Mindsiege (Mindspeak #2)(28)

“You think I’m manipulating you?”

I cocked my head and smiled. “I’m back at Wellington because of you, after vowing not to return.”

“Hmmm. Good point.” His forehead wrinkled. “But you do see why Wellington is the place where we might find answers?”

“No, but it’s a place we can live while we search.” Especially since the few people I knew outside this school were now dead.

He rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand and started to lean toward me. I thought he was going to kiss me, but his grip tightened and his face scrunched up as he pulled back.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s Jonas.”

“What’s Jonas? Where?”

“He’s inside your head.”

I searched the edges of my mind for any sign of that tattooed jerk. “Why can’t I sense him? He’s said nothing.”

But he’s there. I can sense him right now while I’m touching you. The question is: Can he sense me when I’m inside your head?

I shivered, and Jack pulled me into a tight hug. This is why we’re at Wellington. He kissed the top of my head. Go get what you need. I’ll meet you in class.

~~~~~

Mrs. McMillan frantically scribbled notes across the dry-erase board as I entered Advanced Biology. Danielle, my best friend and roommate, sat up straighter when she saw me. I immediately wanted to hug her, but I was late, and there wasn’t an empty seat near her.

It was crazy to think that it had only been a few days since I’d seen Danielle. A long weekend, really.

Kyle, who sat next to Danielle, lifted his chin in a silent hello. I had yet to discover if my roommate knew that Kyle was the one she sketched for the art show last Friday. She claimed she had met a mystery boy in her dreams and would marry him some day. Did she know Kyle was the one she “planned to marry”? She could definitely do worse, but could I let my best friend fall for a cloned freak?

I forced a smile at them both before I slid into a seat across the room.

“Today, class, we’re going to have a little quiz.”

Shit! I slunk down in my seat just slightly. I’d fail a quiz for sure.

Mrs. McMillan passed out the quizzes. When she got to my desk, she handed me two pages stapled together and said, “Welcome back, Miss Matthews. Do the best you can.”

All I could do was stare blankly at the questions on material I hadn’t studied. I was sure most of it had been reviewed the previous day in my absence.

Want my help?

The muscles in my back stiffened at the sound of Jonas’s words. No, I don’t want or need your help.

Really? You don’t think you need my help? Then I obviously didn’t explain the situation you’re in very well.

I searched my head, and found Jonas’s presence sitting just on the edge. How can I see him so clearly at some times, but not so much at others? With everything in me, I wanted to knock him off that edge.

I worked through the thirty questions. At least they were multiple-choice. I had a twenty-five percent chance of getting each one correct.

And a seventy-five percent chance of getting each one wrong, Jonas said. Speaking of... The answer to number five is—

Stop. I don’t want to know. I was not going to cheat on a stupid biology quiz.

That was a nice trick last night, by the way. Instead of being angry, Jonas sounded impressed. I’m wondering if Kyle and Jack would have succeeded in getting you to leave if Jack hadn’t tranquilized me.

I smiled. You kind of got what you deserved.

Don’t sound so pleased, Lexi.

Hey, you tranqed me first. I massaged my temples, irritated by the banter. What do you want from me, Jonas? My hand shook so badly, my pencil slipped through my fingers and fell on the floor.

I want you to convince Jack that I mean you no harm, and that you both need me at Wellington.

What? No way. Not going to happen.

I could force you.

If you could force me, you would have done so already.

I want you to get up right now and take your test to Mrs. McMillan. Tell her to excuse you from the quiz and class. You’re failing it miserably. Force her to give you a chance to make up the quiz tomorrow.

Without even thinking, I did as Jonas instructed, and my teacher fell for my mindspeaking, hook, line, and sinker.

Once in the hallway, I dug through my bag for tissues, and treated a lovely nosebleed.

Don’t you want to be rid of those nosebleeds?

Of course I wanted to end all nosebleeds forever, but I was not going to admit that. Not if it meant conceding I needed Sandra. What I want is to know what you know about my dad and his murder.

Ahhh, yes. Well, like I told you, your dad discovered the IIA’s human cloning project facility.

How do you know this?

I overheard a conversation. Your father trusted the wrong person with this information. He discovered The Farm, told someone, and the next thing I knew, he was murdered. Find out who he told. You’ll be closer to his murderer.

Was Jonas right? Did one of Dad’s trusted friends murder him? Maybe not plant the bomb in his car, but set the events in motion.

Jonas, I have one more question. I searched every corner of my brain. No sign of Jonas. Jonas! Great. Always there when I don’t want him, gone when I need him.

The bell rang. Any second now, the hallway would be filled with students. Though I wanted to see my roommate, there were many students I didn’t want to talk to. Not now.