128A/N: One chapter to go! I'm halfway through it, so hopefully it should come soon, within the next few weeks definitely. I hope you like where it's going! Oh, also, I don't speak German, so if any of you do and see the one phrase in here and it's horribly wrong, please let me know. :) Translation Web sites aren't perfect. lol. - Thank you to GhostReader, who confirmed my German phrase was indeed horribly wrong! It should now be fixed. Thanks!
The next day seemed to go by so slowly, Casey started to wonder if she had the power to slow time as well. When she arrived at work, she grabbed as much paperwork as she could and hid herself in a corner, trying to avoid both Taylor and Donovan. Donovan seemed to be in a bad mood, glowering at everybody as he stomped around the lab. Finally, at noon, he announced he was going home for the rest of the day.
Casey stared at the door he exited through, running over the night's plans in her head and wondering if Donovan would come out of this all right. She'd stopped by the professor's office, and he'd curtly informed her that yes, he had the equipment and everything would be fine that night. Then he wrote her off with a wave of his hand. That he could act so cool before what Casey considered to be a loathsome act unnerved her. She wondered if Parks was this dismissive when Tori was around.
Finally, the work day drew to a close, and Casey drove slowly home, her thoughts clouded with memories of the old Donovan. That part of him still had to be in there somewhere. She just had to hope they didn't cut it out along with his power.
Back at the apartment, she followed what had become a regular routine, check Tori's room to see if she'd been back - she hadn't - and then call Tori's phone to see if she'd pick up - she didn't. The top of Tori's dresser was beginning to collect a fair amount of dust.
With a sigh, she collapsed on the couch, vowing that after tonight, she would confront the professor about Tori. He had to know more than he was letting on, if he really was involved with her as Tori said. She didn't know why he would hide information from her, but she had to ask.
Casey wouldn't have thought she'd be able to, but she soon doze off.
A knock at the door awoke her sometime later. Confused and disoriented, she at first thought it was Donovan coming to hurt her because he knew about their plan. She nearly rolled off the couch in her surprise. The impact jarred her more awake, and she groaned.
She hobbled over to the door and opened it, staring blearily at Jason.
He wore a gray T-shirt that showed off his muscles, a baseball cap and a grim expression. "Ready?" he asked.
"Yeah, just a second." Casey hurried into her bedroom, changed into a nice, button-up shirt, and ran a brush quickly through her hair. She met Jason in the hallway outside the apartment, and they walked in silence down to the car. Casey's stomach roiled with nerves, and for a moment, she thought she might throw up. In Jason's car, she laid her head on the window and closed her eyes as the air conditioning blasted cool air on her face.
"Where exactly is the professor's place, anyway?" she finally asked, keeping her eyes closed.
Silence from Jason's side of the car. Casey got the impression he was shrugging. "Kind of far, actually. Up in the bluffs, about a half hour."
Casey pulled her eyes open. "The bluffs? He can afford something up there?"
"Apparently professors make more than we think. Or he has more than one job."
Something twinged inside Casey that made her uneasy, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Must be nice," she muttered. The bluffs were the hills overlooking the river outside of town. There were no mountains for hundreds of miles around, so the bluffs were the best scenery you were going to find; hence, only people with money could afford a house there. Casey'd only been there once, to visit a friend's family. Calling the bluffs hills was really an understatement. They didn't look that big, but once you were up on top of one, you could see for miles.
Silence fell again as the miles stretched by. Casey wondered about Tori and what would happen to her if Casey didn't make it out tonight. Not that she thought tonight would go badly, but with Donovan, you just never knew. What if something happened to Casey, and Tori needed her help? Who would help her then?
Casey turned to examine Jason. In the waning evening light, his eyes were enveloped in shadow. But his jaw had a determined set, and his fingers gripped the wheel tightly.
"Jason, you okay?" she finally asked.
He glanced at her then quickly back at the road. "I'm fine." His answer was too curt, and she didn't believe that for a second.
She leaned her head on the car set. "Everything will go fine tonight. We'll take care of Donovan, and everything will be great."
Jason sighed. "I'm not worried about us, Casey."
"Then what?"
He rubbed his face with one hand and sighed again. "It's Jordan. She didn't come home last night. I think something happened to her."
Casey gasped. "Oh, no!" She turned forward in her seat again and stared at the dashboard. First Tori, and now Jordan. That couldn't be a coincidence. "Do you think ... she's where Tori is?"
When Jason glanced at her, his face was hard and angry. "I do, and I'm going to make Donovan tell us where they are."
Jason parked his car next to Donovan's motorcycle in front of a massive house on top of a bluff. The house was done in a cabin style, with wooden siding and posts either made of wood or made to look like wood. A wrap-around porch covered the front. Pine trees pressed in on all sides.
Casey gawked for a moment when she stepped out of the car. "Maybe I'm studying the wrong profession," she breathed. The sun was setting, throwing deep shadows across the house, and for a moment a shiver worked its way down her spine. She dismissed it as a reaction to the cool night air.
Jason stopped next to her, staring at the two-and-a-half story building. "No wonder Tori's interested."
"Hey!" Casey smacked his arm. "Tori's not like that. She's not with him for his money." As soon as she said it, she frowned. Tori wasn't with anyone at the moment, at least not anybody she wanted to be with.
Jason must have read her expression, because he slid an arm around her shoulder for a quick hug. "Hey, it's okay. We'll find them both."
Casey gave him a small smile, then glanced back at the house. "Well, let's do this."
They walked up to the front door. Casey raised a hand to push the door bell, but the door opened before she had the chance. The professor stood in the doorway, dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt. He gave a big smile and motioned for them to come inside. "Glad you could make it."
Casey fought the urge to ask him if everything was ready to go. There was no telling where Donovan could be lurking within earshot. Instead, she forced a smile to her face and said, "Thanks for inviting us."
Parks led them down a short hallway into what could only be described as a great room - a giant, open space with a wall of windows taking up the entire back side. Casey tipped her head back and took in the ceiling a good 30 feet above. A railing wrapped along the wall below the ceiling, bordering a top-floor room. In one corner, a fireplace sat empty, and cushy leather sofas circled it.
Taylor sat on one; Bridget and Dan on another. Donovan was nowhere in sight.
"Hey guys!" Dan called, raising a glass toward them in salute. Bridget nodded her head at them. Taylor simply scowled and looked away, apparently still angry about the previous night.
Casey found herself smiling back. With the exception of Taylor and Donovan, she liked the others.
Next to her, the professor clapped his hands together. "Okay, now that you're all here, time for a tour!"
Despite the nerves jangling in her stomach, Casey was glad for the distraction. It wasn't often she got to explore such a nice house, and she was curious to see how the professor lived. Plus, she wanted to know where Donovan was hiding. Had the professor already nabbed him?
The professor led them through a maze of rooms, pointing out art pieces and sculptures and describing how the place had been falling apart when he'd bought it. One room held a library of parapsychology texts on shelves built into the walls. In an upstairs room that appeared to be a den, he led them out onto a wide balcony.
"This view is why I bought the house," he said, gesturing widely with his arms.
Casey gasped and leaned against the decorative wall that edged the balcony. The house was on the edge of the bluff, and the balcony jutted out over space. Hundreds of feet below, the river rushed past. A wave of vertigo washed through her as she looked over the edge. "Wow," she breathed. Even Taylor, standing next to her, looked impressed.
Parks looked pleased with himself as he led them back into the house and downstairs into the dining room area. "Have a seat," he said. "I'm going to go check on dinner."
Casey chose a chair in the middle of the table and sat. The others followed suit. The table was set with nice china and water glasses. The group sat in silence for a moment before Dan finally said, "How does he afford this?"
A devious expression on her face, Taylor grinned. "I bet he's in the mob."
"Maybe he's really a secret agent," Jason volunteered.
At that moment, Parks came out of the kitchen with a pitcher of water in each hand. Dan flushed and bit his lip, but it didn't appear the professor had overheard their conversation. Looking cheerful, he filled the glasses on the table. "Any minute now, guys," he said before retreating back into the kitchen.
"Where's Donovan?" That came from Bridget, and Casey internally breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't been the one to ask.
Taylor shrugged, looking at her nails as if bored. "He's here somewhere. He took off as soon as we got here. Said something about the library."
"I guess he's been here before," Dan said.
Casey met Jason's glance. They hadn't seen Donovan in the library Parks had shown them. The professor must have already done something with him. Casey thought that was a bit strange, though; wouldn't the others wonder why he wasn't at dinner?
Casey opened her mouth, about to change the topic to what was for dinner, when a crash of pans came from the direction of the kitchen, followed by a loud thud. Casey jumped to her feet. "Professor?" she called.
Jason stood too, while the others leaned forward in their seats, looking startled.
Casey hurried to the door leading into the large kitchen and gasped at what she saw, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. Jason pushed her aside to stand in front of her like a shield.
The professor was lying on the floor next to a rack that had held pans, which were now strewn all over the floor. His face was turned away from them and he wasn't moving, but Casey could see his back moving up and down. He was still alive.
On the other side of Parks stood Donovan, holding a pan with a rather large dent in it. He held it like a baseball bat, and he was breathing heavily, his eyes narrowed at Parks and his long hair falling into his face.
"Donovan!" Casey gasped before she could stop herself. He lifted his head and met her eyes. A twinge of surprise flitted through Casey's body; Donovan's pupils were dilated, so large that they made his eyes look all-black. He grimaced and blinked, and the pupils receded a bit.
Jason stepped forward, and Donovan raised the pan. "Stop," he commanded. "This is a cast-iron frying pan, and as you can see, it can really hurt. Get any closer, and you'll find out personally."
Jason froze, but Casey could see the determination in his set jaw. "Jason, no," she murmured. She knew he was contemplating turning invisible and taking Donovan out. But that was a bad idea, she could feel it. Who knew what Donovan had up his sleeve. Better to wait a minute and see what he was up to. Jason sighed and stepped back closer to her. With a swallow, Casey said to Donovan, "What's going on?"
Donovan smiled, a grim, thin-lipped smile she'd never seen on him before. "I know what you were going to do tonight."
Oh crap.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Casey responded, but the words sounded false even to her.
Donovan snorted and tucked a strand of hair back behind his ears. "Don't bother lying. I know you know about my power, and that you were going to take it away. That's not going to happen. In fact, you're going to something for me."
Jason, his hands held up in surrender, stepped forward again. "What makes you think we're going to do that? I don't think you can fight off all of us with that pan."
That smile surfaced again. Donovan chuckled. "All of who?"
That threw off Jason. "What? All of us. The rest of them."
A sinking feeling in her gut prompted Casey to turn around so she faced the dining room. The others sat slumped in their chairs, including Taylor, whose long hair had trailed into her water glass. Her eyes wide, Casey turned back to Donovan. "What did you do to them?" she cried.
Jason pushed her aside and peered into the other room, anger flashing across his face.
Donovan laughed. "Oh, don't worry. They're not dead, just unconscious. I only need you two."
"For what?" Casey crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him.
Donovan leaned against the counter behind him, holding the pan casually against his thighs, and gave them a brilliant smile. "I need you to steal something for me."
The same old song and dance. Casey sighed. "Is that all you think about? Stealing from others?"
He shrugged. "Better than working for it."
Jason scowled. "And what makes you think we're going to do this?"
Donovan pushed off the counter and strolled over to the professor, touching him lightly with his foot. "Well, I could just make you," he began. Casey's breath caught. He wouldn't... But he would, and that scared her to death. "But," he continued, "you know about my power, which will make it too much work. So, I have another card to play."
Casey's stomach lurched. She didn't like the way that sounded. "What do you mean?"
Donovan gave her a bright smile, as if they were a group of friends having a normal conversation. "You'll do it if you ever want to see Tori and Jordan again."
Twenty minutes later, Jason and Casey sat next to each other on a plush love seat in the professor's library. Donovan had made Jason tie the professor to one of the dining room chairs while he secured the others, still unconscious. Then he'd marched them upstairs to the library and told them to sit. Casey could feel the tension churning through the arm that Jason had pressed against her. She had her hand resting lightly on his forearm, a reminder not to do anything stupid.
Donovan paced in front of them, bare handed. He'd left the frying pan in the kitchen; he didn't need a weapon. Much as she wanted to hurt him, badly, Casey knew they couldn't do anything until they found out where he was keeping Tori and Jordan. Frustration burned through her. He'd had Tori for weeks, and he refused to let her see her now. "You'd teleport in there if you saw where she was," Donovan pointed out. Casey didn't bother to object; she definitely would. But she didn't know what condition Tori was in, if she was even alive, and that made her heart physically hurt.
"You bastard," Jason growled through gritted teeth. "What have you done with them?"
Donovan stopped his pacing and smiled at them. "You'll find out once you do the job."
"I ought to rip your head off," Jason continued, looking so mean that Casey believed he would do it. She clenched her hand on his forearm. The touch seemed to distract him from his rage a little bit; he scowled but sat back.
"What do you want us to do?" Casey asked meekly. All she could think about was Tori, held captive and scared. I'll rescue you, Tor! she promised.
"Look at this," Donovan said to her, holding out a photograph.
Casey sighed and took it. A large house - a mansion, really - was all that was in the photo. It was huge, all cut stone and professional landscaping. The photo wasn't large, but Casey could see a security camera mounted above the front door. To the left of the door, walking through the grass, was a man in a dark uniform. She looked up at Donovan. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
He took the photo back. "That's where you need to go. Unfortunately, I don't have any images of the inside, so you're going to have to figure out how to get in there."
Casey gaped. "That house looks heavily guarded. And you want us to just walk in?"
Donovan glanced sideways at Jason. "I'm sure it won't be a problem."
Jason's jaw was clenched, and Casey could tell he was still struggling to sit there and do nothing. "What are we getting?" he muttered.
"This." Donovan held up another photo, this time of a necklace encrusted with diamonds.
Casey nearly choked. "Are you kidding me? How are we supposed to get that?"
Donovan turned and set the two photos on the desk behind him. "Easy. The guy's an idiot. All of his security is devoted to keeping people out of the house. Once you're inside, you can just walk up to it and take it. As long as you avoid the guards, of course."
This could not be happening. Casey swallowed and met Jason's eyes. He gave her a small smile and took her hand, squeezing it. Then his expression hardened and he turned back to Donovan. "We'll do it, but you had better give us back Jordan and Tori or you'll regret it."
Donovan waggled his fingers at Jason, rolling his eyes. "I'm so scared. Do what I tell you, and everyone will be fine."
"Right," Casey heard Jason mutter under his breath.
"Are you going to tell us where the house is?" Casey asked, her mind spinning for a way out. Maybe once they shifted, she could call the police.
But then they still wouldn't know where to find Tori and Jordan. She sighed, feeling hopeless.
"You don't need to know that," Donovan answered. "You know what the house looks like. That's all you need to know to get there." He paused, then held out a hand. "Oh, and give me your cell phones."
"No way!" Jason exclaimed.
Casey elbowed him in the side. "Just do it. It wouldn't do any good anyway." She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, handing it to Donovan. After a moment of hesitation and with a pained expression, Jason did the same.
Donovan sat behind the desk, picking up an electronic timer and hitting a button. "You have 45 minutes," he said without looking at them. "If you're not back by the time this goes off, I kill them both."
Before Jason could do something stupid, Casey grabbed his arm and shifted them. The mansion suddenly loomed in front of them, even more enormous in person. Sunlight poured down on them, briefly disorienting her. "It's day," she said slowly, astonished. Where the hell was this mansion? The other side of the world, apparently. From the angle of the sunlight, it was early morning.
She blinked against the brightness and looked around. They stood on the front lawn next to a tree. A breeze played gently with her hair, warm but not too hot. Casey couldn't see much of the rest of the landscape because a tall wall surrounded the property.
Next to her, Jason swore, and he squeezed her hand. A ripple in her vision told her he had made them invisible. Just in time too, as a security guard strolled around the corner of the house. Casey's heart skipped a beat as she realized he wore a gun at his side.
Stupid, she cursed herself. She should have had Jason hide them before teleporting. If they'd been 10 seconds later, they would've been spotted. She turned to Jason, her eyes wide and apologetic. She'd been so anxious to get Jason out of there, she hadn't thought it through.
Now that he was away from Donovan, he seemed much calmer. A corner of his mouth tipped up, and he shrugged. The guard passed them, oblivious to their presence, and Jason tipped his head in the direction the guard had come from. Casey nodded. Hands held tightly, they hurried around the corner.
Away from the guard, Casey felt it was safe to talk. "What do we do now?" she asked quietly as they walked slowly along the side of the building.
"I have no idea."
With her free hand, Casey rubbed her forehead. "God, this is a nightmare. Do you think he'll really let them go?"
That stony expression returned to Jason's face. "He better."
Casey nodded. "Well, let's just find a way in and grab it as quickly as possible. How much time do we have left?"
Luckily, Jason wore a watch. "35 minutes."
"Okay, well, there's got to be a service entrance for a place this big."
They continued walking along the house until they reached the back corner. A broad expanse of lawn rolled away from the mansion back here, leading to lush gardens. In the distance, Casey could see the top of a snow-covered, treeless mountain. It looked like they were in the middle of nowhere. Feeling suddenly depressed, she sighed. Things were not looking up. If they managed to get out of this with their own lives, she'd count it as lucky. Though she didn't voice it, she really didn't think Donovan would allow them to live now that they knew his secret. They'd be useless to him. Her only hope was that they could get close enough to Tori and Jordan that she could shift them all away from Donovan before anything happened.
Of course, what would happen after that? They'd have to run, stay hidden from Donovan. Their lives were ruined.
I'm sorry, Tori. I let you down, she thought.
"Look," Jason whispered, breaking her out of her thoughts. With his free hand, he pointed farther along the back wall of the mansion. Inset into the building and barely noticeable among the vines that had grown along the wall was a door. "That's got to be the service entrance. See how the walkway leads to the garage?"
He was right. Now that she really looked, Casey could see a path of stepping stones leading away from the house and toward a large building set back in the trees, presumably the garage. Though garage probably wasn't the best term for it; more like warehouse.
"Who is this guy?" she wondered out loud.
They approached the door, and Casey's brief high spirits at finding an entrance collapsed. Next to the door was a keypad. They obviously need a code to get in. If they'd had Dan with them, it wouldn't be a problem. "What now?" she breathed in Jason's ear.
Jason stared at the keypad a second, then grinned. "Be ready to move. Do not let go of my hand."
"Jason, what?" she started to ask, but her question was cut off as he reached out and pressed a button on the keypad marked in a language Casey didn't understand. A shrill buzz sounded on the other side of the door.
Casey stared at him, her eyes wide. "Are you crazy?" she hissed. Without answering, he shoved her to the side of the door, pressing her into the vines against the wall with his body. Normally, she'd be breathless by his proximity, but now was not the time for romance. He held a finger gently over her lips, staring intently into her eyes from just a few inches away. Slowly, she nodded, and he removed his finger but didn't step back.
Next to them, the door opened. After a moment of silence, a female voice called, "Hallo, ist da jemand?" Casey held her breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see movement as the woman took a step out of the door, probably looking around. Then, muttering something under breath, she went back inside.
Like lightning, Jason slid sideways and slipped his arm in the doorway, stopping the door before it closed and locked again. With a sideways grin at her, he pushed inside, pulling her behind him.
The hallway they stood in was dark and cool, and they both stopped for a moment to let their eyes adjust. The sound of a door closing echoed down the hallway to them, and Casey flinched. Then she realized it was probably the woman who had unwittingly let them in, and she relaxed again.
"Where do we go now?" she whispered, her voice sounding nerve-wrackingly loud in the quiet hallway. The floors of the hall looked like they were made of marble or some other stone, and the slightest sounds traveled easily.
Jason shook his head. "No clue," he breathed back. "Let's just start wandering around."
This part of the building obviously was for the hired help, and they quickly moved through it; no way would a diamond necklace be here. Eventually, they stepped through a doorway and into a massive room - the entryway for the mansion. Stairs with fancy railings curved up on either side of the room to the second floor.
Casey pointed at the stairs, holding one eyebrow up. It seemed to her that an expensive necklace would probably be upstairs. Jason nodded his agreement, and they moved silently up the stairs. At the top, they ran into another person, this one wearing an expensive suit. He was storming down a hallway off to the side of the stairs, and his expression was dark. Casey jumped to the side before he hurried past them, barely avoiding a collision. That would have been interesting.
Jason met her eyes and raised his eyebrows. In unspoken agreement, they hurried down the hallway in the direction the man had come from. Doors in this hallway opened into unoccupied rooms, some bedrooms and others with other purposes. One had a vaulted ceiling and showcased a grand piano in the middle of the room.
Finally, they cracked opened a door onto what almost looked like a museum. Paintings and sculptures dotted the walls, and in the middle was a glass case holding something sparkly. Casey's breath caught, and she charged through the door.
Or at least she attempted to charge through. Jason apparently had the same idea. But the doorway was not large enough for both of them at the same time, and Casey's shoulder slammed into the door frame. Caught off-guard, she tripped and spilled forward into the room, her grip on Jason's hand gone. It only took her a split second to realize they'd lost their invisibility, and she froze, her hands splayed on the floor below her, waiting for sirens or the sound of yelling guards. Behind her, Jason was doing the same, his eyes wide.
But there was nothing. The house remained silent. Either this part of the building was currently empty or they just hadn't made enough noise. Casey rolled over on her back and cautiously eyed the ceiling and corners. No cameras, no mysterious looking electronic boxes. It appeared Donovan was right - there didn't seem to be any form of security in this room.
"Hmm..." she breathed lightly.
Jason cringed and finally moved, quickly but quietly closing the door behind him and hurrying to Casey. He held a hand out to Casey, and she took it, pulling herself to her feet.
"Thanks," she whispered, flushing a little, suddenly embarrassed at her clumsiness. Her hand felt cold with the absence of Jason's, and her face grew even warmer. To distract herself, she turned her back on Jason and looked at the necklace instead.
It really was beautiful, and a spotlight set above the case brought out the best in the diamonds. Rather than a stationary light, the spotlight slowly swung in a small circle, reflecting rainbow-colored lights off the jewels and onto the room's walls. Casey stood for a moment gazing at it in wonder, briefly forgetting about the reason they were there.
Then, before she realized it was happening, tears spilled down her cheeks.
Jason had stepped up next to her, and he reached out and wiped away a tear. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
She nodded ruefully, keeping her eyes on the necklace. "I was just thinking that Tori would love to see this."
Without hesitation, Jason pulled her to him and wrapped her in his arms. It felt nice, being protected this way, and she slipped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his shoulder. "Maybe she still will," he murmured in her ear. A hand stroked her hair gently.
Casey sniffled and nodded against his shoulder. "I still can't believe Donovan would turn into such a monster. I never would have thought he was capable of all this, never in a million years."
She felt Jason's back stiffen, and she lifted her head to look at him. "What?" He was looking at her thoughtfully, his eyes seeming a bit sad.
His mouth tipped up slightly. "You still love him." It wasn't a question.
Casey gasped and took a step back from him. "No way. I just said, he's a monster."
Jason shook his head. "I don't mean this Donovan. The old Donovan. You've never really gotten over him. And I think part of you hopes he's still in there."
Casey worked an indignant expression on her face and crossed her arms across her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about. That's ancient history."
With a sigh, Jason turned back toward the necklace, staring at it for a moment before saying, "I've seen how you look at him when he's not being crazy. You've certainly never looked at me that way."
"Jason..." Casey stared at him, not sure what to say. She wanted to argue with him, deny what he was saying, but part of her could hear the truth in it. When Donovan had reappeared in her life, had seemed so much like he had been before, she'd felt it in her heart - hope that maybe they could have what they'd had before again.
But it was now painfully obvious that the old Donovan was permanently gone, that her feelings for him had returned because of an act, a lie. She would never see the man she'd once loved again.
She swallowed against a knot in her throat and felt her expression harden. "No," she said firmly, shaking her head. She kept her voice even as she spoke. "I might have entertained the idea that things could back to the way they used to be, but that's not going to happen. Donovan is crazy and a killer, and we have to do something about it."
Jason didn't look convinced, but he nodded at her. "Okay," he said simply. Then he reached out and took her hand. "Let's finish this."
"Grab and run?" she asked, looking at the necklace again.
He nodded. "Grab and run."
Instead of returning them to the library, Casey shifted them back to the professor's great room in hopes that they could use their last five minutes to search the house for Tori and Jordan before Donovan realized they were there.
Unfortunately, Donovan apparently suspected she'd try that, so when they reappeared in the great room, he was there. So were the others, untied and sitting calmly on the furniture. Casey quickly realized why they were untied. They all - even Bridget - were looking at her with narrowed eyes and determination written on their faces. Donovan stood in front of them, grinning smugly.
Casey sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. The bastard had obviously used his mind control on the others, probably while they were too weak to fight back from whatever he'd given them. They wouldn't be any help now.
"Lose track of the library?" Donovan asked, the smirk on his face clearly stating he knew exactly what she'd been thinking.
Casey opened her eyes and looked hopelessly at Jason, who held the shimmering necklace in one hand. Donovan's eyes immediately lit upon it, and he smiled such a huge smile that Casey was reminded of a little boy in a candy shop. An evil candy shop.
"Wonderful," Donovan breathed and stepped forward with his hand out.
"Not so fast." Jason quickly hid his hand behind his back. "Tori and Jordan first."
Donovan tsked, shaking his head. "You know I could just take that from you. Or they could." He jerked his head backward toward the others. "But, I'm a reasonable man." A "hah!" worked its way out of Casey's throat before she could stop it, and Donovan lifted an eyebrow sardonically at her. "I'm a reasonable man," he repeated, "so I'll tell you that they're in the kitchen."
Casey's eyes flew to Jason's, and they simultaneously turned and sprinted through the dining room and into the kitchen. Inside, where earlier the professor had been lying unconscious on the floor, sat Tori and Jordan, tied back-to-back on two chairs.
"Tori!" Casey cried, tears springing to her eyes. "Are you okay?"
Tori's face, which had been looking dazed and hopeless, suddenly lit up like a firework. "Casey! Oh my God, I'm so glad to see you! Your ex is a freaking psychopath!" Tori's normally lustrous hair looked scraggly and her eyes were red-rimmed, but she otherwise seemed okay.
Between sobs, Casey nodded and started working at the rope binding Tori's wrists to Jordan's. "I know, I know..."
"Get us the hell out of here!" Behind Tori, Jordan's head was nodding viciously. "Please," she called.
On the other side of them, Jason also was yanking at the rope, but it was really tight. Casey looked frantically around the kitchen. "We need a knife or something."
A throat cleared, and they froze.
Donovan stood in the doorway, looking defiant with his head tipped to one side. "I think you're all forgetting something. My necklace."
Jason's head whipped up from examining Jordan and gave Donovan a look of such fury that it gave Casey goose bumps. "You're not getting it until these three are safely out of here."
Three? Casey's mind wondered. But then she realized Jason was talking about her, too. She whipped her head back toward Donovan to see his response.
He laughed. Laughed! "Jason, I don't think you quite realize the situation you're in. Give me the necklace before you get hurt."
That was when Casey noticed a poker from the fireplace behind Jason lift up from its resting spot and float in the air.
"Um, Jason..." she began, not sure what she was seeing. A movement behind Donovan caught her attention, and she realized Dan was there, his eyes narrowed at the poker.
Jason, oblivious to what was going on and out of the line of sight to notice Dan, scoffed. "How are you going to hurt me if you can't see me?" He flickered and disappeared.
"Jason, no!" Casey cried. She was too late. As soon as Jason went invisible, the poker swung down hard where Jason's head had been. Jason hadn't moved yet, and the poker made a sharp cracking sound. Jason reappeared, sprawled out on the floor, not moving. The necklace spilled from his pants pocket onto the floor, and Donovan swooped in and grabbed it, stuffing it into his own pocket.
Jordan, facing Jason, screamed and began struggling with the ropes. Tori did the same, unleashing a stream of swear words that would have made Casey blush if she weren't so frightened. Casey tensed to dive toward Jason's prone body, and Donovan darted in and grabbed her arm, holding her in place.
She whirled on him, lashing out with her other fist and her feet. Donovan easily sidestepped them and grabbed her other arm, moving so he had both of her wrists clinched in his iron grip.
"You killed him!" she yelled, still struggling, uselessly. Behind her, she could hear Tori and Jordan fighting their bonds.
With one hand, Donovan reached up and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Casey," he said evenly. "Calm down."
"Calm down?" she shrieked. "You're a murdering, stealing monster! I'm going to ..." She realized what was happening too late to stop it. She trailed off, suddenly forgetting what she was so angry about. His dark eyes were like a vortex, pulling her in, and her rage vanished. He wasn't so bad, she thought. Just misunderstood. He knew what he wanted and how to get it, that was all. And right now, he just wanted to talk.
"Come with me into the other room, Casey," he said softly, staring intently into her eyes and holding her wrists tightly in one hand.
No, a voice deep inside her yelled. Don't listen!
But the conscious part of her couldn't resist. Her heartbeat slowed, and she nodded slowly. Donovan let go of one of her wrists, eyeing her warily to see if she was going to hit him again.
Behind her, Tori called her name, sounding confused.
"It's okay, Tori," Casey said, waving her hand absently behind her.
Donovan, still holding her other wrist, led her back through the dining room, across the great room - Dan sat back in his seat, and the others watched them blankly as they passed - and into a small office on the other side. In the back of her mind, Casey noted the professor, tied to a chair on the opposite side of the great room. She hadn't noticed him there before, and now she didn't really care. Donovan wanted to talk, and that was all that mattered.
In the office, Donovan motioned for her to sit in the chair facing the desk. Dazedly, she obeyed, feeling faintly confused. Her back was to the doorway, so she couldn't see the others anymore.
She was supposed to be doing something. What was it?
Donovan's hands fell on her shoulders from behind her. He leaned down so his breath warmed her throat. "Casey, you have an amazing gift," he said gently. "I'd hate to see it wasted. Stay with me. We can do so much together."
Casey blinked, her brain feeling hazy and slow. Something was wrong here, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Donovan ..." she said slowly. His fingers were massaging her shoulders, skin touching skin under the collar of her shirt, sending a warm shiver through her body. She welcomed it at the same time she felt confused by it. Dammit, why couldn't she focus on the nagging thought in her brain?
Donovan's lips brushed the side of her throat, and she closed her eyes as goose bumps raised across her arms. His fingers felt so nice on her shoulders.
"It'll be you and me together, like old times," he breathed.
No! Something in her snapped at the mention of old times, and her eyes flew open. She jolted as the cobwebs in her head suddenly disintegrated. "No!" she cried, this time out loud. She jumped to her feet, spinning around and shoving his hands away. "Don't touch me!" she scowled. "You are insane!" She wiped frantically at her shoulders, as if he'd left behind some kind of residue on her skin.
Donovan blinked, looking briefly surprised, maybe because she'd broken his hold. Then that slimy smile returned. "Casey, I'm not insane. I just know what I want."
Despite her best efforts to remain strong, the tears spilled out of Casey's eyes. She backed away from him until her thighs bumped into the desk behind her. "What happened to you?" she whispered, shaking her head.
Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone before she could identify it, replaced by steely resolve. "I grew up," he said, almost casually, like they were discussing the weather. "Using my power, as is my right."
"Stealing from people is not a right. It's wrong!" The anger burned in her gut, stripping away any sympathy she might have felt toward Donovan about what they'd planned to do to him.
He shrugged. "That's subjective."
"Subject this," Jason growled, appearing suddenly behind Donovan. A fire extinguisher swung down and thudded into the side of Donovan's head. Donovan grunted in surprise, then crumpled to the floor. Jason stood over him, holding the fire extinguisher and looking furious. A streak of blood trickled down the side of his face from his hairline, evidently where he was hit by the poker. He glanced at Casey, and his expression lightened despite the seriousness of the situation. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire extinguisher?"
Casey's mouth was hanging open, and she closed it, biting her lip to stop from breaking out in hysterical giggles. She dropped to her knees and held her hand in front of Donovan's slack mouth. "He's still breathing," she told Jason, glancing up at him. "What do we do now?"
Jason bit his lip. "Let's tie him up. There's plenty of rope out there."
Together, they managed to lift Donovan off the floor. As they carried him out into the great room, Jason asked, "What were you doing in there anyway?"
Casey flushed, suddenly glad Jason hadn't been conscious to witness her moment of weakness. "Talking," she said quickly. "He wanted me to join him."
Jason nodded. "Fat chance."
For the moment, they set Donovan's prone body on one of the couches. They'd use Tori and Jordan's ropes to tie him up. For the first time since they'd entered the room, Casey looked at the others. Bridget and Dan both were blinking, looking confused.
"Did I hit you?" Dan asked Jason. Next to him, Bridget's shoulders crept in on her body to make her smaller. "That bastard got us," she muttered.
Casey sighed in relief. They'd managed to break out of Donovan's hold. He must not have tried very hard.
"Bastard? What?" Dan asked, looking around the room, perplexed.
Jason moved toward the kitchen to untie Tori and Jordan, so Casey turned to Dan. "Donovan's been using you. He can make you do things."
"Mind control," Bridget added.
Dan's eyes widened. "No way!"
At that moment, Taylor shoved herself off the couch and launched herself at Casey. Casey hadn't even paid her any attention, and she cursed herself as Taylor tackled her to the hard-wood floor. "You bitch!" Taylor cried, wrapping her hands around Casey's throat. "What did you do to him?"
Casey's air flow was suddenly cut off, and she could feel warmth emanating from Taylor's hands. She clawed at the hands, but Taylor's anger seemed to give her super strength. She was also much taller than Casey, which made it easier for her to pin her to the floor.
Thankfully, Dan and Bridget were quick to react, each grabbing an arm and managing to pull Taylor off Casey. Casey coughed and rolled over on her side, gasping for air. The skin on her throat throbbed; she bet if she looked in a mirror, she'd see burn marks in the shape of hands.
"What the hell, Taylor?" Dan was yelling as he shoved her back on the couch. Jason re-entered the room, Tori and Jordan in tow, and promptly joined Dan in standing in front of Taylor. Taylor could have fought them, but instead she stayed put, her face contorted in fury. She apparently knew when she was outnumbered.
Tori dropped to her knees next to Casey and helped her to a sitting position. "Are you okay?"
Casey nodded. "I'm fine." Then she glared at Taylor. "She was going to kill me like she killed Mike."
Probably not the best thing to say with Jordan standing right there. Jordan gasped, her face going red. "What do you mean?"
Oops. Too late now. Casey sighed and pushed herself up enough to collapse on the chair next to her. "Taylor is a firestarter. She nuked him for Donovan. She's Donovan's lapdog."
Taylor blinked hard, shaking her head.
Casey expected Jordan to be angry, but instead both she and Tori were looking at Casey like she was crazy.
"What are you talking about?" Tori finally asked. "Firestarter?"
Jason appeared behind Tori, looking grim. "We've all got powers, Tori. It's why Donovan took you, so he could make us do things we didn't want to do."
Tori looked skeptical, but not entirely disbelieving. Behind her, Jordan had a strange expression on her face. "Powers," Tori said slowly. She looked at Casey, her eyes wide. "What can you do?"
Casey gave her a smile, her first real one in a while. It felt so good to finally be able to tell Tori. "Teleport. And Jason can turn invisible."
"Wow..." Tori breathed, a smile stretching across her face too. "That's so cool!"
Taylor broke into their discussion, looking confused, an expression that seemed out of place on her normally confident face. "I did not kill Mike!"
"Oh please!" A rare outburst from Bridget as she turned on Taylor. "I know you did. I saw it in your head."
Taylor looked aghast. She lifted her chin and shook her head firmly. "I am not a killer."
"You are," Casey began, but she stopped when Bridget reached out and grabbed Taylor's arm.
"Hey!" Taylor protest, but she didn't pull away.
Bridget closed her eyes, and a moment later shook her head. She opened her eyes again, staring at Taylor with a sympathetic frown. "Taylor, you did. He made you, and then he made you forget it. He's been controlling you just as much as the rest of us."
The rest of the group was silent. Casey's stomach flipped over, making her feel queasy. It was one thing to force them to steal; it was another to make Taylor kill someone.
Taylor looked like she was about to protest, then she instead covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh God..." Casey thought Taylor was about to be sick. She looked strangely vulnerable. "I didn't... I never would have..."
Bridget patted her arm, her eyes wide and sorrowful. "I know."
"God, this is seriously screwed up!" Tori suddenly proclaimed. "Can we go before it gets worse?"
Jason's hand fell on Tori's shoulder. "I'm sorry you got pulled into this. We'll get you out of here."
"I should have known not to trust an older man," Tori breathed.
Casey stood and hugged Tori tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay."
Then Tori's words hit her. She pulled away, giving Tori a frightened look. "Wait. 'Older man?'"
Tori nodded, giving Casey a look like she thought she was batty. "Uh, yeah... Robert. Duh."
"Robert..."
Oh hell...
"Jason!" she cried, turning toward him. "The professor!"
But Jason was backing up toward her, his hands in the air. In the corner of the room, where the professor previously had been unconscious and tied to a chair, he now stood freely, a gun pointed at Jason.
"I should have known," he said, his voice light and friendly despite the menace in his eyes, "that if I wanted something done, I'd have to do it myself."