look like a prisoner to me."

"You're a clever one," Grier said with a grunt.

Kaye ignored him. Not a good sign. "And why is that? What's going on?" In the kitchen, someone screamed. A volley of shouts followed. Kaye backed up several steps, pressing herself against the wall. Her attention shifted between Aleck and Grier. "I was led to believe you were a hostage."

"By whom?" Aleck questioned.

"Who do you think?"

Graviel, of course. Aleck shook his head. "You were misled."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, enough of the games," Grier snarled. He reached out with his good hand and hauled himself to his feet, using the metal rack as leverage. Kaye watched, stunner tracking his movements. Grier jerked his chin in Aleck's direction. "As you can see, he's fine. So now what are you going to do?"

Aleck bounced on the balls of his feet, ready to jump at Kaye if she made a move in Grier's direction. The shouts from the kitchen grew more frantic, and Aleck nudged the door closed with his foot. It was thick and heavy, and the storeroom was down a short hall from the kitchen, but their hiding place wouldn't remain safe for long.

"What am I going to do?" Kaye took a deep breath and lowered the stun pen. "What can I do? I don't want any of us dead. Even you, Crist, and especially not Aleck or myself. I'm going to ask you to trust me." She ignored Grier's snort. "You can. Aleck does." She shot Aleck a tense smile. He didn't return it.

"No way in hell." Grier stumbled when his fingers slipped off the shelf, but he kept his feet. Aleck saw him flexing his fingers, testing the returning strength.

Kaye extended an imploring hand. "Let me bring you in. The fact that you haven't hurt Aleck will count for a lot. Come with me. Explain your actions." The stunner dropped further toward the floor. "He still believes in you."

There was no need to ask whom she meant. Even through Grier's shields, Aleck felt his spike of emotion.

"Does he?" Grier spat. "Please let him know that the sentiment isn't returned."

Kaye's smile faltered. "You've been given another chance, Crist. Don't fucking blow it. Let me bring you in."

"Not a chance."

Aleck read Kaye's intentions a split second before she acted – too late to warn Grier. She struck with the speed of a cobra, pulled, and dozens of boxes and cans flew from the shelves above and rained down on top of them. Grier rolled against the wall, shielding his head, and most of the projectiles bounced onto his shoulders and away. Aleck's precognition saved his life. He leapt to the side just as the shelf behind him broke away from the wall and crashed to the floor where he'd been standing a moment before.

Kaye's rush of triumph hit with the strength of a bullet, stealing his breath. So much for wanting him alive and well.

A box of cocktail napkins had burst open, spreading like a fan over a puddle of ketchup. Aleck took a running leap over the mess and landed next to Kaye. She whipped around, stun pen aimed at his chest, but Aleck was still off-balance, sliding on the spilled ketchup. He twisted and went down hard on one knee. Kaye stabbed at him again, but he deflected her arm with a vicious uppercut. The weapon flew across the room and under the collapsed shelf. Aleck shifted his weight, ready to kick Kaye's feet out from under her, but Grier was already there. He struck from behind with a bottle of olive oil, and Kaye's eyes rolled back in her head. She dropped like a brick. Aleck caught her and lowered her to the floor. He checked her pulse and pupils before glowering at Grier. "You hit her too hard."

Grier dropped the oil. It landed with a splat next to Kaye's shoulder. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." He nudged her with his toe, but she didn't move. "You know each other, I take it."

"Never seen her before in my life."

"There's a time and place for jokes, Aleck." Grier inched the door to the storeroom open and glanced outside. "Should I be relieved or scared that nobody came to investigate that racket?"

"Relieved, for now." Aleck smoothed Kaye's hair off her forehead before standing. "I'm a glass half-full kind of guy."

"I knew there was something else I didn't like about you."

"Besides my affection for country music?"

Grier ignored the remark and gestured at Kaye. "You've worked with her before."

It rankled to admit, but, "Yes. More than once."

"So you share a connection." This seemed to worry Grier more than anything else. "She can hurt you with it."

"She won't."

Grier answered with an arched eyebrow. "Do we bother with restraints?"

Aleck shook his head. "They won't hold her." Kaye's golden hair was matted and red. Ketchup accounted for most of it, but blood was trickling from a small cut on the back of her head. She twitched, then stirred. Aleck tensed. "She has a Monitor, I'm sure. We need to go."

"She'll follow as soon as she's able."

Aleck stood, facing off with Grier over Kaye's prone form. "I'm not going to kill her."

"Now you grow a conscience. Fine, let's go." Grier snatched a small paper bag off the floor and shoved it at Aleck. "Here."

"What's this?"

"Your dinner." Grier moved to the door, and Aleck followed. "Don't say I never gave you anything."

They slunk down the short hall into the kitchen. A dozen people, including two security guards were gathered around the unconscious workers. "Hey!" one shouted. "You! Stop right there." Every head in the crowd swiveled in their direction. One, a girl from the next kitchen over, gasped and pointed. "That's them!"

Grier spoke to Aleck from the corner of his mouth. "We don't have time for this."

"I know." Aleck's eyes darted about the room, casting about for options. "Can you open the gas on those burners from here?"

Grier followed his gaze to the row of stovetops. "Are you trying to kill us or save us?"

"Can you?" Aleck growled. "Or not?"

Grier nodded, and Aleck swung his focus back to the security guards, trusting Grier to follow through. One started across the kitchen toward them, brandishing his billy club. He was looking Aleck right in the eye. Perfect. At the junction of the two cooking islands, Aleck stabbed a suggestion into his mind. The guard grunted and stumbled, then turned and cranked the gas burners to high. Flames whooshed to the ceiling. Several people in the crowd screamed. A moment later, as Aleck had hoped, a fire alarm pierced the air, and the sprinklers came to life, showering the room with water.

Glorious chaos. Grier even deigned to laugh as they fled through the kitchens and back into the hallway near the restrooms. Even there the sprinklers were spitting water, and Aleck thrust the bag of food under his jacket, protecting it from the deluge.

Navigating the crowd wasn't easy, but hundreds of people fleeing in a blind panic provided the perfect cover. Kaye's Monitor was likely close, maybe even in the building, but that wasn't the worst of it. Reinforcements were on the way – Aleck had little doubt about that – and those were the real danger. They'd come in numbers, and they'd come prepared. A solid head start was Aleck and Grier's best hope.

They were in a dead run halfway across the parking lot when Aleck felt Kaye fight her way to consciousness. Before he could cloak his presence, pain exploded through his head. Kaye clawed into his mind, screaming in frustration, and her rage drove him to his knees, turned his stomach inside out, and made him retch onto the pavement.

"Aleck!"

Dimly, Aleck felt Grier heft him up and over his shoulder, a move that drove an agonized cry from his lungs. Kaye struck again, too fast for him to defend himself, and his body convulsed, mouth contorting in a rictus of pain.

"Push her out! Hide yourself!" Grier demanded.

He couldn't. Fighting was beyond him. Breathing took all his strength. They reached the car and Grier tossed him into the passenger seat, where Aleck curled into a ball. He managed one gasping breath before Kaye struck again. It felt like a thousand hot needles sinking into his forehead. The bitch was using their connection to hurt him. At least Grier wasn't rubbing his face in it. Yet.

Grier swung into the driver's seat, slammed the car into gear, and they roared out of the parking lot and toward the onramp. "Any better?"

It was. Her attacks became less productive with distance. He ached everywhere, and his mouth felt swollen and dry, like it was stuffed with cotton. Rather than croak an answer, he nodded.

Grier hunched over the steering wheel. "I'm not going to say it."

"You bastard," Aleck said with a husky laugh. "You're thinking it. That's enough."

"What made you believe she wouldn't exploit your connection?" Grier grumbled something to himself before adding, "Too trusting. I'm adding that to your list of faults."

"Noted," Aleck conceded. "And also, fuck you."

Grier swung the car around a luggage-laden station wagon and roared up the shoulder, scraping the guard rail for a few seconds before shooting back onto the asphalt. The onramp ahead of them was clear, and he floored the accelerator. The engine protested with a high whine, but the car surged ahead, picking up speed. "Stay down," he hissed at Aleck when he stretched up to the window. "You don't need to give her a target."

"She doesn't need to see me for that." But he stayed crouched low, cursing Kaye, Graviel, and the whole fucking Organization.

"Might as well add me to that list," Grier said, and Aleck heaved an exhausted laugh.

"Am I broadcasting?"

"No." Grier frowned, pensive. "But I heard you loud and clear."

"Fantastic," was all Aleck could say to that. Now he had some sort of twisted bond with Grier. A weakness that, after Kaye's betrayal, made him uncomfortable and ambivalent.

Whatever hope, however small, that might have existed for him to reconcile with the Directorate was gone. He'd assaulted another agent, disobeyed a direct order to surrender himself, and – this was the worst – helped Grier escape. "I'm fucked."

"Agreed, but let's be fair, shall we?" Grier glanced at him, his face reflecting the pale glow of the dash lights. "You were pretty much fucked before now."

It was the truth. Aleck still hated him for saying it.

A sharp stab of pain knifed through his temple, followed by a wave of Kaye's seething rage, and he doubled over, groan escaping before he could choke it back. He laid his cheek on his knee and gritted his teeth against the urge to vomit. Grier's hand alighted on the back of his neck, blessedly cool. "Breathe through it."

"Fuck, it hurts."

"You have a foul mouth." Fingers curled into the hair at the nape of his neck. "Now shut up and listen. Listen to my voice."

It wouldn't be a hardship. Anything would beat Kaye's screeching anger. The indirect light of the passing headlights burned through his eyelids, going bright, then dark, then bright again, matching the ebb and flow of pain in his head.

"Are you listening, Aleck?"

"Yeah," Aleck rasped.

"She can't keep this up forever, and soon we'll be far enough away that she won't be able to reach you."

Reminding Grier that Kaye was already on their tail – and that she drove like a maniac – didn't seem worth the effort. Grier's fingers petted his neck, and Aleck concentrated on that and how it siphoned away some of his agony.

"I'm going to say this now before my good sense convinces me it's unnecessary." Grier's fingers stilled. "Thank you."

Despite everything, Aleck smiled. He bet that had hurt.

"Also, your actions were reckless and put innocent people in danger. As you're suffering from a head injury I'll forgive the sloppiness."

Aleck sighed when the fingers resumed their hypnotic stroking. "Thanks. I think." Kaye's voice grew dimmer, and Aleck turned his head so he could look at Grier. "You didn't give me much of a choice on how to play it. How did she corner you like that?"

A muscle twitched in Grier's jaw. "I was distracted."

"Just so we're clear – did you just admit to making a mistake?"

Grier swerved around another car. "I felt you shut yourself off."

"Sorry 'bout that. Couldn't warn you." Lifting onto his elbows didn't cause the pain to come crashing back, so Aleck risked sitting up against the seat. Grier's hand stayed with him, massaging.

"I understand. It was fair warning on its own. After that, I did what I could to lead her away from the crowds." He winced and rolled his shoulder. "She's a vindictive bitch, isn't she?"

As understatements went, it took the prize. "You could say that."

"She was worried for you."

"Until she realized—" Aleck cut the last part off. Until she'd realized that his loyalties had shifted, he'd almost said. Verbalizing it made it more real. He wasn't quite ready for that.

"Yes. Until then," Grier agreed. He pulled his hand away from Aleck's neck and nudged the crumpled paper bag. "Eat, if you can."

The intensity of Kaye's attack had slackened. All that remained was a furious, far-off echo of her rage. Aleck inhaled, taking in the odor of fried chicken, and waited for his stomach's verdict. It grumbled. "I think I can," he said, surprised. He unfurled the grease-stained bag and fished out a drumstick. "We should get off the highway."

"You're a brilliant strategist." Grier threw him a napkin. "Wipe your face."

"Christ, you're fussy." Aleck swiped it across his lips. "How far until the next exit?" He extracted another piece of chicken and waved it under Grier's nose. "Come on. Don't be a snob. You haven't eaten either."

Grier's expression made it clear Aleck might as well have been offering raw human flesh. "No. Thank you."

Aleck shrugged and dug into it himself. "Your loss."

"I'll cope. And we won't be taking the next exit. She'll expect that. Besides, the one we want is only a few miles farther along. We're less than an hour from our destination."

Aleck tossed the chicken bone back into the bag. There was a third piece near the bottom, but his head was starting to pound and his palms were damp. Another migraine, big surprise. Best not to risk stuffing himself if there was a chance of losing it all later. The adrenaline had burned off whatever good the first two pills had done, and it was still too early for more. Aleck kept strict control of his habit. He'd just have to suffer. "Mind if I try to rest?"

"I suggest you do." Grier's tone had lost its gruff edge. "Your mind's taken a beating today. I'm surprised you're still standing."

"Well, I'm not," Aleck mumbled. "Standing." Another tractor trailer came into view, and Grier moved into the left lane to pass it. They flew by too fast for Aleck to read the name painted onto the side, which meant the truck was crawling or Grier was speeding. "You'll get pulled over."

"You'd prefer your harpy friend catches us?"

Good point. "Okay." Aleck closed his eyes. "I defer to your superior judgment."

"About fucking time."

Aleck fell asleep with a smile on his face.