Echoes at Dawn (KGI #5)(81)

Hancock chuckled, which only served to enrage Farnsworth further.

“She’s right, Farnsworth,” Hancock said in amusement. “Did I tell you she threatened to kill herself if I didn’t cooperate with her demands? I saw into her mind. I assure you she isn’t bluffing. She’s just crazy enough to blow her own brains out to spite you.”

Farnsworth looked between Grace and Hancock, sucking in air through extended nostrils. Then he visibly collected himself and turned away, walking toward his desk. He turned back, calmer now, and he stared at Grace with a calculated gleam.

“All right, Miss Peterson. What do you want? Money? You can have all that I own in exchange for my daughter’s life. I’ll make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.”

“You have no idea what I dream about,” she said bitterly.

“Then tell me. What do you want?”

“Peace.”

Farnsworth’s brows drew together in confusion.

“I want a life. I want to be free. I want to be able to have what your kind takes for granted. Freedom from looking over my shoulder every damn minute because some f**kwad wants to use me like a lab rat. I want my freedom, and I want your guarantee that when I heal your daughter, you will cease to pursue me. You’ll call off Titan, and moreover, you’d do well to make damn sure I stay safe, because if I don’t?”

His eyes narrowed in fury. “You dare to threaten me?”

Grace eyed him calmly. She needed him to believe what she was about to say. And honestly who was to say she couldn’t do it? She’d certainly ;d certanever tried. Given what she could do, it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that she could do the complete opposite.

“You’ll grant me everything I want, or I’ll suck the life right out of your daughter.”

He whitened. His jaw clenched and he seemed speechless.

“Let me just explain how my ability works,” Grace said in a quiet tone. “I absorb an illness or an injury from the affected person. I take it from them and make it my own. They leave happy and healed. I’m crippled by their affliction, and then I have to take the time to heal myself. But just as I take the illness or injury, just as I give life, my life, to the person I’m linked with? So too can I take their spirit, their life, their very soul. And I don’t have to be standing next to her, so if you think you can hide from me, if you think you can take her some place I’ll never find her, you’re dead wrong. Once I link to her, I’ll be able to locate her anywhere and I’ll take what it is you treasure so much.”

Farnsworth stared her down, almost like he was trying to see into her mind. Evaluating whether she was telling the truth. She met his gaze unflinching. Then Farnsworth looked to Hancock as if for guidance. Hancock shrugged and the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

“I’d say you have yourself a standoff, Farnsworth. In some circles, this might be called checkmate. I believe she has you by the balls.”

“And while you stand here being outraged that I would actually give a damn about my own life and my own future, your daughter is upstairs dying,” she said. “So I’d suggest we come to an agreement pretty damn fast. Or maybe your ego is worth more than your daughter’s life.”

Farnsworth whitened and he leaned over, slapping his hands on the polished surface of his desk. For the first time, she absolutely believed the conviction in his voice.

“There is nothing. Nothing more important to me than Elizabeth. You think me an evil man, Miss Peterson. You’re right. I’m a bastard of the first order. But I love my daughter and I’ll do anything at all to save her. So give me your conditions. I’ll do whatever it takes to gain your cooperation.”

“I want Rio here,” she said calmly. She opened her mind, that pathway to Rio so he would see and hear what it was she was saying. “I am defenseless once I’ve healed. It would be easy for you to go back on your word. I would have no recourse.”

“You think I’m going to just turn myself over to some mercenary? Do you realize how many government and nongovernment agencies are after me? You’re out of your damn mind.”

“I don’t give a f**k about you,” she said in an even tone. “What I care about is my ability to walk out of here. You’ll excuse my lack of trust in you, but your promise doesn’t mean shit to me. I’ve told you I can kill your daughter at any time, so that gives you more incentive to kill me once you’ve gotten what you want.”

She felt Rio stir, felt his anger and his fear for her. His anger that she’d provoke him and that she’d bargain so ruthlessly and risk the very thing she’d just accused Farnsworth of being able to do.

“We both want the same things, Mr. Farnsworth. I have no desire to ever see you again. Call me self-centered but I’m more interested in having a normal life than I am in seeing you punished for your crimes. I want Rio here. I want his team to be allowed here. They are my protection. My guarantee that you uphold your end of the bargain. And once I’ve co’mpleted the healing, he’ll walk out of here with me because I swear to you by all that’s holy, if you kill me, if you try to kill me, I’ll take your daughter with me.”

Farnsworth went pale. He shoved a hand through his hair, mussing the immaculately styled strands. Then he yanked his hand away. “It will take too damn long to get them here!”