“Without me, things might be dicey,” Mable said, her eyes on the screen. “You can turn things to soil but that might not be enough.”
“I’ll go,” Sandra said, the words out of her mouth before she even thought them.
The other two were silent long enough that Sandra figured they were going to refuse her. That possibility sent a strange confusion racing through her, the fear of her power, and the very unexpected desire to use it.
“If we get in trouble, you might have to… you know.” Marvin shrugged uncomfortably.
“Use your…” His words trailed off.
“Turn someone into an emu.” Sandra took her tea to the window and gazed out over the back parking lot and the petting zoo behind the school. Could she do it? On purpose? Her curse was exactly that. It had cursedherlife,Harold’slife, had caused her children to grieve, and had hurt her church. She had lost friends who didn’t feel a relationship with her was worth the possibility of becoming a stupid, ugly, flightless bird. Not that she could blame them. Just like she had moaned in the dining room, she had lost her life.
Sandra’s power level was strong, off the chart when she was first measured. Strong enough to even overpower a void’s natural immunity. She had been encouraged to learn to use her power, but some unhappy subconscious part of her had always shut her magic down.
Mable went to freshen up and Marvin took her place at the laptop. It gave Sandra time to think, while he monitored the screens for any changes.
Sandra pressed her teabag into the bottom of the empty cup with a finger, worrying, watching the small barn at the petting zoo. The barn manager let Harold out to run, and she smiled tenderly. He’d had long skinny legs as a human too.
When Mable came back in, Sandra left them alone and went to Marvin’s bathroom. Before she closed the door, she saw Mable sit at the laptop, looking perky and pretty, every blonde hair in place. “What do you think she’ll do?” she asked.
Marvin said, “I don’t know. But I also don’t know if I can rescue Dani in time without her. Without getting taken down, too.”
Sandra closed the door softly. They had all managed to get showers during the night, so clean up was easy and quick. She brushed her teeth, smoothed her hair, and put on fresh lipstick. That was all the makeup she had ever worn, that and a little rouge, and Harold had loved her natural, light skin. She studied herself in the mirror again. She looked okay. Gray headed. Old. Tired. Late nights did that these days. Harold would never recognize her now.
And…
She might have to turn someone else into an emu. She had sworn never to use her magic again. But to save Dani … She heaved a guilt-ridden breath. Yes. God forgive her. She would use her curse for Dani. Her best friend in the world. Dani had saved her. Had bullied her out of her intense depression after Harold’s transformation and made her go to work. She owed Dani. Her best friend, or BFF as the kids said these days.
Sandra straightened her shoulders, whispered a prayer for forgiveness, and changed into fresh scrubs that matched Marvin’s and Mable’s. She clipped her nametag to her collar and tested its retractable string before she returned to the main room of Marvin’s suite. “Anyone who tries to hurt Dani will be eating emu food for breakfast.”
Marvin stood and said, “Mable is going to monitor our progress and handle communication with the cops from here. Let’s go.”
Sandra sucked in a shocked breath.Now?
Silent, fear racing through her blood with every heartbeat, Sandra followed him from the room and down the hall. Down the elevator. Into the basement. And across the parking lot. The construction guys had not yet shown up for the day’s final repair work, but the sleepy-eyed first shift was just arriving and they fell in with the group. The medical personnel looked as tired as she felt. Considering what Mable had recorded about the hazmat-wearing transport crew, most of them probably had no idea they were treating people who had been removed and disappeared.
Dani had said that the higherups had to know. The paper pushers. But the lower paid people didn’t have to know. The surgeons didn’t have to know, only the anesthesiologist who would put them into partial comas upon entering Building Z, and keep them that way until they were put under fully in the operating room. Even most of the nurses might not know. They probably thought, just like Shaniqua had said, that they were working on brain damaged patients who had donated their bodies and power with the intent to provide for their families by allowing the harvesting of their magic.
But. The COO, Margorie Devoe, had to know. The head of security had to know. A few others. There were probably ten or fifteen people whoknewthey were abusing and assaulting and doing unspeakable things to people.
Money talked. And the root of all evil was the love of and the dependance on money, making more money, and stealing more money.
Tridevi had the proof. But before they could rescue all the inmates in Building Z, they had to get Dani to safety.
Marvin slid his fake nametag through the slot and they were inside in minutes, climbing the stairway. All the other staff were using the elevators so the stairwell was empty, though echo-y.
Sandra repeated the last instructions Mable had given. “We get to Dani, barricade ourselves in a room with her, and you start turning equipment to dirt.”
“And Dani, if she’s alert, will start blowing things up again.”
Sandra hoped Dani was awake. It would make things a lot easier than dealing with a hospital full of dirt.
“But … if someone gets into the room with us, and if you can’t … stop them …” Her last words whispered into silence.
“Then, dear lady,” Marvin said gently, “you have a choice to make. Do nothing and hope that law enforcement gets to us first, or turn any armed security into emus.” His face was sad, as if he was going through her trauma with her.
“I understand that,” she said, her throat dry and her palms sweaty. “But I’ll need you to tell me when. Because I can’t just, you know, do it by myself.” Tears burned under her lids.
“Will do, Sandy.”
