He sounded so matter-of-fact Rowan was almost convinced.“You mean other people… You mean it’sreal?”
“Of course it’s real.”
“So you’re saying you’re psychic.Can you read my mind?”
“If I wanted to, probably,” he said quietly.“But it hurts.My talent’s not gentle, Rowan.The people I use it on usually die or go mad.”
It wasn’t the words that convinced her.It was that quiet tone of finality.She looked back down into her coffee cup, the thick black liquid reflecting a shimmer of light.“I can’t go home?”Even to herself, she sounded wistful.
“We can’t stop you.Butlisten, Rowan.If you go back to that house, Sigma will waste no time scooping you up.”
“What about my f-f-father?And Hilary?A f-f-funeral—”I sound like an idiot.She took a deep breath.This is crazy.This is absolutely insane.
And I should know.
“We’ll do what we can.”Now it was an air of quiet practicality, as if he had this talk with someone every day.“For right now, though, you should have some breakfast.We’re getting ready to leave the house, and you might want to meet some of the others.They’re probably very curious about you.”
“You mean you’ve done this tootherpeople too?”She vaguely remembered an older man and a punk-rock girl, but she hadn’t looked at either of them.Last night was a confused patchwork of terror, screaming and cold—and this man’s flat, dark gaze.
“I was recruited by Henderson.You’ll meet him.Cath and Zeke were rescued—kind of like you—from holding tanks in a Sigma installation.Yoshi and Brew were recruited right out from under Sigma about two years ago—they were part of another team until recently.You’ll see.”He seemed utterly calm, sitting in the chair, sipping his coffee.He wore boots, and he stretched his legs out as if he wasn’t used to sitting for very long.
“You were recruited?”Rowan took a scalding gulp of coffee.The hot liquid burned all the way down into her stomach.“What do you mean, recruited?”
“Henderson found me and told me about the Society.I decided to join up, haven’t looked back since.”His eyes narrowed.She got the idea there was more to that story.
Rowan started to shiver.The prickles intensified, running down her arms, and she had to close her eyes to shut him out.I couldreachout, touch him,just like I do with the patients.“You say other people can do these things?”
“Probably not to the same extent that you can.You work at Santiago County, don’t you?”
“So?”Plenty of people worked at the mental hospital.It proved nothing.She kept her eyes closed, the warmth of the coffee cup sinking into her hands.She was beginning to feel as if she might be alive.
Why do I feel so numb?
“Did you know that your hospital has statistically less violence than any other mental hospital in the country?Especially your ward?Despitethe fact that some of the most violent offenders in the western half of the U.S.are housed there?”
She could tell he was looking at her.Staring at her.
He knows,she thought miserably.He knows what I can do, that I’m a freak.Dear God.
“We have state of the art techniques for—” she began.
“Ninety percent,” he said.“Ninetypercent less, Rowan.And that started the exact month you began working there.Think about it.If you can pacify an entire hospital of mentally ill patients, think of what you could do with a Super Bowl crowd.You could incite riots, or stop them.You could start revolutions.”
“Is that what you want me to do?”Her throat threatened to close with panic.
“No,” he said.“The Society wants you to do whatyouwant with your gifts.We’ll help teach you to control it, so it will workforyou instead of screwing up your life and crippling you with fear.”
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“You know I am.”He set his cup down on the table.
“How long have you been spying on me?”
“Two days.”At least he didn’t have to stop and think.The answer was instant.“Since you blew the circuits on our security perimeter at the house that night.”
“I didwhat?”
“You shorted out all the security equipment.”Even more patience.“Henderson thought you were an excellent candidate for recruitment.I was supposed to watch over you and make sure the Sigs didn’t snatch you.”
