The Thought Pushers (Mind Dimensions #2)(76)

Mira just sits there quietly, her expression unreadable. I guess she has a lot to mull over. I sure hope she decides that her revenge is officially over. I want that for her. I want her to go to college and become a nurse working with babies, regardless of how uncharacteristic of her that plan seems.

What I don’t say is that my own quest for revenge is definitely not over. Jacob and the Pusher knew about me somehow. They knew even before I was born. I’m certain of it. They must be the reason my parents went into hiding—the reason why they gave me to Sara and Lucy to raise.

It can’t be a coincidence that right after I saw Jacob, I was shot at by his pet mobsters. Nor is it a coincidence that a half hour after that, the Pusher found me in the hospital and tried to kill me. One must have told the other about me. Jacob must’ve noticed that I look like my father and told the Pusher about it. It might also explain the OB-GYN records that Bert mentioned disappearing. Maybe this is the first time my parents’ murderers realized my parents had a child. My birth mother’s medical records could’ve helped them verify that.

“Darren, we should talk more about this,” Thomas says, breaking into my thoughts. “As soon as the dust settles a bit.”

“Sure,” I say.

“There’s one more thing,” Mira says, reaching into her pocket. “Something that might help you, Darren. I found this.”

She’s holding a small black object in her outstretched hand.

“That’s the flash drive Jacob brought,” I say, understanding why she went through the dead man’s pockets before she shot him.

“Yes. Except it’s encrypted, remember?” Mira says.

“What’s supposed to be on there?” Thomas asks.

“A list of targets the mob was supposed to kill for Jacob, and a list of witnesses that Arkady needed eliminated, I think,” I say. “You know, with hindsight, I can see how a Reader could have an easier time getting a list of witnesses like that compared to a Guide.”

“Indeed. With hindsight, a lot of things become obvious,” Hillary says. “The trick is to see them beforehand.”

“Give me the drive, and I’ll get some people in the Service to try to crack it,” Thomas offers.

“I’ll give it to Darren,” Mira says. “Whatever he decides to do with it is fine with me.”

“I’ll send you a copy,” I say to Thomas. “But I have a friend who’ll likely crack this thing faster than any of your experts.”

The problem will be explaining to Bert why I’m having him crack this code. It might be tricky, but I’m sure I’ll manage it.

“Okay, so now let’s talk about what happened,” Thomas says, looking at Hillary in the mirror. “Are we now fugitives from the law? How bad was it down there on the bridge?”

“Not too bad,” my aunt says, sounding tired. “No one will remember any of us being there, for starters.”

“That’s good,” Thomas says approvingly. “What about evidence? Did we leave any DNA on the scene?”

“I just twisted my ankle,” Eugene says. “So no blood.”

“Everyone else?” Thomas asks.

“I’m fine,” I say. “Not a scratch.”

“Same here,” Mira echoes.

“And obviously, I never left the car in the real world,” Hillary says. “Only in the Mind Dimension.”

“Good. We might not go to jail after all.” Thomas looks relieved. “Now give me your guns. I’ll properly dispose of them.”

We all place our guns in the back next to the rest of Thomas’s artillery stash.

“Okay, I’ll keep an eye on the police investigation,” Thomas says when we’re done. “It might have to wait until I regain my abilities, but if needed, I’ll clean things up. Which brings me to the next bit of business. We all need to disappear for a while. Particularly those of us who are Inert.”

“Disappear?” Eugene says nervously.

“Yes, get out of town,” Thomas clarifies.

That’s it, I realize. This is exactly what I need. A vacation. Some rest. Some time without being shot at.

“How do you guys feel about Miami?” I say, my mood lifting a little. “I sure could use some time in the sun, with an umbrella drink in my hand.”

“I can’t leave for a few days,” Hillary says, “and Florida is far from my favorite place, but I might join you there in a bit.”

“I’ll pass. Liz and I will want to do our own getaway,” Thomas says. “But Miami for all of you will work out perfectly. This way, you can tell your friends and family the truth—that you’re taking a vacation. Darren, if you need help convincing your boss, Hillary and I can talk to him.”

“No, it’ll be fine. Bill knows that awesome resources like me can sometimes do strange things like this. He won’t mind,” I say dismissively. Then, turning toward Mira, I say, “What do you think? Will you join me? It’ll be my treat, too.”

“Oh, you forget.” The tiniest of smiles appears on Mira’s otherwise somber face. “I’m not broke anymore. It actually might be me taking you on vacation, not the other way around.”

“What are you talking about?” Eugene gives his sister a puzzled look. “We are broke.”