Another circus, huh? Kaitlyn asked. She didn't know how she felt about the outside world anymore, but the thought of everyone staring at her was definitely appalling.
"I'll be with you," Gabriel said.
As the night had gone on, she'd gotten more and more of an odd sense from him. A feeling that ran beneath the thoughts they were sharing, that he was keeping away from her. Although it was tightly controlled, she recognized it as pain.
Gabriel, are you all right? I feel-are you hurt, somehow?
"I have a sort of headache. It's no problem. Do you feel it now?"
Once again, she had the sense that he was concealing something. But concealing it better.
"Okay, Joyce is telling us to come downstairs." After a moment, he said, "We're in the lab."
Yeah, time for the unveiling. Kaitlyn laughed silently, nervously. I wonder what they're going to think. I suppose I should act crazy.
"I think it's your best chance. Kait-I don't know how I can save you right now. The others don't like what the old man is doing-I think Joyce asked him to take you out this soon-but they're afraid of him. And I can only fight one of them at a time. "
Kaitlyn knew. Gabriel's destructive power operated most strongly when he could touch his victim, and it took time. He couldn't hold off Jackal Mac and Renny while killing Mr. Z, for instance.
And you're weak, she told him. From helping me, I know. I'm sorry. But we'll manage somehow-maybe they'll just put me back in the tank.
Then she realized something that made the blood start beating in her ears. Gabriel, wait, wait! Rob is coming. I forgot. She'd forgotten about the outside world. All you need to do is wait until he gets here, then he can help.
"It depends on what Mr. Z is going to do to you, whether we can wait. He's giving a speech now. On and on."
I don't want to hear it. Gabriel, you do know that Rob didn't 't mean the things he said at Marisol's house. He was mad at you. Hurt. And he felt betrayed. But that's because he really cares about you. You know that, don't you?
Even now, Gabriel refused to say it. But Kaitlyn had seen inside him too deeply to be fooled. Her question was rhetorical. Gabriel did know. His feelings for Rob were all mixed up with guilt and jealousy and resentment of Rob's effortless ability to do good and be good, and to go through life being loved. But Kaitlyn thought that Rob would be pleased with the feeling Gabriel had under that. He admired Rob.
Respected him. Would have liked to be somebody Rob could like.
But he does like you, Kaitlyn said again, and then she realized they were opening the door of the tank.
The clang was a different sort of sound than Gabriel's mental voice and she thought that if she had really been in silence all yesterday afternoon and night-maybe fifteen hours at a guess-she wouldn't have recognized what sound was anymore, and screamed in fear. She was spared having to fake that because they couldn't hear her.
Hands pulled at her, the touch as shriekingly dissonant as the door clang. Everything was so harsh. Her skin was so sensitized that even the gentlest pressure would have hurt, and these hands weren't gentle.
Then light struck her eyes. It both hurt and dazzled, confusing her. She couldn't really see anything, only the whiteness, with occasional shapes blocking it. Squinting helped a little, but tears still ran down her face.
It didn't matter; she was soaking wet everywhere. She could feel the harsh hands taking off the strait-jacket and weights, removing the mouthpiece. Then, just as she began to really see, she was turned around to face Mr. Zetes.
She was white and wrinkled. Her mouth hurt, she had cramps in her arms and shoulders, and her legs wouldn't support her. She was dripping all over the floor.
"She can't stand up," Joyce said crisply. "Bri, get a chair."
They put her in the chair. Mr. Z looked at her.
Now, what? Kaitlyn asked Gabriel. I don't think I can scream. Should I just sort of look vacant?
Try it, he commanded. Now that she could hear real voices, his telepathic voice seemed different. She knew it wasn't sound.
"Can you understand me, Kaitlyn?" Mr. Zetes was asking. "Do you know where you are?"
His expression was avid and eager. Like a connoisseur just about to take the first sip of wine, stopping to inhale the bouquet. If he thought she was crazy enough, he'd say, "Ahhh."
Kaitlyn tried to look mad. She gazed at him, doing her version of the human pupa stare. She wondered if she should try to say, "Muh-muh-muh"-but she was afraid she would do it wrong. Instead, she tried to smile the way Sasha had.
She saw in an instant that it wasn't any good. Mr. Z was an expert on insane people-he collected them.
His piercing eyes widened and then narrowed as he looked at her. Kaitlyn would have sworn she could see a red spark somewhere in their depths.
Then his white brows drew together over his aquiline nose and his mouth made a bitter, scornful line. He planted his gold-headed cane on the ground and stood tall, like some patriarch from the Bible. Except that he looked instead like El Diablo, El Gato, Satan.
"It's failed," he said. He looked at Joyce. "Why?"
"I don't know. I have no idea." Even Kaitlyn could hear the relief in the shaky voice. Joyce's hand on Kaitlyn's back pressed gently, out of Mr. Z's sight.
"This girl tried to destroy us. Not once. Time and again." Mr. Z's voice was shaking, too-with repressed anger.
Joyce straightened. "I had nothing to do with it, Emmanuel. I don't know how she came through like this.
But now that she has-"
Mr. Z's face had been undergoing a struggle-one instant molded by satanic fury, the next smoothing as it was suppressed. Almost like Claymation, Kaitlyn thought. But now he had himself under control. His lips curved in a smile of grim delight.
"Now that she has, we'll just have to try the other solution," he told Joyce. "The crystal will take care of her."
Kaitlyn felt a falling in her stomach. She looked at Gabriel, who was standing with Renny and Jackal Mac and Lydia, all in a row behind Mr. Z. And at that instant she heard: Kaitlyn? Kaitlyn, this is Rob. Am I in range yet?
Rob! Oh, thank God, Rob, you're early, thank God.
She felt the flash of Gabriel's response as well. Desperate relief.
Rob, where are you? Kaitlyn demanded.
At the end of the block. We were worried you might be in trouble.
We are! Rob, you'd better hurry.
At the same time Gabriel was saying, If you can make a distraction, I can try to get Kait out.
Then Kaitlyn snapped to the real world. Frost had darted forward and grabbed her hand, wrapping her silver-nailed fingers around it.
"Mr. Zetes, I know how she did it!" Frost shrieked, her voice thin and sharp with spite. "She's talking to them! She was talking to them just now, and she's scared they'll get caught because they're coming right here!"
Kaitlyn jerked her hand away as if she'd touched a live coal. Red fury exploded inside her and she kept pulling her hand back to get distance, and then she slapped Frost's cheek as hard as she could.
But Gabriel kept his head. She could hear him yelling a warning to Rob. Stay where you are! They just found out about you! Don't come near the house!
"Quickly," Mr. Z said, and his smile was more delighted than ever. He rolled the words in his mouth as if enjoying them. "John, Laurie, Paul-help
Kaitlyn downstairs, please. Everyone else follow. Hurry now. This should be very interesting."
Kaitlyn tried to fight Mac and Frost and Renny, but her limbs were too weak. She was more of a hindrance by just being limp.
Gabriel didn't fight, either-probably too many of them, Kaitlyn thought. But she didn't understand why he seemed to be hanging back, the last one down the stairs to the hidden room. She tried to get a look at him as they carried her down, but she couldn't see.
"I want to kill him myself!" Gabriel shouted from the floor above. Kaitlyn felt the pang of a new terror: What if the crystal had driven Gabriel crazy like the others? And it was just showing up now?
Gabriel-
He wouldn't answer her. Because Frost was touching her? She didn't know.
"Come down!" Mr. Zetes shouted as he punched in the combination to the office.
Kaitlyn didn't want to go in there. Did not. She struggled with fresh strength as they carried her through the door.
Then the smell and the psychic feel of the human pupae struck her and she went limp.
They carried her past the crystal to the only piece of furniture in the room, a chair. Everyone else was crowding in. Mr. Z was herding them, gesturing them to pack themselves more tightly. Like somebody trying to fit more people into an elevator. Gabriel was the last. He stepped back to join the others who were lining the walls.
Then Mr. Zetes backed up. He stood, leaning both hands on his cane, looking at the doorway with anticipation.
"They won't come," Kaitlyn told him. Her voice was earnest; she just wished it was steady. "I warned them and they're too smart to come when they know you're waiting."
Mr. Zetes smiled. "Do you hear that, my dear? The kitchen door breaking."
Rob? Are you in the house? Rob, listen to me-don't do it. Stay away! Stay away!
But the imperious tone that had worked with him in the gym did nothing now.
This is my choice, Kaitlyn, Rob said. And Kaitlyn heard footsteps on the stairs.
Rob, go back!" Kaitlyn screamed aloud.
Rob came in. He was flushed and windblown, his hair a golden lion's mane, his eyes full of all the light of the sky. He had run down the stairs, but he took the step into the room calmly, face alert and purposeful, assessing his chances. Looking for Kaitlyn and the way to get her out.
"Leave," Kaitlyn whispered.
Anna and Lewis were right behind Rob. Stepping over the threshold and into the trap. Behind them was a girl Kaitlyn recognized vaguely . . . yellow curls and tilted eyes ... of course, it was Tamsin.
"A visitor from the Fellowship!" Mr. Zetes said. "We are greatly honored." He actually bowed over his cane.