Mindsiege (Mindspeak #2)(70)

I reached down and zipped my fleece snug around my neck. Jack wrapped his fingers around my hand.

How is it possible that a group of über-intelligent doctors are playing with human life right under so many people’s noses? I asked him. What is the FBI actually waiting on? Why not destroy this operation?

The FBI doesn’t have enough proof that the IIA isn’t working on science or medical advancements that will help Americans—and the world for that matter. Jack squeezed my hand. It was no secret that he and Jonas were closer to embracing their identities and their special abilities than I was. They wanted to believe that our abilities to heal were part of something good—and while they hoped to destroy Sandra’s mission to hurt anyone who got in her way, they wanted me to embrace my capability to heal, too.

Stop! Jonas yelled inside my head. We all froze mid-step.

What is it? What’s wrong? I asked.

Georgia.

Is she here?

Jonas nodded. “She’s close,” he whispered. “She doesn’t want to go in.”

I squeezed Jack’s hand hard, and turned my frantic eyes on him. “We need her,” I said.

“Where is she?” Jack asked Jonas. “Tell her to meet me.”

“If you go,” Jonas said, “you won’t be here to shield Lexi from Ty or anyone else who wants inside her head.”

Jack held onto both of my hands. “I’ll be back. And I’ll bring Georgia with me.” He pressed his lips to mine before staring hard into my eyes. Jonas will protect you.

Jonas looked from Jack to me, then nodded.





Chapter Twenty-Eight


“We can’t wait much longer,” Jonas said. “We don’t know how long it’ll take to get in there and find Addison.”

Jack had taken Briana with him. Though she was just learning to use her supernatural abilities, she would still be a second set of eyes in case they ran into trouble.

“Can Briana speak telepathically to you?” I asked Jonas.

“I’m not convinced she can’t. She just doesn’t know how yet.”

“So, you think I might be able to as well?” Kyle asked. He lay on a bench behind Jonas, an arm draped over his forehead. I was pretty sure this was his way to relax, while Jonas and I paced and fidgeted.

“I don’t know.” Jonas sounded harsher than usual.

I walked over to the bench and nudged Kyle. He raised his head, letting me sit, then placed his head on my thigh. “It would be nice to have some time when no one was trying to kill us to explore these abilities,” I said.

Jonas raised a brow. “Now you’re interested in learning more?”

“I’ve never been opposed to knowing, I’m just not convinced I want to use the unnatural powers.”

Kyle lowered his arm. “What if we’re capable of healing people of some horrific illnesses?”

I thought about that for a minute. Before I could answer, Jonas added, “We could possibly help people in ways that doctors and scientists have only dreamed of doing.”

“I know, but how do you suppose we do that? Just hang up a sign that says, ‘Doctor Is In—Can Heal All That Ails You’? Do you realize the masses of people that would show up? Our lives would be in significant danger.” I almost laughed out loud at the irony of that statement. Our lives were already in danger.

“I think that’s why Cathy is at Wellington.” Jonas continued to pace. “You think she’s trying to force us to do certain things against our will—”

“I think she’s the reason my dad is dead,” I said through gritted teeth, interrupting Jonas with as much calm as I could drum up, which wasn’t much.

“I’m just not convinced of that. I think she wants to protect us so that we have control over who knows we even exist. I also think that may be what your father had wanted. Then, we could use the powers for good, without the masses overwhelming us.”

“If that’s the case, she sure went about it all wrong,” Kyle said.

“Thank you,” I agreed. Cathy was at best an overbearing wacko.

“You both are missing the point, though.” Jonas stopped and stuffed his hands in his pockets. This conversation was simply a diversion from what we were all truly worried about—getting in and out of The Farm alive with Addison. “The ball is in our court. We hold all the power. All the control.” He faced me. “Lexi, when you, Jack, and Kyle left Wellington, you opened their eyes. You opened my eyes in a way.”

“Go on,” I said. See? I could be reasonable and listen.

“When you guys bulldozed through their security, you told Cathy, Dr. DeWeese, and Dr. Wellington that they’re not in charge. You are.” He kneeled in front of me. Locked eyes with me. “We are in charge.”

Kyle sat up and faced forward. “He’s right. We are in charge. And like it or not, our life’s purpose was put in place way before we were born. Now we get to choose how we embrace our destiny.”

Lexi.

At the sound of Jack’s voice, I stood and walked away from Kyle and Jonas. Yeah. I’m here.

Georgia says she can see inside your head when Jonas lets her. They practiced this the day they found you on campus. But she has to be touching Jonas.

What? They had no right—