Reality Hero (24 page)

“Dina, you need to stay away from the door when I enter this room. I don’t like hurting you.” He glanced at the table and looked back down at her. “Why haven’t you eaten? You’ve lost more blood than is healthy. I will give you a transfusion if you don’t eat. I know how you hate needles, so I’ve held off, but I will see you cared for. After you eat, I’d like you to go bathe and rest.”

“Well, thank you, doctor. Gee, I’m so glad you’re so concerned about me. Why don’t you let me go? I could go to a real hospital. I’m not going to eat anything that your little women cooked and probably spit in or poisoned. I’m also not going to get naked for your cameras. Where’s Ella?” She glared at him. Her white-hot anger overrode her common sense.

Ian gave her a genuine, albeit perplexing, smile. What on earth did he have to smile about? When he spoke, there was no warmth in his voice. The tone made her uncomfortable. “Ella is gone. There aren’t cameras in this room. You should feel at home here. I’ll not spy on you. When you decide to be naked for an audience, I’ll be happy to watch you, but not until you ask for me. I won’t violate you, Dina. If I wanted you to be unwilling, I’d have already used you. I want something real with you. I’ll never let you go, but I’ll not force you to let me in.”

She didn’t like how he’d said her sister was gone. She wasn’t sure if she believed him or not about the cameras, but she did relax a bit. “Please, tell me where my sister is.”

He scowled, and ignored her question. “You won’t have to eat anything my girls cook. I’ll prepare it myself or have it brought in if you promise to eat. Now go clean up and rest. I’ll return this evening with some food that no one has touched but me. I would like to enjoy your company. I already told you my plans for Ella, it’s finished.”

“Ian, we’ll never have sex. I’ll not allow you to touch me for any reason.”

He smiled a strange smile, giving her the intense look she was coming to expect from him. “I’m not expecting anything except for you to be genuine with me. Do we have an understanding?”

Dina nodded. Now she needed to figure out how to earn his trust and escape. She knew it was dangerous. As unstable as he was, any perceived betrayal could kill her. He left. Dina went into the bathroom and let the now cold water drain out of the tub. She went to the closet and found a modest pair of cotton pajamas.

Without a clock, she had no idea what time of day it was, but she felt sore and beaten from the recent trauma. If she couldn’t leave, she’d at least be comfortable. Turning on the shower, Dina washed herself twice and her hair three times, being very careful with her injuries. To her relief her hand seemed to be healing well.

After she was dry and dressed, she went to the bed and lay down under the luxurious covers. Snuggling in the warmth left her feeling very guilty. She knew her sister was living her worst nightmare while she lay, safe for now, in a comfortable bed. Drowsiness caused her to yawn. She closed her eyes.

Something on her head disturbed her, and she tried to push it away. She was so tired that she didn’t want to wake up. Groaning, she rolled away from it again. Was it Saturday? She didn’t hear her alarm. Something about her bed smelled different. The loft of her pillow was wrong. Then she realized she wasn’t in her own bed. Dina’s eyes opened and she gave a startled yelp as she scrambled to the far side of the bed. Ian looked disappointed, but gave no other reaction. It was dim in the room, and Dina could see night had fallen. He’d been stroking her hair.

“I have your food. I expect you to eat every bite.” He stood and extended his hand, wanting her to take it and get out of bed. She felt very disturbed and uncomfortable with his sudden appearance, but for the sake of her plans, she took it. It was a first step in building his trust.

Looking at him in regular clothing was disarming. He appeared so normal. It was a shame he’d embraced the darkness as thoroughly as he did. He was a very handsome young man who could’ve done so much good in the world. He could’ve had a good life.

She sat down opposite him at the small table. He’d brought an assortment of things she liked to eat. Again, with the creepy knowledge he shouldn’t have—she knew she’d never tried some of these things when they’d all lived together. Starving, she dug into the smorgasbord. Ian didn’t eat, and it began to make her uncomfortable. Swallowing her bite, she looked at him.

“Ian, please eat some of this with me. I’m hungry, but I’d never eat this much. Please eat with me. I hate having someone watching me eat.”

Obediently, he picked a few items and put them on a plate for himself. She noticed he wasn’t really eating anything. He seemed to be very content just watching her. Dina didn’t like the feeling he was giving her. She began to lose her appetite. Ian must have noticed her reaction, because he began to eat with a little more enthusiasm. She watched him for a moment and wondered what his game was.

Undoubtedly, he wanted to get in her pants, but he seemed to crave her affection more than he wanted sex. If all he wanted was sex, he could force her.
How can I use this to my advantage? There’s got to be a way to get out of here.
Guilt nibbled at her. He clearly needed help, but all she could do was think about getting away. Then she thought of her sister back in a laboratory and rage replaced any sympathy she had for the monster.

“Why have you gone to such extremes to keep me? I’m no threat to you, and I promise if you let me go, I’ll never tell anyone where you live. I just want the chance to save my sister. Ian, I promise that if you let me go, I’ll keep you in my life, and you’ll be welcome to see me whenever you please. I just can’t give you what you want in such an unnatural setting. I have a life, and I’d be happy to have you back in it, if you just let me go.”

He scowled and looked away from her. “If I let you go, you’d go running into danger. I cannot let you go on a suicide mission. You mean too much to me. I know you don’t feel it yet, but we’ll be good together. I feel human around you. I feel controlled. I need you, and I know you like being needed, Dina. Stay with me, sweetheart, be with me. I promise you a very comfortable life. Anything you want is yours, just name it.” His voice held hope and his head jerked in her direction. The crazed intensity returned to his eyes and she saw the swirling electricity in his gaze.

“A cage is still a cage, no matter how nice it is. This isn’t real. You want real. I can give that to you, but you have to let me go. I care very much for you, but you’ll never truly receive the genuine me you want until you let me go. I have to go to Ella. You know I do.”

He slammed his fist on the table, rattling the plates and silverware. Dina jerked, but managed not to scream. “I’ll never let you go. Drop it, Dina, before I can’t stop myself from hurting you. You give me control, but it’s not without limits.” He straightened his shoulders, as if to compose himself, and casually righted a glass that had tipped over on the table. “What do you do when you’re not working in television?”

She knew that she needed to back off. He wasn’t someone she’d be able to push and survive. “I’m sure you already know, but I’ll tell you. I go out with friends, dancing and drinking almost every Friday after work. I don’t really have any hobbies. I like to read, I’m sure you remember that, Ian. What do you do when you’re not being a criminal?” She tried to keep her tone light, conversational.

He didn’t seem to take offense to her question. “I don’t really have any hobbies either. Maybe we should take up some sort of hobby together.” He laughed at his little joke, and Dina smiled obediently. Ian continued. “I’ve traveled. I have the resources now to do that. I own several homes like this—remote, and safe. I’ve been all over the world. I’d like to show you some place tropical. You’ve never been anywhere like that, right?”

“I’ve never really been anywhere but the city. I’m surprised. I didn’t know you have an interest in traveling.”

“I have a lot of interests you don’t know about. I’m not a scared kid anymore. I’m a powerful man, and I can keep you safe, Dina, if you let me.”

“Life isn’t meant to be lived in a safe little bubble. Life demands to be experienced. You’re such a good-looking man, you could find someone who’d appreciate all those interests and this type of affection and protection. You can have what you want, just not from me.”

Her words upset him, she could see it in his scowl, and that made her nervous. Ian got up and left. Just before the door slammed closed, she saw him grab one of his girls by the arm and pull her to him in a rough kiss. His pet must have been lurking by the door. Dina was glad that he didn’t try that with her, but felt sorry for the woman. He hadn’t been gentle.

Shuddering, she wished that he’d at least given her something to do. Sighing, she cleaned up the little table as well as she could and began looking in every drawer and behind every door for anything she could use as a weapon. Ian was going to want more from her than a handshake. He might be content now to play the let’s-get-to-know-each-other game, but when he lost patience, she’d be the real loser. She couldn’t find anything that would work. He’d made sure she didn’t have as much as a letter opener in the room. She wondered why there were no electronics in the room, no TV, not even a radio. Sighing, she continued her fruitless search.

A sound nibbled the back of her consciousness, and Dina stopped. She could’ve sworn she heard Ella.

“
Help me, Dina. Please, someone, help me.
”

She didn’t hear it with her ears, but with something else entirely—her mind. Unsure as to how or why she’d heard her sister, she didn’t move for a very long time. Was it just her guilt and helplessness making her hear Ella’s voice, or was it some kind of new ability she’d developed? Had they already started changing her or had her fear brought it out?

When Zane was under extreme stress, he could develop new abilities that fit the situation. They’d go away once the problem was resolved, but it made Dina wonder if Ella was coping in a similar way. Closing her eyes, she tried to respond. “
Ella, I’ll find you. I’m okay. I love you, sis.
” She had no idea if Ella heard her. It made her feel a little better thinking her sister might be taking comfort from the words.

Where was Zane? Had he survived? Did he have any idea what happened to her or Ella?

* * * *

Zane followed his directions, but there was nothing. The whole area seemed deserted, too rugged for people to want to build. He stopped. He heard something that couldn’t be the wind. It sounded like a very faint voice. He listened hard. He had super hearing, but he couldn’t turn up the volume on it. He realized it wasn’t coming from the outside.

“
Zane, help me. I need you. I’m in the lab come to me.
” Ella’s voice whispered in his head again.

He froze, unsure if this was a trap or something else. Zane felt the pull to help her. She seemed to be sending him pictures, directions. It was a jumble. Her mind felt drugged. He tried to make sense of the images filling his head. When the picture started to emerge, he felt ill. A laboratory…she was being hurt. It seemed like they were studying her. He felt her fear. They were going to cut her apart. He knew where she was. Dina was in Ian’s hands, but he wasn’t sure where she was.

Do I go to one sister and risk losing the other?
Zane cursed himself for leaving his search for Dina. If it was a trap he was damned, but after seeing what was happening to Ella, he couldn’t leave her with those men another minute. Zane had been in the lab before. The same room where he’d spent his most harrowing moments as a child, clinging weakly to life.

Chapter 18

Time elapsed around Ella, and after awhile, she felt as if she wanted to try to reach her friends again. She’d never been telepathic before, but it seemed she was now. She hoped Hazel Eyes wasn’t blocking her thoughts somehow. Closing her eyes, she visualized Zane. She saw through his eyes for a moment. It was dark, and he was looking for her. He was not completely back to being himself. His pain and frustration radiated out of his mind. She did
not
want to die at the hands of the predecessors of the monsters that mutated her.

“
Zane, help me. I need you. I’m in the lab. Come to me.
”

Ella felt as if Zane heard her, but she wasn’t one hundred percent sure. She focused on her sister’s face, remembering Dina’s voice. With all her determination, she called out to Dina. She knew her sister felt her call, and the desperate plea for help. The echo of Dina’s confusion touched Ella’s thoughts. She wasn’t able to get through as clearly. Ian’s electrical force interfered. Dina wasn’t in any position to help her, but Ella wanted her to know she was still alive.

Cold caused Ella to shiver. She sent her thoughts out, trying to reach Hazel Eyes. She pushed her mind at him as hard as she could. He was blocking her out effectively. She pounded angrily on the box.

“I thought you have control over her?” one of the soldiers asked.

“She’s still in the box, isn’t she? I’m keeping her from escaping. I can’t make her happy about it,” Hazel Eyes replied.

She heard the muffled reply, but it didn’t do anything except irritate her.

Hours passed before they finally took her out of the box. When Ella saw the room, she screamed in terror. Agony coursed through her blood with the adrenaline. She’d suspected they were bringing her there, but seeing it was terrible. She’d promised herself she’d never see this place again, but there she was. They’d brought her back to the dungeon. Everything was almost exactly as she remembered. She began having trouble breathing. Ella struggled, trying with all her might to turn into anything—vapor, liquid, even acid, she didn’t care. She just wanted to escape.

When she stared angrily at Hazel Eyes, he looked away. Hate filled her as she gazed at the cold-hearted traitor. He was helping the very people he despised. Ella tried to send her thoughts out to Zane, but panic made it hard to focus. She needed him more than she’d ever needed anything in her life. If he’d just pop in and pop out with her, she’d be okay.