State of Mind - 13. Chapter 13

When Nora was a child, her grandparents took her rafting on the Rogue River. As much as she loved their house, high in the hills above the gorge, surrounded by trees and gurgling streams, she'd hated the raft. Even at that age, she'd seen it was nothing more than a piece of fabric filled with air, its path ruled by the chaotic rush of the water. It was survival by pure chance, and she was far too practical a child to accept that kind of risk.

Not that this trip, along the same river, was any different.

From the backseat of the rental car, she admired the forest's dark beauty, even if the rolling turns made her feel sick. Being bonded to Kaye didn't help; the woman's mind was a confused mess, and even though Nora would never intrude where she wasn't invited, she recognized that Kaye was keeping many of her thoughts hidden. She wasn't even sure why Kaye had taken a Monitor for this meeting, except that Graviel had insisted on it.

Besides herself, Kaye, and Graviel, she'd sensed at least four other Gifteds as they'd passed through the airport. Lord knew how many others were descending on this secluded patch of wilderness. Such a gathering was unprecedented, especially as not all were Organization. Some – many – pledged a loose loyalty to Petrova, while others, Graviel had hinted, answered only to themselves.

War did have a way of uniting the ranks.

She eased open the connection with Kaye before squeezing it shut again. Her stomach rolled. There were disadvantages to being a good Monitor. You got to work with the best, but sometimes the best were too arrogant for their own good.

But not all. In the past, Nora had been paired with Aleck several times, Grier twice, but Kaye more than everyone else put together. Kaye made it no secret how she felt about the bond. It was distracting. Unnecessary. She was too good for it. That kind of condescension got old.

"What precautions have you taken to keep our people safe?" Kaye asked. Nora held her tongue. The question wasn't directed at her.

"I chose this location with great care." Graviel didn't look up from his small notebook. "The lodge doesn't open until May. This time of year, it's deserted."

"Surely it has a caretaker."

Graviel's mouth twitched. "He's been taken care of."

"But," Kaye swerved to avoid a squirrel in the road, and Nora's stomach flipped, "it's too secluded. I don't like it."

"Seclusion ensures the safety of any innocent bystanders. The lodge is accessible from two roads," Graviel said. "We'll approach from the south. Roman and his people from the north. We'll even enter the building from different directions. You studied the layout I gave you?"

"Yes."

Graviel looked over his shoulder at Nora. She nodded. The property was immense, and it was unlikely, if everyone followed the rules, that the two sides would encounter each other before they were ready. It was a tidy plan.

"You'll be perfectly safe," Graviel said as they drove into a quaint, one stoplight town. "This is Grant Hollow, the last we'll see of civilization for a while.

"How cute," Kaye said, smacking her gum.

Nora rolled her eyes.

"I just feel like we—" Kaye began, but Nora missed the rest. At that moment, the car rolled past a café and something flashed in the corner of her eye. No, it couldn't be. She craned her neck, then whipped it back around when Graviel glanced over his shoulder. Nora produced a watery smile, and he resumed his conversation with Kaye.

Nora wrung her hands in her lap. Aleck. She'd seen Aleck. There was no doubt. Standing just inside the door to the café. What did it mean? Had he defected to the enemy's side?

"Everything all right, Nora?"

She jumped. "Yes, sir. Just a bit nervous."

Kaye mumbled something, but Graviel gave her a reassuring smile. "Caution is an admirable trait. Keep your eyes open."

Nora returned the smile. She planned to.

Thirty minutes later, the road made one last sickening turn and broke through the trees at the top of the mountain. Nora caught her breath. Grant Lodge was everything her research had promised. It straddled a cliff above the gorge, its stone façade a gorgeous backdrop for the thick forest. A portion of the lodge hung out high above the river with a wall of glass that promised a commanding view.

If Nora understood the blueprints, that was the restaurant, where the meeting would take place.

Kaye parked at the end of the south wing, and they climbed out. "Follow me." Graviel led them inside, down an endless carpeted hallway, and through an archway into the main reception area. Gloomy, lit by the diffused light of the late-day sun, it looked as long as a football field. A dozen groupings of couches and chairs were scattered throughout, covered with white sheets. In the dark, they looked like great, hulking ghosts.

"Love the ambiance," Kaye muttered.

Nora sensed nothing, but Kaye spoke under her breath as they approached the restaurant. "We're being watched."

"I'm aware," Graviel replied.

Roman met them just inside the doors, greeting Graviel with a nod. He graced Kaye with a kiss on the back of her hand. "I’ve just arrived myself. My compliments, Graviel, on the venue." He gestured behind him to the glass wall. "Stunning."

"Thank you."

In the center of the room, Nora noted, was a conference table, perhaps twenty feet long. Those who had already arrived were standing on one side or the other, casting suspicious looks across the table.

"May I have a word with you before we start?" Roman gestured to a corner, and Graviel acquiesced with a nod.

"Nora," Kaye said as Graviel and Roman moved off. "I need your help."

Nora clutched her bag and answered through their bond. What is it?

"Not here," Kaye said.

Nora hung back as Kaye stepped through the doors and back into the vast lobby. What could she want that she couldn't communicate through their bond? Wary, Nora followed at a distance while Kaye walked further into the gloom and descended a set of wide steps, trailing a hand over the banister. "Hurry," she called over her shoulder. "We'll be missed soon."

Nora reached the bottom of the steps and squinted into the darkness. "Here," Kaye said, off to her right. A flashlight clicked on, and Kaye gestured her closer. "This room has emergency lights, like the restaurant. Come on." Throat dry, Nora followed her into what looked like a small conference room.

"Thank you." Kaye closed the door and stood against it.

"What did you need?"

Kaye sighed, dropping her head back against the door. "I've come to a decision. I’m sorry, but I can't afford to be distracted by you during this meeting."

Nora cocked her head. "I promise I'll keep the bond quiet."

"That's not it." Kaye's eyes narrowed. "And you know it." She stalked forward. "I need a clear head. You know how the Monitor bond impairs me."

Nora gathered her courage and didn't flinch. "To a very small degree," she breathed. "But if you should need help, and have no way to communicate that—"

"Everyone is going to be right there." Her clipped laugh made Nora's skin crawl. "Graviel will be less than two feet away." She curled her red-tipped fingernails around Nora's arm.

Nora shook her head. "I insist you don't. Protocol—"

"Nora." Kaye's eyes glittered. "I've already decided. It's not up for debate. As for the protocol," she shook her head, "I have a feeling it won't be an issue much longer."

"Oh?"

"That's in the future, of course," Kaye said. "But at the moment, there's Graviel to consider, and he wouldn't approve."

"No, he wouldn't." Nora pressed her lips together. "And neither do I." Kaye could be insensitive and unreasonable, but Nora's job was to protect her. She took that responsibility to heart.

"I'm afraid your opinion doesn't count." Nora swallowed at Kaye's snide tone. "If your gifts were a bit more developed…. But they're not, so you're not much use, are you?" She dropped her hand and took two steps back. "Prepare yourself."

"Wait!" Panic clogged Nora's throat. She still remembered the pain of Aleck's terminated bond. "Please. If you insist on this, I—I have no say, but—"

"That's right. You have no say. I'm sorry, Nora. I really am."

A quick probe of her thoughts convinced Nora that was the truth. "Kaye," she pleaded. "Don't do this."

She felt Kaye waver, reconsider, but the relief was short-lived. Kaye's eyes hardened with resolve. "You almost had me, dear. I didn't know your gift of suggestion was so strong."

"There are many things you don't know." Before she could continue, pain tore through her head. Every muscle in her body tensed in agony. She crumpled to the thick carpet, throat locked around a scream.

An eternity later, the cramps eased, and she was able to cry, tears soaking the dusty floor under her cheek. Trembling and short of breath, she jumped when a hand touched her. It smoothed the hair off her brow. "Should've killed that bitch when I had the chance," a voice said. Then, "I'll have to remedy that error at the earliest opportunity."

*~*~*

Aleck ducked back inside the café, then made his way along the bar, past the bathrooms, and out the back door. Grier was waiting. "What's wrong?"

"Could've sworn I saw Nora."

"I wouldn't be surprised." He paused, taking in Aleck's pensive look. "Did she see you?"

"Maybe." Aleck shrugged. "It's too late to do anything about it, one way or the other."

Grier cursed. "All it would take is one word in Graviel's ear that we're here, and things will get a thousand times more difficult."

"I know." He peeked around the dumpster. "Are you sure this guy is going to show?"

"Keev said he would."

Aleck tugged him out of sight against the wall. Smoothing his fingers over Grier's stomach, he said, "You're doing great. I can't sense you at all."

Grier captured his wandering hands. "As you said, it's not difficult to maintain."

"Even while distracted?" Aleck slid a thigh between his legs.

"Stay focused." But he twisted a hand in Aleck's hair and pulled him in for a kiss. Aleck groaned, and Grier answered it, yanking Aleck's head back and forcing his mouth wide with his tongue.

"Gertrude?"

They broke apart at the unfamiliar voice. A man stood behind them. Shorter than Aleck by several inches and bald, he frowned as he gave them both a thorough once-over.

"Yes?" Grier answered, voice gruff.

The man's eyes were wide behind his wire-rimmed glasses. His flannel jacket and hiking boots swam on his slender frame. "When you're finished—"

"We're finished." Grier shoved a grinning Aleck aside.

"If you say so. Looks to me like things were just getting interesting." He made a curt gesture – follow me – then strode off. Any warning about keeping out of sight proved unnecessary. The man stayed off the streets, leading them through a series of connected back lots, before stopping at a battered Civic. He climbed inside without a word, and after a short hesitation, they followed, Grier in the front, Aleck behind him.

"Sorry about the car. The boss said I needed something inconspicuous." The man's lips twisted around the last word.

"At least you're not driving a minivan," Aleck said.

"There is a God after all," the man grumbled. After a check of his mirrors, he pulled onto the road, ending the conversation for a good fifteen minutes until he swung off the pavement and onto a rutted, dirt lane. Uneven, it wound through a copse of trees and into a field. At the far side of the clearing was a brick utility building. "End of the line, boys." He pointed. "That's the property line there. Main lodge is south through the trees, about a mile. The trail's pretty flat, but gets steep near the end."

Aleck nodded. "Thanks for your help."

"I'm just the delivery boy. From the way it sounds, you've got the shit job today." With a parting wave, he drove away, Civic bouncing over the ruts and kicking up thick clouds of dust.

Grier circled the utility shed, checked his compass, then motioned Aleck closer. "Okay, what's your plan?"

"Simple." Aleck slipped the small pack off his back, crouching on the ground while he dug inside. He had a feeling Grier wasn't going to approve, but, "Kill Roman."

Grier waited. Aleck smiled up at him while he pulled a pair of tight leather gloves over his hands. "That's it?" Grier blurted.

Aleck shrugged. "I believe in keeping it simple."

"Except that's not simple, it's suicide."

"Oh," Aleck added, "and save as many people as I can."

"Like who?"

"Nora? Graviel? Kaye?" he added with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"Kaye!" Grier roared. "She shot you." He poked at Aleck's arm with every word.

"Yeah, but she was aiming for you."

Grier dropped his own pack to the ground, muttering something that sounded a bit like, "Fucking crazy."

Aleck flexed his hands, testing the fit of the gloves. "Wish you'd stayed in Maryland?"

"That's the least of what I wish right now." Grier pulled out a folded canvas bag and slipped it inside his jacket. "Barozene," he said to Aleck's questioning glance. "Not quite as dramatic as 'Kill Roman', but it will have to do."

Aleck laughed as he swung his pack over his shoulder. "So I’m a brute, as Keev likes to say, and you have all the finesse. Sounds about right." His smile died. "Do you think…?"

"He's not stupid." Grier stood. He cupped Aleck's cheek in his hand for a moment. "Keev knows you're not coming for the hors-d'oeuvres."

"The man's his father. He must feel something."

"Oh, he feels something." Grier started off through the woods. "We don't choose our parents. Believe me, Aleck, he'll bear you no ill will."

They jogged the first part of the trail, slowing when it began to weave up a steep hill. At the top, the trees ended at a cluster of giant boulders. Aleck gave a low whistle when he saw the lodge. "Jesus, it's huge. Looks like it's hanging right over the edge."

"Part of it is."

Aleck craned his neck. "How far to the bottom?"

"A long way." Grier flashed a grin over his shoulder. "Fancy a swim?"

"Maybe later."

Grier fished a pair of compact binoculars from his pack. "Roman's people are everywhere."

"Armed?"

"That would be going against the agreement. But, yes, of course they are. There." Grier pointed to a spot below the northern entrance. "There's the one Keev said to look for." Grier shouldered his pack, and Aleck did the same. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

In the end, it was too easy, something that made Aleck more tense than not. They circled the area, approaching the building from where it hung out over the gorge. There they found the guard loyal to Keev. Adrenaline jolted into Aleck's system when the man pulled his gun. "Gertrude?"

Grier leveled a quelling look at Aleck when he choked on a laugh. "Yes," he answered, and two minutes later, they were creeping through the lobby on their way to the restaurant. Grier motioned Aleck behind one of the tall reception counters, then back into an empty office.

"How the hell does Keev know who's loyal to him from one day to the next?" Aleck asked.

"You're mixing father and son. Keev doesn't have trouble keeping his people once he's acquired them." Shaking his head, he said, "It's a game they play. Ever since Keev was old enough to understand the rules."

"Roman allows it?"

"He encourages it."

"For the first time, I'm happy to be an orphan."

*~*~*

I've arranged some security, Roman had said when he pulled Graviel aside. Don't be alarmed.

But he was alarmed, even if he refused to let Roman see it. The agreement had been no weapons. No show of force or coercion. They'd yet to begin, and already Roman was changing the rules. It didn't bode well.

Graviel ran his tongue over his teeth. The air tasted thick.

One Gifted in a room put a low buzz in his head, like a honey bee. Several made enough ambient noise to confuse him, if he allowed it. This many – he looked around, counting at least twenty on his side, an equal number on Roman's – charged the air. The deep drone made the hair at the back of his neck stand on end. His ability to manipulate objects wasn't unique, but rare enough that he though he might be the sole person in the room who could see the air vibrate with power.

He cursed the distraction, even though he'd prepared for it. Time to find Kaye. He greeted each of his people in turn on his way to the door. They'd arrived individually and in pairs. His elite. They represented the whole of the Organization.

Standing on the other side of the table was a group of men and women Graviel had never seen before. Roman's contingent. The best of his people. While Graviel's group chatted in low voices, these stood without speaking, eyes playing over their counterparts.

Notably, Keev was missing.

Roman called to him. "Leaving, Graviel? It's time to begin."

Graviel nodded. "I believe we're all here. Let me fetch Kaye." He touched the curved handle.

"And the Directorate?"

Graviel turned.

Roman had risen from his chair. His eyes glittered like ice. "I was led to believe they would be attending."

Graviel's shoulders shook with silent laughter. He gestured to the group. "Right in front of you." At his nod, a half a dozen people – four men and two women – stepped forward and took a seat on Graviel's side of the table.

Roman's lip curled back in a sneer. "These children?"

"Did you believe the Directorate a complement of stuffy old men?" Graviel shook his head. "No, Roman. The only stuffy old man is me. And," he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "you. Now if you'll excuse me." He stepped out into the hall.

Immediately, the air thinned, rushing into his grateful lungs.

"Graviel?"

He turned to see Kaye approaching, her blonde hair a bright glimmer in the dark. "Kaye. Where have you been?"

"Taking care of Nora. I'm afraid she isn't well. It's nothing serious," she said when Graviel made to push past. "Just overwhelmed, I think." Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

He'd been fighting feelings of unease since they'd arrived. First Roman's small betrayal, and now Nora was ill. The tickling disquiet grew. "If you're sure she's all right," he said, choosing his words with care. "We're about to begin."

She hooked her hand around his elbow. "My apologies. By all means, let's begin."

*~*~*

Through a small slit in the door, Aleck watched Graviel lead Kaye back inside. "They're starting. Does that mean the Directorate is here? I didn't see them arrive."

Grier's hand trailed over his back. "Yet another misconception. I was once a member of the Directorate, Aleck. They're not a faceless league of manipulators, hiding in a tower somewhere. They're your peers."

"What?"

"Graviel created the Directorate to balance his doctrine. The members change, but they are always there, tempering his vision. He is, after all, one man. The Organization's primary directive has always been to serve. Power is for the popular."

"Gifts are for the principled," Aleck finished for him.

"If I didn't believe in the system, I would've walked away long before now."

"If that's true, then how could the Directorate let this happen? Wasn't there anyone who saw the deception for what it was?"

Grier leaned around Aleck, scanning the lobby. "They're young. Blinded by Graviel's presence. Intelligent and highly gifted, but easily influenced. That Graviel never took advantage of that before now is a miracle." He turned his face into Aleck's hair for a moment, then sighed. "It's a sham. Not a one has the balls to challenge him. Which is, no doubt, why Graviel never considered you for a seat."

Aleck couldn't help but smile. "But you're a member."

"Was. In my youth."

Aleck snorted. "Not much of a check and balance."

"No." He slid an arm around Aleck's waist. "Someone's coming."

Aleck drew further inside the room, leaving nothing but the narrowest crack in the door. Two people came into view, climbing the stairs Kaye had ascended a few minutes ago. Even in the dim light, they were unmistakable.

Aleck was out the door before Grier could catch him, sliding across the polished wood to meet them at the top of the steps. He looped an arm around Nora's waist, taking most of her weight from Keev. "What the hell happened? And where have you been? We’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes."

Keev glared at Aleck. "Keeping an eye on your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"I'm his Monitor," Nora rasped.

"Not you," Keev said. "The blonde."

"She's not my girlfriend either," Aleck pointed out.

"Aleck!" Grier hissed, appearing at their side. "The guards! Get out of sight!" Together, they helped Nora race across the open space and into the reception office. There, Grier took over, guiding her to a plush seat.

"Thank you, Grier," she whispered, shaking. "Aleck. I was right. I did see you in town."

Aleck pushed in front of Keev to sit by her side. "What happened?"

When Nora's eyes filled with tears, Keev answered. "I don't know. I saw Kaye slip away, and I followed. She took—" He waved a hand in Nora's direction.

"Nora," Nora said, gracing Keev with a tender smile.

"She took Nora downstairs, but came back alone about five minutes later."

Nora sniffed. "I'm finished with that witch."

"Are you bonded with Kaye right now?" Grier cut in.

"No. Not anymore." Nora gulped. "She broke our connection. Said she needed to be clearheaded."

Keev's sharp bark of laughter made them all jump. "She's taken with my father. Two guesses as to why she didn't want a Monitor privy to her thoughts."

"Are you all right?" Grier squeezed her hand.

"Fine. It hurt, but," her eye slid to Aleck. "I kind of knew what was coming."

"Fuck, Nora," Aleck said, "I'm sorry about that."

"I deserved it. No, I did," she insisted when Aleck shook his head. "You shouldn't have been told such horrible lies. But Graviel thought…"

"Yeah." Aleck shot to his feet and paced.

"We're running out of time." Keev straightened his clothing. "I need to join my father."

"No," Aleck and Grier said in unison. "That makes no sense," Grier continued. "All it does is put one more person in harm's way. We need to lure Roman out."

Keev shook his head. "That's not going to stop things at this point. What you need is someone inside who can minimize the damage when all hell breaks lose. Which it will. Soon."

"What?" Nora sat up straighter. "I don't understand."

"It's a trap," Aleck told her. "Roman means to destroy the Organization. And anybody else who gets in his way."

"All the more reason," Grier snarled at Keev, "for you to stay the hell away."

"He's right," Aleck said. "The last thing we need is another liability."

Keev moved so fast, Aleck never saw the punch coming. Nora squeaked in fright when he crashed into the wall and slid to the floor. Shocked into silence, nobody moved. Gingerly, Aleck shifted his jaw back and forth, pressing his fingers along his chin. "Okay, I deserved that."

"Damn right you did," Keev spit out, glaring at him. The standoff lasted another moment before Keev extended his hand. Aleck took it, and Keev pulled him up.

"Okay," Aleck said, swaying. "I've got a great idea. Let's send Keev in."

Nora clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle a burst of nervous laughter.

"To do what?" Grier asked.

"Well," Aleck lifted his eyes to the ceiling for a moment, "we still have the Barozene. Keev, you'll be sitting next to your old man, right? Think you might get a shot at him?"

"I'll make sure I do." Keev took the capped syringe from Grier. "Where do I stick it?"

Aleck arched an eyebrow. "With an opening like that, you expect me to give you a serious answer?"

Some of the tension lifted. Grier laughed as Aleck and Keev grinned at each other. But Nora's next words sobered them. "And me. Let me go."

"No." Grier slashed his hand through the air. "Absolutely not."

Nora pursed her lips. "Why not?"

"Will you punch me if I said you'd be a liability?"

Nora pushed her glasses higher on her nose. "Roman Petrova isn't the only threat." She held her hand out for a syringe. "I'll be seated close to Kaye, maybe even next to her. If her loyalty's in question, then she's a threat. Give me a chance to neutralize the bitch."

Aleck barked a laugh, but Grier's struggle was plain. He didn't hand over the drug.

"Nora, are you sure?" Aleck crouched next to her. "After what you've just been through?"

"I'm sure."

A commotion on the other side of the door drew Grier's attention, and everyone fell silent. He slipped out to investigate, returning a minute later, somber. "More of Roman's watchdogs. These are armed. They've spread out across the lobby."

"Covering the exits," Keev confirmed. "My father doesn't plan to let anyone go without a fight. Grier, we can't wait any longer."

Cursing under his breath, Grier snatched back the syringe he'd handed to Keev and unzipped his bag. "Give me a moment. I can concentrate the dose so that even a few drops will do the trick."

Keev craned his neck as Grier started refilling the syringes. "You're useful to have around, aren't you?"

"I can make microwave popcorn too," Grier said, focused on his task.

"Truly a man of many talents."

"Enough games." Aleck took one of the syringes and handed it to Nora. "Here's the plan."