Mindsiege (Mindspeak #2)(81)

I weaved around several tables to where they sat.

Dia’s eyes practically shot fireballs at me.

Lin picked at the chicken on his plate. He looked sad, and my heart ached for Jack.

“Sit down, Lexi,” Jonas said. “Dia, stop looking at her like that.”

I raised an eyebrow. Why is she mad at me? Bree and I were finally getting along. I guessed her clone didn’t get the memo.

She thinks you’re the reason Ty is dead.

My head snapped in Dia’s direction.

I’m glad you came back, Lin mindspoke. Dia will realize that you’re only here to help. Eventually.

Was I here to help them?

I thought about that while I peeled my banana and took a bite.

Don’t look now, Jonas said. But about a dozen agents just entered the cafeteria with rifles.

My back was to the door and the agents. Lin and Dia both looked over my shoulder. The four of us traded glances around the table.

“I won’t save her this time,” Dia said, her voice curt.

She assumed the agents were looking for me? And that I had just casually waltzed in, grabbed some lunch, and sat down to chat it up?

“She’s not the one they’re looking for.” Jonas’s eyes found mine.

“Who are they looking for?” I whispered.

He smiled. “Apparently Jack didn’t tell you much about our sweet Addison.”

“Addison?” Dia said a little too loudly, because several heads turned suddenly in our direction. She tucked her chin, and lowered her voice. “Addison is here?”

“Shhh.” Jonas stuffed a bite of chocolate cake in his mouth. He stared down at his plate like it was the most interesting thing he had seen in days.

I felt something hard poke into the back of my neck. My muscles tensed. “Who’s this?” a man asked behind me, while practically bruising me with what I assumed was the barrel of a gun.

Jonas stood. “Take the gun off of her,” he ordered.

The agent laughed. “Who’s going to make me?”

I turned in my seat. Jonas reached out, grabbed the barrel, and lifted it toward the ceiling. It went off with a boom, causing part of the ceiling to crumble and shower dust down on us. Children and adults screamed and dove under tables.

“What is going on over here?” A female agent rushed over to us. She lowered her rifle when she spotted Jonas. “Oh, you’re here, Mr. Whitmeyer.”

I looked quizzically at Jonas.

“Mr. Whitmeyer, you’ll have to excuse our newest agent. He probably thought you were Ty.”

“All is forgiven. I’ll let you explain to him that my brother is now dead, so there should be no confusion in the future. Now, if you’ll excuse me, our newest guest and I have some business to take care of.”

“Of course.” Both agents bowed their heads.

I stared in shock.

Jonas slipped his fingers around my arm and tugged me forward. “We need to talk,” he spoke close to my ear. “This might be our last chance. Sandra is freaking out about Addison’s latest escape act. She’s watching videos leading up to Addison’s disappearance. It won’t take long for her to figure out that you were the last to touch her. Or that you removed her tracker.”





Chapter Thirty-Two


“We have to hurry.” Jonas pulled me down yet another hallway.

“We always have to hurry.” I stopped. Yanked my hand from his. “I want to know everything right now. No more bullshit, Jonas. I want to know about Addison. I want to know where Jack is. I want to know what your plan is. I want to see the machine that controls the trackers. And I want to know what an agent meant when he told me that The Farm was scheduled for evacuation and destruction.” I poked him hard in the chest. “It’s show-and-tell time, Jonas. And if you don’t lay it all out right now, we’re done.”

“Wait. Back up. What do you mean evacuation and destruction? Who told you this? And when did they say it would happen?”

“No!” I whispered loudly. “I’m not telling you anything until you come clean. And by clean, I mean ev-er-y-thing.” I crossed my arms.

Voices and heavy feet sounded behind us. “This way,” a man said.

“Come on.” Jonas grabbed my hand again. A low growl of frustration erupted from somewhere deep within my throat.

Despite my irritation, we ran. I would give him one more chance, though I was exhausted from allowing him inside my mind. I might not be able to block him out every time, but I sure would try harder. I might use my ring on him just to prove a point. And I couldn’t be sure I wouldn’t enjoy it.

I wanted Jack. I missed him. His touch. The promise of a future. I wouldn’t hesitate to escape to a new life far away from here—if I ever got another chance.

The next time Jack gave me the opportunity to run, I was one hundred percent in.

Jonas darted around one more corner, then to a door on the right. He stuck a key in the lock, opened it, and we both slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind us. I leaned my forehead against the steel door. The coolness helped the fire that had spread across my face.

Jonas placed both hands on my shoulders and rubbed. I couldn’t help but replay his confession of feelings for me from earlier. I think I knew he felt something for me, but with his and Ty’s mind invasion, I never knew what was real. I couldn’t help but like Jonas at times, but it was never anything more than friendship. And other times, like now, Jonas infuriated me.