Mindsiege (Mindspeak #2)(74)

I couldn’t leave. I wouldn’t leave Addison. Not like this.

I don’t believe it. Jack said, panic behind each word. We were wrong. It wasn’t Cathy. It was… Lexi, listen to me. Stop whatever you’re doing and turn around.

What is it? What’s wrong?

Jonas stiffened. The movement was slight, but he obviously heard me.

Sandra just got out of one of the vehicles with… Jack’s voice trailed off.

I stretched my fingers, then curled them into fists at my side. Who’s with her? Talk to me, Jack.

Jonas turned and stared at me. My eyes darted from him to Addison, who looked so tiny, just sitting there as still as a statue in the middle of a hospital bed.

My dad, Lexi! My dad is with Sandra.

I cringed at Jack’s words. I squeezed my eyes tight. Was there no one we could trust?

Jonas slipped his hand into mine and squeezed. “We’re here. This doesn’t change anything.”

I knew getting inside The Farm had been too easy. I’d have to help Jack with this latest shocker later. Jonas was right. We were here and Addison needed us. I had to focus. Jack, I need Georgia to pay attention. Something’s wrong with Addison. I’m going to see if I can dislodge her tracker right now. She’s not moving. It’s like they’ve shut her down, mentally. She won’t even speak to me. She’s comatose. And Jack? I closed my eyes tightly for a moment. Anita is here.

Silence.

Jack? I’m sorry about your father, but I need you to stay with me. I’m not leaving without Addison.

I’m here. And so is Georgia. She’s ready. She can hear everything you say. Please be careful. And hurry. There are six agents entering the building with my dad and Sandra.

Jonas grabbed Addison’s hand. “Her hand is freezing.”

I brought up the image of her brain. The same brain I had studied and healed all too recently. Instead of brightly colored neurons firing like fireworks, the activity in her head was slow and the coloring of the neurons and surrounding tissue was dull, almost brown in color. I moved around in her head. A strange coating covered many of the surfaces I knew to be responsible for processing information. I kept searching. When I reached the spot at the base of her brain, I saw it—the tracker. The tissue around the tracker, and along a path from the tracker to the back of her neck, was bruised. I would need to extract the tracker the same way it went in.

Georgia, you with me? You see the path we need to take?

Yeah, I see it. But what happens if we fail?

I studied how the tracker was lodged. If I were to move it as it lay, the prongs would puncture her brain and spinal cord in several locations. I couldn’t predict how much injury that would cause, or if I could heal her fast enough to prevent long-term damage… or death.

We won’t fail. Can you see each of the prongs? There are eight of them. Just like a spider.

Yes, I see them.

The prongs all come from tiny holes in the tracker, I explained. I need you to slide each prong back inside the tracker itself.

I watched silently. It was slow going. It took more than a minute before the first prong was hidden inside. While I witnessed Georgia working a miracle, I smoothed Addison’s hair and tried to pocket all of my emotions and thoughts.

I heard the commotion of approaching footsteps. I looked at Jonas, who was typing away on the computer.

When the footsteps registered with him, he met my gaze. “They’re coming.”

Lexi, I can’t see Addison’s brain anymore, Georgia said.

Sorry. I pulled up the visual of Addison’s tracker again, while I spoke to Jonas. “You have ten seconds to convince me that you didn’t know John DeWeese had been working with Sandra. If you’re not honest with me, I can’t promise how hard I’ll work to make sure you make it out of here with me.” With my thumb, I fiddled with the ring on my middle finger. I imagined the paralyzing liquid sloshing around inside the pearl.

“What are you talking about?” I felt his eyes studying me. I continued to monitor Georgia’s progress. “Of course I didn’t know.”

I didn’t take my other hand off of Addison. Georgia had managed to tuck in five of the prongs. Keep it up, Georgia. You’re doing great.

“What are you up to?” Jonas asked.

I felt the intrusion into my head, different from Jonas’s normal entrance. This presence blew in like a thin fog, elusively sliding in and around crevices. This was not Jonas, but Ty. I immediately began moving pockets around, hiding thoughts and feelings. I tried to categorize and pocket the image of Addison’s brain the way Jonas had taught me.

He grabbed my arm and jerked me up. “What have you done?” He shoved me hard across the room, then turned to Addison, who remained still.

I scrambled to my feet and ran to the door. Instead of swinging it open with my shaking limbs, I turned the steel lock, locking us inside. I wasn’t leaving without Addison. And I couldn’t take Addison in her current state.

Ty, in Jonas’s body, grabbed Addison’s head roughly, lifting her hair and examining the back of her neck. There was a bandage covering the spot where the tracker had been inserted.

Kyle, Briana, you guys have to get out of here. Try to make it to the back door. Use whatever force you have to use to get out of here.

Jonas/Ty turned. He tilted his head. A slow, sly grin spread across his face. At the same time, I felt the stabbing presence of his mind invasion.