Echo 8 (24 page)

“Wow, he was right,” muttered the man. He darted a glance at Tess. “There more of this somewhere?”

“Do that
later
,” snapped Mac. “I need you to keep an eye on them.”

Ross took a step toward Mac.

“You're not listening, asshole.” Mac dug the knife tip into the soft skin below the line of Jake's beard, drawing a trickle of blood.

“What do you want?” cried Tess.

Weak from the transfer, Jake couldn't do more than pluck at Mac's arm. Mac was supporting most of his weight.

Mac's new companions moved between the two groups, spears raised in threat. They looked scared and hungry.

“I want you to get me out of this shithole,” answered Mac. “I want to go back.”

“Do you think we'd still be here if we knew how to go back?” demanded Ross.

“Don't play games with me.”

“It's true,” said Tess. “Why don't you let him go, and we'll tell you what we know.”

“You have one minute to do what I asked, Doctor. And in case it occurs to you to try and hurt me, we're going to recruit your friend here as a traveling companion.”

She shot a panicked look at Ross.

“Just take it easy,” Ross said evenly. “We're not likely to figure this out with you standing there threatening us.”

“Now see, I don't agree. With the right motivation, I think she'll figure it out.” Mac narrowed his eyes at Ross. “You try to jump me, and he's dead.”

Tess's pulse raced. She knew they weren't going to talk their way out of this, but what could she do? She didn't have the control he seemed to think she did.

Mac cupped Jake's chin, and the blade rose from his throat to his ear, slipping between earlobe and jaw. Jake shouted and squirmed as blood ran down his neck.

“Okay!” she cried. “Just stop it!”

Jake vanished, and Mac stumbled backward.

Instinct launched Tess at Mac, and she landed across his chest. It had been hours since the last transfer, and his energy poured into her, musky and brackish.

Mac let his body go limp. He smiled at her.

Take me home, Tess.

“Shut up,” she snapped.

*   *   *

When Mac went down, his new friends fled, most of the cans they'd tried to pilfer spilling onto the ground.

Ross dropped beside Mac and Tess. Mac appeared helpless under Tess's gentle weight, subdued by the transfer. But the asshole was smiling, and Ross didn't like it.

“Do you think he can hurt her?”

Ross jerked his head at the sound of Jake's voice behind him. “Where the hell did you come from? Did you dislocate?”

“There was a bright light, and a tunnel thing. I felt like my guts were falling out. But then I was back.”

Ross's eyes moved back to Tess. “I'm going to pull her off.”

“I don't care much for that smirk on his ugly face—no offense, G—but she's feeding. Besides that we don't exactly know what's going to happen if
you
grab her while they're linked.”

Jake was right, on both counts. Ross moved closer, studying Tess's face. She frowned in concentration, completely focused on Mac, but showed no signs of distress. As for his twin—he looked like he was enjoying himself, and that was almost more than Ross could take. It was bad enough Mac had put his hands all over Tess, but he was also a reminder of someone else Ross had failed—his brother, Jamie. Mac dealt the drug that had destroyed and almost taken Jamie's life.

Ross's muscles twitched. He quaked with anger at his own impotence. He pressed his folded hands against his mouth as he watched Tess, alert for signs that she was in trouble.

*   *   *

Mac couldn't escape Tess—his life was draining into her—yet he was in control. He modulated the flow by remaining calm, and he used the current to sail his thoughts right into her head.

See how easy it is to control? I can teach you. Help you with your research—help you save the others. I can be more to you than he can. We can be partners. Equals. We can connect on a level you never could with him.

You and I define connection a little differently.

You must realize you can't be with him.
She felt Mac's hands clench slightly, squeezing her thighs.
You'll destroy everything that's important to him. Is that what you want?

Tess's fingers dug into his throat, as if it could silence him. His breaths rasped through her hands, but she couldn't keep consistent enough pressure to stop them completely.

Take him home and see what happens. He'll be pulled back into his world. His job and his obligations. You'll be the woman who defied orders and had to be tracked down. Unreliable. Unstable. What do you think he'll do? Rise to your defense? Think, Tess. What will happen to you then?

Worms of doubt bored into her heart. What
would
happen to her? Would Ross throw away ten years of service in a job he loved? Of course he wouldn't. She wouldn't
want
him to. She'd be off the task force for sure. Ross would be called back to D.C. Would Abby let her keep her job, at least?

You can still save Echoes. I can help you. You need what I've learned, Tess. I need what you've learned. You've gotten so wrapped up in this pointless drama you're not seeing the big picture. Have you thought about how the transfers and dislocations could be used to help survivors?

The man and his energy were toxic. She wasn't confused about the fact he was trying to manipulate her. But also he had a point. And she had committed herself to help these people. It was the reason behind every risk she'd taken in the last three days.

You can't afford to lose sight of that, Tess
.
And by now you must know that Ross is always going to get in your way
.

“Enough, Tess!” Ross's voice cut sharply between them. “Break it off!”

Like her first transfer, letting go wasn't as easy as willing it to happen. When it did, she wasn't sure it hadn't been more Mac's doing than hers. The connection released suddenly, and she sprang backward against Ross.

Mac started crawling for the doorway, and suddenly Jake was on him with the knife. He jerked the blade sharply along Mac's cheek, drawing blood. Then he shoved the tip against the back of his neck. Tess held her breath, wanting it over, yet not wanting to see Jake kill the man.

“Do it, Jake,” called Ross. He let go of Tess and scrambled toward them.

Mac took advantage of Jake's doubt, flipping over and tossing Jake against Ross. While Ross fought to free himself from the energy transfer, Mac scooped up the knife and staggered to his feet, fleeing the ruins.

Ross untangled from Jake and ran after him, but Tess cried, “Ross, don't! It's too risky.”

He froze in the doorway, and she got up and walked over to their box of supplies. Mac's friends had made a mess of things, but she was relieved to find the first aid kit had not been filched.

“Let's look at your ear, Jake.”

They sat down on the tarp, and Tess examined him as best she could without touching him. Mac had cut his left earlobe away from his jaw. It was a bloody mess, and he needed medical attention.

Fishing bandages out of the kit, she asked, “So you dislocated?”

“Sort of. I didn't go back to your Earth. I was in the light tunnel, like when we came here with you, but only for a second, and then suddenly I was back.”

“It seems to have had the same type of trigger. It happened right after he cut you.”

“Yeah. Though I was more pissed than scared.”

She paused in the act of opening a bottle of water. “A ‘fight' rather than a ‘flight' reaction. Maybe that's why you came right back.”

She had him bend forward and tilt his head while she poured water over the wound, wincing sympathetically at his grunted protests.

“So how come we're taking all the rides?” he grumbled. “Ross has done transfers too.”

Ross had joined them by the fire, and her gaze flickered his direction. “I have a theory about that,” she said carefully.

“You do?” asked Ross.

Jake sat up, and she said, “Smear it with antiseptic. Tape some gauze over it. We'll see if we can fix it up properly when we get home.”

She turned to Ross. “You said it yourself: You're very controlled.”

He frowned. “That's not exactly what I said.”

“Well that can be
inferred
from what you said. I don't mean it as an insult. You're trained to control your emotions.”

“I'm pretty sure he comes by that naturally.”

“Jake,” scolded Tess, and he gave her a sulky look. “It helps you keep your head clear to do your job. It helps you make choices without emotion interfering. It keeps you out of danger. It's probably become like breathing at this point.”

Ross's expression relaxed to neutral. “That's true.”

She was reminded uncomfortably of the warnings Mac had given about him.

She continued. “But Jake is…”

“I can't wait to hear this,” muttered Jake.

“… more like me.”

Ross's gaze moved between them. “So if your lack of control is causing dislocation, and my abundance of control is preventing it, does that mean we're stuck until the next time someone tries to kill us?”

Jake gave a snorting laugh. “Who knew there was a sense of humor in there?”

But Ross wasn't laughing. Tess replied, “Actually I think you're our best hope. Once you've made up your mind that the dislocation is safer than us staying
here
, we'll go home.”

Ross frowned. “I made up my mind about that five minutes after we got here.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Ross blinked at her, and he turned to stare into the fire.

Tess returned her attention to Jake, giving him some space. Jake tossed her the ointment and bandages, and she placed them back in the box.

“Can I talk to you outside, Doc?” he asked.

She glanced at Ross, but he was still lost in thought. She followed Jake through the doorway, and he sank down against the wall near the entrance. She did the same, leaving about a foot between them.

“What's on your mind?”

“I've decided I'm not going back with you.”

She gaped at him. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“I assume you're joking.”

He let out a sigh. “A hazard of always playing the fool.”

She shook her head, incredulous. “You can't stay here by yourself.”

“I belong here. As much as I belong anywhere. And I make a sucky vampire.” He shuddered. “Sorry.”

Her chest felt tight, and her face hot. He was serious, like he had been when he'd told her he was falling for her. “But how will you survive?”

He laughed. “Considering how hard I've worked to off myself, I'd say my survival is a foregone conclusion.”

“Please don't joke about this.”

“I'm completely serious. But don't get the idea it was an easy decision for me.” He gave her a wistful smile. “No more Tess-flavored transfusions.”

She closed her eyes. After the first dislocation, she'd speculated about the possibility of Jake going home.
Someday
. When they'd evaluated his chances for survival. Found a habitable location, and other survivors. But this—she didn't know if she could do it. Leave him here alone to fend for himself. What would happen when his supplies ran out? What if Mac came back?

“Look at me, Doc.”

She opened her eyes, choking on the tightness that had spread from her chest to her throat.

“I'll be okay. And so will you.”

She swallowed hard, shifting her gaze to the hillside, and the line of charred trees.

“Hey,” he continued, “can I ask you something?”

*   *   *

Ross crossed to the doorway, but stopped when he heard Tess's voice. They were sitting near the section of wall that remained around the front door.

“What is it?” she asked. She sounded upset.

“Do you think you'll miss me?”

She sniffled. “Don't be an idiot.”

“You can always come back to me, you know that, right? I mean if things don't go so well back in the real world, or if anyone ever hurts you.”

So Jake wanted to stay. Ross doubted he'd be shedding any tears, but he could imagine how Tess felt about it. He could also imagine what Garcia was going to say. It would ease relations between him and Tess when they got back, but that would be temporary—until they found another Echo.

“I don't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you,” Jake continued. “Because I've never known anyone who would do for me what you've done. No one but Emily. No one but Emily has ever meant to me what you do.”

More sniffling and silence.

“Hey, don't be mad at me, okay?”

“I'm not mad, Jake.”

“No, I mean for this.”

Ross heard scuffling, and Tess gave a little cry. He darted around the wall—in time to see Jake's hand slipping behind her head.

He's
kissing
her?

Though it looked like she had started out struggling—her hands were pressed flat against his chest—at the moment she appeared to be kissing him back.

It's not a real kiss,
he told himself. The energy transfer would have started immediately. Tess was very still.

But then her shoulders inched down, and he could see her chest rising and falling.

“Breathe slower,” Jake said against her mouth.

Ross's heart thundered in his ears. It tried to crawl out of his chest. He was afraid if he didn't go over there and punch Jake, his heart might just do it for him.

Jake's arms twined around her and he hugged her against him, moaning softly.