Black Orchid (16 page)

They
left Dave lying unconscious outside and went inside to meet their visitors.
Adelaide walked to the other side of the room, far away from him. Nate watched
her closely. Something was wrong. She kept her back to him.

“Nate?
When did Maddox tell you to keep me away from my family?”

Nate
felt everything inside him freeze. So that was it. They suspected that he’d
withheld the information until the last minute on purpose. Bitterness twisted
his lips. He couldn’t really blame them for their qualms.

Before
he could say anything, Charlotte, Griffin, and Desmond suddenly appeared in the
room with them.

“Answer
the question.”
Griffin’s voice came across loud and clear in Nate’s mind.

Slowly,
Nate rose to his feet. He gave Griffin a steady look. “Maddox told me today,
when I reported to him. I went to find Sheila before coming here. If I’d come
here first, maybe you could’ve done something to prevent this.” He waved a hand
ineffectually in the air.

Nate
opened his mind, doing nothing to try to resist as Griffin combed through the
memories. He watched Adelaide, who still had her back to him. Silently, he
willed her to turn around, to look at him with the faith that had been there
only a little while ago.

Adelaide’s
shoulders suddenly straightened, and she glanced first at Griffin and then over
her shoulder at Nate. She flinched a little when she met his gaze.

“You’re
going to take me with you,” Desmond said.

Nate
frowned. “What good would that do?” he asked.

“I’m
going in there to find Maggie and bring her home,” Desmond all but growled.

Huh.
Was that a new development? Or did he just not remember Desmond and Maggie were
together?
Nate shook his head. “I get that, but you’ll never make it.”

Desmond
shot him a grim smile. “I guess you’ve forgotten that I can turn invisible.
I’ll make it.”

Now
that it was mentioned, Nate did vaguely recall that fact. He paused, thinking
through the powers he was aware of at the base. None that he knew of would
catch Desmond easily— it would have to be accidental. Sheila was a powerful
tracker. She could find him, but Nate could warn her. One of the telepaths
maybe, but only if he or she ended up in a room alone with him and were
listening for a spy.

“Okay.
You can hop the teleporter with me. I think as long as you’re touching me,
you’ll get sucked along.”

“Seems
risky.”

“Do
you trust me to save Maggie by myself?”

“No.”

“Then
this is your only shot.”

Desmond
glared at him silent for a moment. “Do it.”

Nate
held up his hands. “Before we go, though, we have a little problem of our own.”

“What?”
Griffin asked. Nate led him outside where Dave was still on the ground. “He saw
us.”

“Doing
what?” Griffin asked.

Nate
gave him a dry look. “Something he planned to report back to Maddox. Would have
got me in deep trouble. Regardless, I can’t leave him here. They’ll expect him
to come back with us. And if we’re going to sneak Desmond in, then I can’t be
under suspicion.”

Griffin
clenched his jaw. “Fine. I’ll wipe that memory, wake him up. And then you guys
can get going.”

“Right.
Let’s go,” Desmond said.

Nate
looked over at Adelaide, who’d said nothing so far. “Give me a minute.”

Desmond
got right in Nate’s face. “No. Now.”

Nate’s
initial gut reaction was to deck the guy, but something in Desmond’s expression
snagged his attention. The guy was losing it. In a quiet voice he said, “Your
girl’s in trouble. I will absolutely take you, and I’ll do my best to help you
find her and get her out of there. Just let me talk to Adelaide for a minute
before we go. Okay?”

Desmond’s
hard jaw relaxed a fraction. After a moment of hesitation, he gave a sharp nod.

“Pull
Dave into that strand of trees.” Nate pointed. “Stay out here while Griffin
does his thing. Make sure to be out of sight when Dave comes to. I’ll come out
in a minute. Stick close. We have to walk to the pickup point.”

Desmond
nodded. In a blink he was completely gone. The only sign that he remained with
them was the fact that the door opened and closed on its own. Nate looked at
Griffin. The wolf narrowed his eyes but nodded.

As
Charlotte and Griffin moved to follow Desmond outside, Nate sent his adoptive
mother a warm smile. Nate’s earlier conversation with Adelaide had reminded him
how important that relationship was. As soon as he had a chance, he’d spend
some time with her and Dexter. She gave him a startled blink and then smiled
back – half relieved, half worried – before she and Griffin left.

Nate
turned to find Adelaide watching him warily. He moved to stand before her,
taking both of her hands in his. “Don’t feel bad for doubting or suspecting
me,” he said. “I wouldn’t trust me either.”

Adelaide’s
mouth pulled down at the corners. “But given what we were just trying to do, I
should have more confidence in you.”

He
pressed his fingers against her soft lips. “Stop. It’s because of me that you
have no memory and that you went through so much. If anyone gets to be the
guilty one here, it’s me.”

She
opened her mouth, but he held up a hand. “And since you won’t let me feel
guilty about all that, no way I’m I letting you get away with it for a little
thing like doubting me for a small second, given all the evidence stacked up
against me.”

Adelaide
closed her mouth and then blew out a long breath. “So no guilt allowed?”

“Nope.”

“And
maybe a little more faith in each other?”

Nate
smiled and squeezed her hands. “Sounds like a plan.” Suddenly he grinned. “You
know, love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

Adelaide
shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re quoting
The
Princess Bride
right now.”

“Uh-uh.
That’s
Love Story
. But since you’ve only seen my favorite movie once –
that you can remember – I’ll let it slide.”

“It’s
done and he’s awake,”
Griffin informed them.
“Desmond’s already invisible. And Charlotte’s taking
me back to the castle now.”

Adelaide
then sobered. She nodded at the door. “You’d better get going. Desmond’s
waiting.”

“Yeah.”
Nate paused awkwardly, a little unsure of how he should leave her. They’d just
run through an entire gamut of emotions together. Finally he leaned in and
kissed her cheek. Then he headed for the door.

“Nate?”

He
turned at her call.

“Be
careful, okay?”

He
gave her his cocky grin and a wink. “What else?”

He
caught the sound of her chuckle as he closed the door. Acting casually on the slim
chance Maddox had other spies watching, he started walking across the yard,
assuming Desmond would follow.

“The
pickup place is about three miles out,” he muttered under his breath. “We’ve
got a satellite phone stashed there so I can call Corin to come get us.”

“Got
it,” Desmond said quietly. “What happens once we get there?”

Nate
thought for a moment. “The base is huge and winding. You’ll have a tough time
finding her if you just wander around. Follow me to my room when we get there.
Then I’ll go get Sheila. With her tracking skills, she might be able to help us
find where Maggie is. We’ll figure out a way to get you both out of there after
that.”

“Sounds
like a plan.”

Desmond
went silent as they approached Dave. The poor guy was shaking his head, as though
he was trying to clear it.

“Dave,”
Nate called softly. “Adelaide’s family showed up unexpectedly. We need to go
back.”

Dave
gave him a confused look.

 “Dude.
You okay?”

“Huh?”

“You
must’ve hit your head on something, because you’ve got a giant lump right on
top. Good
thing
I had to come
back out here.”

Dave
still looked confused. He reached up, felt his head and winced. “Yeah. Guess
we’d better get back.”

Nate
released a silent breath of relief.

They
walked in silence for a ways. He assumed Desmond was still with them. Nate let
his mind wander over everything that’d just happened with Adelaide. It was a
lot to process. If the pleasure and the pain were even a tenth of what it’d
felt like to find his
te’sorthene
and then lose her, Nate couldn’t
imagine how Adelaide had survived it. At least he’d been protected by the
brainwashing. But Adelaide… No wonder they’d stolen her memories. That kind of
connection was worth kingdoms, was worth any sacrifice.

Adelaide
will be mine again, and I hers,
Nate silently promised himself.

“This’d
better be good. I thought we agreed to avoid being seen together,” Sheila
muttered at Nate’s back, as he hustled her through the hallways to his rooms.

“We
won’t be here much longer anyway,” he whispered in return.

Sheila
sucked in a breath. “What do you mean?”

“Wait
for it.”

He
unlocked his door and ushered Sheila in, checking the hallway as he locked the
door behind them.

“Now,”
Sheila said, hands on her hips, “what’s this all about—?”

Her
mouth dropped open as Desmond suddenly appeared in the room with them. Sheila
frowned and then directed a fierce glare at Nate. “This
was
a
test,” she
accused. “What? Did you capture him and now plan to give up both of us to
Maddox?”

“You
know, with so many people doubting me tonight, I’m going to develop a complex,”
Nate muttered under his breath. To Sheila he said, “This isn’t a test. Do you
recognize him?”

“Of
course. Desmond is one of Selene’s High Council.”

Nate
shook his head. “No. Do you remember him in those foggy memories from your life
with the Vyusher?”

Sheila’s
brow puckered and then she inspected Desmond with care. After a long, tense
silence, Desmond smiled. “Come on. You’ve gotta remember me. We grew up together.
When you were first getting your powers, I used to drive you nuts by hiding
places and scaring the heck out of you when I jumped out.”

Sheila
gasped. “Oh my God. Desmond. I
do
remember you.” A smile broke over her
face and the old friends hugged.

Desmond
pulled back. “I need your help. Maddox has Maggie somewhere in this hell hole.
I’ve got to find her.”

Sheila’s
eyes clouded. “Maggie,” she whispered.

“She
vaguely remembers someone named Maggie but not much else,” Nate explained,
remembering his first conversation with Sheila about their brainwashing.

Desmond
nodded his understanding. “She’s your best friend, and my—”

“I’ll
help you find her,” Sheila agreed. She glanced at Nate. “So this is what you
meant by leaving soon. What happened to spying?”

He
shrugged. “Circumstances changed.”

He
didn’t add that he was planning to get her, Maggie, and Desmond out of there.
And any other Vyusher they could find. But he was going to stay behind. He owed
it to his family.

“I
might have trouble leaving,” Sheila hedged.

“Why?”
Nate asked.

She
crossed her arms over her chest. “The link with the wolf pack is still giving
me trouble. I’m compelled to obey. And Maddox has us on lockdown at the
moment.”

“Can
you resist it?” Nate asked.

She
gave them a grim smile. “I’ll certainly try.”

“So
what’s the plan here?” Desmond asked.

Nate
leaned back against the desk he stood near. “Can you apply that invisible thing
to others?”

Desmond
nodded. “If I’m touching them, I can. But only for short bouts. And the more
people, the harder it gets. Ellie’s helping me strengthen it.”

Nate
looked at Sheila, who nodded, having obviously come to the same conclusion.

“I
can get us through most the base unnoticed, using a combination of my
powers
to sense the
location of others and my knowledge of some of the holes in the security
systems,” Sheila said.

“And
we fill the rest in with your invisibility,” Nate added.

“Okay.
But how do we find Maggie?” Desmond asked.

“We
start with the holding cells. I know where those are, and they’re the most
likely places we’d take her,” Sheila said.

“You
mean
they
, right?” Desmond asked. “You’re not one of Maddox’s people.”

Sheila
grimaced. “Yeah. Brainwashing dies hard apparently."

Nate
stood up. “Let’s go then.”

He
reached for the door, but Sheila stopped him. “There’s a camera outside your
room. They’ll have seen me come in and expect me to go out. But—”

“Nuf’
said.” Desmond was gone from sight before they could take another breath.

“We
should split up when we get out the door,” Sheila said. “I know where I can disappear
without cameras catching it, so, Desmond, you come with me. Nate, meet us in
the common room. Go into the men’s room there.”

“Got
it,” Nate and Desmond acknowledged.

Nate
opened the door, and they filed out into the hallway. After locking it behind
him, he pretended to give Sheila a friendly wave and then walked off in the
direction of the common room, while she went the opposite way.

He
decided to keep up the casual pretense and poured himself a coffee when he got
to the common room. He was stirring in some creamer when a small, feminine hand
suddenly lay on his arm, capturing his attention. Nate turned to see Zara
standing beside him.

“Take
me with you,” she whispered as she reached past him to pour herself a cup.

Nate’s
heart thundered, and he froze. “What?”

She
tipped her head. “I saw you and Sheila sneaking off into your room.”

“So?”

 “Soldiers
and security don’t mix for a reason. Maddox is a paranoid bastard. It’s how
he’s lived so long.”

“But
I’m not a soldier,” Nate explained. “Since I can’t shift and be included in the
pack, I’m a different animal.”

Zara
sneered. “Ah, yes. Your assignment with Adelaide.”

Nate
frowned. “How do you know about that?”

She
gave a bitter laugh. “When you’re never far from Maddox, especially when he
pretends you don’t exist, you pick up on things. I may not have extra powers,
but I’m stealthy. A lot of the time, I doubt he realizes I’m even there.”

“Huh.
Well, then you know I’m not just a soldier.”

She
shook her head. “I’ve been watching you. Since you started to see Adelaide,
you’re different. Happier… and sadder at the same time. You were just kinda
nothing before. But you’ve remembered, haven’t you? You know who you are. Who
she is.”

“What
the hell are you talking about?” Nate forced an aggravated boredom into his
voice.

She
snapped her mouth shut and glared at him for a long moment. And then Nate saw
something Zara had never shown, at least in public that he was aware of. Tears
welled
up in her big
blue eyes.

“Please,”
she begged. “Please take me with you. You’re trying to get out of here, right?
You and Sheila?”

Nate’s
jaw hardened. “Why would you want to leave? I’ve never seen you away from
Maddox.”

“I
can’t—” she sniffed. “I can’t do this anymore. I used to be his, no matter what
he says. But now he treats me like a stray dog under his feet. I was the most
important person in his life, and now I don’t even get scraps.”

The
tears turned to pure venom in a blink. “And I’ll make him pay for it,” she
vowed. She looked at Nate. “With or without you, I will make him pay.”

Fine
line between love and hate,
he thought. Nate weighed his options. This could be
a test. Zara was desperate for Maddox’s attention. Enough that she’d fake
something like this just to feel important to her leader again. But he didn’t
quite think she
was
a good enough
actress to pull off the emotions she was cycling through before his eyes.

If
it were just he, he’d take the risk. But with Sheila, Desmond, and Maggie in
the mix, did he dare?

“I
can help. I know things,” she said, seeing him weakening.

“Let
her come.”

Sheila’s
whisper in his ear made Nate jump. Zara raised her eyebrows but said nothing.

“Tell
her to meet us by the dorms where the hallway curves and you can’t quite see
the elevator doors,” Sheila continued.

“Okay,
Zara,” he said. “But this better not be a double cross, or you’ll regret it.”
He passed on Sheila’s instructions where to meet him and watched her go with a
troubled frown.

Then
he made his way to the bathroom, assuming Sheila and Desmond were right behind
him. As soon as he’d checked to be sure they were otherwise alone, he said, “I
hope to hell we don’t regret that.”

“We’ll
know soon enough,” Sheila’s disembodied voice said.

Nate
felt something grasp his shoulder, and suddenly his body was missing. He could
see everything around him, like normal, but when he looked down, nothing was
there. It was the strangest sensation, almost stifling, claustrophobic.

“Ugh.
Dude. How do you deal? This feels really strange and not in a cool way,” he
said.

“Let’s
get going,” was all Desmond said in response.