“Hey, Del.”She seemed unsurprised to see him.“Henderson, is Rowan around?I heard she’d come in, and Bobby has a new trick he wants to show her.He’d love to see her.”
Del blinked.Hereachedautomatically, meeting only the same hard mental walls, curiously thinned and brittle.
“She came in with Del,” Henderson said.The words met a yawn halfway.“She hasn’t checked in with you yet?She was pretty hashed.”
Delgado pushed himself up.Hetouchedthe mental walls, probing delicately.Ro?Angel, I need to talk to you.
No answer.Just a strange sensation, as if his chest was suddenly empty.
Adrenaline spiked through his blood, laid copper against his tongue.Stark, uncomprehending fear smashed through him.
Rowan!He sent the call along the private path between her mind and his, the deepest level of their shared bodies.The link reverberated with emptiness.
Henderson glanced at him.Eleanor had gone suddenly pale under her dark curly hair.Delgado had no idea what was on his face in that moment, but was sure it wasn’t kind or pretty.
“Oh, God,” he heard himself say.His eyes burned with something too deep and hot to be tears.Everything clicked into place: her distraction, the waves of pain and guilt, the dazed look on her.
A fucking compulsion.How could I be so goddamn blind?
“What?”Henderson’s capable hands curled around the edge of the table, as if needing the anchor.Yoshi stirred, his cheek pressed against the edge of his keyboard.The monitors flashed.“Delgado?”The sharp bite of command was in the General’s old, gruff voice, but Del was past caring.
He half-whirled, as if Rowan might be standing behind him, closed his eyes, and fought for control.The old man’s chair squeaked as he rose, slowly.
He probably thinks I’m going to go postal.
Funny, I just might.Silence ticked by as he wrestled internally.Finally, Delgado could speak.
“Carson buried a compulsion in her.”He forced the words out through his teeth.“Of course.The fucker probably knew he couldn’t take her from me, so he cracked through the first few layers of her shielding and planted a compulsion.Goddammit.”How could I be so stupid?I saw it, all the signs were there.
“Whatcompulsion, precisely?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”Del opened his eyes; Henderson took a step back, sending his chair over to smack on the wooden floor as if he suspected Del was going to lunge.Yoshi groaned, probably catching the tension on a subsconsicous level.“She’s heading to parts unknown, and she’s going to get picked up by Sigma, pretty as you please.God-fucking-dam-mit.”
“What’s going on?”Yoshi stretched, dislodging the comm, which made a small tinkling sound as it hit the desk.“Not another crisis.Please.”His black hair stood up in wildly-gelled spikes.
“No worries.”Del’s bootheel ground as he turned; Eleanor hurriedly cleared the doorway, obviously not wanting to be in his way.“I’ll bring her in.”
“Del—” Henderson began.
Fuck off.She’s mine, she belongs to me, I’m going to bring her in.“No, Daniel.I’m the best bet.Sigma won’t catch me again, and I stand the best chance of catching her.Jumpoff’s in ten minutes.I’m taking a car and some gear, and I’m going to bring her in if I have to slaughter every fucking Sig in the western hemisphere to do it.”
“Del—”
Don’t you understand?Have I not made it clear enough?“No.”Just one clipped harsh word, but it stopped Henderson in his tracks.
Eleanor’s hand covered her mouth, her eyes wide and haunted.Christ,he wanted to say,quit looking like that.I’ll get her back.
He was halfway to the door before Henderson spoke again.“How are you going to find her?”The old man sounded weary.
“I trained her,” he tossed over his shoulder, gathering speed.“And besides, I’ve got to find her.She’d findme.”
Goddammit, why didn’t I see it?All the signs—unconscious a long time for the compulsion to sink in and replicate to set up a ricochet, the shaking, the guilt, and the uneasiness.She was vulnerable—not enough sleep, worrying herself sick thinking I didn’t want her, thinking she’s to blame for everything.
“Del?Delgado!”Henderson actually yelled, but he was running, not bothering to pace himself.She had several hours’ worth of jump, and it was up to him to narrow that gap and find her before the compulsion brought her into a Sigma net.
Hang on, angel.I’m coming.And when I find you I damn sure won’t make the same mistake again.I’m not going to let go of you until you’re safe—and until you’re exactly sure of how much you mean to me.
Del grabbed a map, his duffel, and his kitbag; Yoshi showed up right behind him with a roll of cash and an emergency identity.
