Shades of Gray (18 page)

She stared at him, waiting for the rest of the joke.

“What?” he said, a nervous smile playing on his face. “You’ve been going out every night. I have seen it.”

Her head started to pound, and she felt the blood drain from her face. “Oh,” she said, her voice sounding queer and strained. “Yes, I suppose I should.”

Jamie went over the day’s events—Glamique photo op at ten, a lunch event with New Chicago’s Grandes Dames at one, training exercises at four—and then he left her alone so that Holly could grab a shower before heading uptown to her sponsor’s headquarters.

Holly stayed in her chair.

Something’s wrong with me,
she thought.
Sleepwalking, now, on top of the bad dreams?

Shivering, she rubbed her arms and debated what to do. She knew she should suck it up and go to Mental, get checked out. But the thought of getting examined by Dr. Moore made her sick.

One more night,
she told herself. If she woke up tomorrow still feeling distracted and exhausted, she’d call Moore. Getting up to start her day, Holly Owens sincerely hoped that she’d sleep well tonight.

Holly didn’t know where she was.

She stood ramrod straight, her mind cartwheeling, as she tried to analyze her situation. There was a man standing in front of her, but his features were blurred, as if her eyes couldn’t focus properly. He was a smear of color against a backdrop of white.

Had she been captured? Why couldn’t she remember—

“Yes,” a man’s voice said. “It’s time for you to take an interest in Blackout. He fancies you, and we need to keep him happy. You’ll do nicely, Angelica.”

Holly’s eyes widened.

Behind her, Dr. Aaron Moore continued, “You’ll have to make the first move, of course. He’s so painfully shy around you. You can do that, Angelica, can’t you? Kiss him, let him know you find him attractive, and let nature take its course?”

She spun to face him. “What the hell are you talking about? Where am I?”

His eyebrows raised in surprise. “Oh, awake, are we? Interesting. Hal, would you, please?”

Hands pinned her arms by her sides.

She glared at Moore and reached inside herself to
push
Light into him, enough to turn his mind to putty …

… and then she screamed as every nerve ending lit in agony.

“Well, the conditioning works,” another man said. Holly heard that, even through the pain. “That’s good.”

“Indeed,” Moore replied. “That was the first command, even before the Corp branding. Self-preservation, little brother.”

“You’re only two minutes older.”

Corp?
Holly thought, or tried to think, but then her brain caught fire.

Eventually, the pain ebbed, and Holly slumped in her captor’s arms. When she could speak, she whispered, “What have you done to me?”

A hand lifted her chin. Dr. Moore was peering into her eyes.

“Hmm? Oh, we’ve been doing all sorts of things, Angelica. My brother and I are turning you into the perfect Squadron soldier. You’ll be completely dedicated to Corp. And to me, of course.”

“There’s got to be a way to do this without relying on Hypnotic’s power,” the other man said. “And without tech. Something we can distill, distribute widely …”

“One thing at a time, Martin.” Dr. Moore smiled a toothy smile. “The tech is just the first step. Well, second step, now that we have both Hypnotic and Angelica under control.”

Angelica struggled, but the man holding her was huge, and Earth-power strong. “When I get out of here, I’ll tell the Executive Committee what you’re doing!”

Dr. Moore let out a tittering laugh. “Even if you did, they’d never believe you. I’m their dedicated chief scientist. Besides, you won’t remember any of this, so don’t worry your pretty little head.”

“You’re insane!”

“No need for insults. Martin, since she’s up, let’s give the earpiece a trial run, shall we?”

Holly stomped on her captor’s foot, and was rewarded with a masculine grunt of pain.

“Stop that, Angelica. Don’t take your frustration out on poor Hal,” Moore said. “It’s not his fault you woke up. You’re a stubborn thing, aren’t you?”

Hal?

“Ah, thank you, Martin.”

“If this works,” the other man, Martin, said, “you think Corp will give us a raise, based on all the money they’ll save not having the Runners lacing their food?”

“One can only hope. Hal, if you would? Give the lady a kiss, there’s a good boy.”

Holly was spun around, and yes, there was Hal, in sweats and a T-shirt, looking completely blank, as if he were sleeping with his eyes open. Still pinning Holly’s arms, he leaned down and kissed her.

It was only a moment—Holly, desperately trying to understand what was happening, had been so stunned by Hal’s action that for a moment, she stood still as he kissed her.

And that moment was all it took. Something was placed snugly into her left ear.

And then Holly Owens went away.

“I’m telling you,” Holly said, “I’m feeling fine.”

“Huh.” Valerie shook her head. “If you define
fine
as looking like utter shit, then yeah, you’re more than fine. How long since you’ve slept well?”

“Awhile,” she admitted. “Just having the weirdest dreams.”

They walked down the hallway, headed toward the Squadron lounge. Their bootheels tapped alarmingly loud on the polished floor, as if the entire headquarters had stilled to listen to their conversation.

“Hols,” Valerie said quietly. “It’s been going on for weeks now. You need to talk to Medical.”

“I know.” Holly sighed, rubbed her eyes. “I know. I just hate doctors.”

Valerie laughed. “Don’t tell that to Doctor Hypnotic.”

“Yeah,” Holly said. “About that. I don’t think …”

She was going to tell Valerie that she didn’t think she was going to keep seeing Hal—lately, whenever she would think about Hal, she found herself cringing, as if afraid of his touch. She didn’t know why, but not only was she no longer attracted to Doctor Hypnotic, she was afraid of him.

But that was when they arrived at the lounge, and Holly saw Blackout seated in one of the plush chairs, an old-fashioned paperback novel in his hands. And her feet stopped moving as she watched him read, saw the smooth lines of his face, the dark intelligence in his eyes. The sensual curve of his lips.

She had to know what those lips felt like.

Valerie said something to her, but she didn’t listen. Holly was too busy sauntering over to George Greene, planting herself in his lap and locking her lips onto his.

He let out a surprised squawk … and then wrapped his arms around her and thoroughly kissed her back.

When the kiss ended, she smiled at him. “I’ve been thinking about you.” And she was surprised to realize that was exactly right—she
had
been thinking about George, about how he was so dark and aloof and so mysterious. And so very, very attractive.

He was smiling at her, but it was cautious, guarded. “But … what about Doctor Hypnotic?”

“Who?” she said. And then she kissed Blackout again.

A week later, they disclosed their relationship to Extrahuman Resources. As a result, they were moved into joint quarters, a place big enough to accommodate both of them.

The press loved it—Blackout and Angelica were the newest It Couple, and their faces plastered New Chicago. Corp loved that the press loved it.

And Doctor Hypnotic, strangely, didn’t seem bothered by it in the least. He’d even wished them well.

Holly was relieved. Hal would find someone wonderful, she knew, just as she’d found George.

Just as good as living with the man she loved, and fighting by his side? Holly Owens, finally, was sleeping well again, safe in Blackout’s arms.

CHAPTER 20

LUSTER

I don’t mind this life as much as I thought. And people ask very few questions when you’re giving them what they want most in the world.

—Matthew Icarus, diary entry dated 1988,
the day after the opening of his fertility clinic

L
ester squinted into the strobes of the vids. Even a Light power had limits, and more and more often, as they grew more and more prevalent, he found the swarms of press suffocating.

That was a laugh. Him, Luster, darling of the cameras, averse to the very thing that gave him his popularity. His power.

“Luster! Luster, tell us about you and Vixen.”

“She’s standing right here, mate. Ask her yourself.”

Valerie stood to his left, her hand locked around the elbow of Jumper, a teleporting bank robber. Jumper was currently wearing stun-cuffs and a crop of bruises, courtesy of Luster’s girlfriend.

He grinned to himself. A woman like Vixen was useful to have around. Not to mention smart, beautiful, capable … pick your adjective, the woman was it.

Valerie threw him a wink, and for a moment he lost himself, the sounds of the press on the steps of Squadron HQ fading out. There had been a lot of women before Valerie, but none remotely as interesting. Luster, usually bored after a night or a handful of nights, had found himself unable to think about much except Valerie after being with her for only one night. And here it was, eight months since that first night together, and he was still happy. Wonders never ceased.

“Enough simpering for the cameras,” said a voice in his radio. “Get Jumper to a holding cell. I’m waiting to interrogate him.”

Lester rolled his eyes. “Right away, your lordship.” Ever since his promotion to Team Alpha, Hal had been even more of a pillock than usual. Which was at least ten times as much as anyone else Luster knew.

“Don’t take that tone with me, Luster. I’m still leading this op.”

“Get stuffed, Hypnotic.” Lester dialed his comm off and jerked his head at Valerie. “Time to wrap up. That’s all for tonight, ladies and gents.” He tipped them a salute, and in the cacophony of light and questions, the three extrahumans backed through the doors of headquarters.

“Man, they love you two,” Jumper said, blinking the strobes from his eyes. “You’re like, bigger celebrities than Hollywoodland. It’s kinda awesome.”

“You just tried to teleport an entire vault out of Chicago Trust,” Valerie said, giving him a shake. “You don’t get to talk.”

“Hey, just making conversation.” Jumper slumped down the corridor to the interrogation bay.

Hypnotic stood up like a jackknife when Valerie and Lester buzzed through the door. “Took you fucking long enough.”

Valerie stopped short and even Lester paused. Hal didn’t swear. He and Night were so Hero-Code Approved it was nearly sickening.

Lester revised that statement in his head as Valerie apologized, giving Hal one of those melting smiles that had first made Lester stop and look at her. She wasn’t delicate, not by a long shot, but she was beautiful. Even Hal had to see that.

But Hal wasn’t around much these days. These days, Hypnotic held the reins. Sure, he smiled and clowned when Angelica and Blackout were in evidence, but Lester saw the hardness in Hal’s eyes, the stone of resentment when it was just Lester.

Hal wasn’t over Angelica. And he wasn’t fine, no matter what he said about it. When Blackout’s back was turned, Hal had a look that Lester knew well, one he’d seen on Donnie Bradford’s face, his father’s face, too often.

Hal wanted to hurt someone.

“Leave,” Hal snapped. “I’ll handle this since you’re so busy posing.”

“That one’s a bit musty, don’t you think?” Lester said. “At least pick a slag that hasn’t got dust all over it, Harold. Like, ‘I’ll handle this since you’re so madly in love with Vixen’ or ‘I’ll handle this, since you’re so much better-looking and should be the one posing for the vids.’”

“
Leave,
” Hal roared, and Lester, never the fool, beat a hasty retreat.

Valerie kissed him on the cheek when they were back in the corridor. “I’m going to check in with Ops and file my report. Don’t let him get you too riled, all right?”

“I don’t get riled, luv. I just get even.” He watched Valerie walk away until she turned the corner, then he slipped into the viewing room off the bay.

“Come to watch feeding time at the zoo?”

Lester jumped at the sound of Blackout’s voice. “Christo on the cross, George. Don’t sneak up on a bloke.”

Blackout shrugged. “Sorry. Sometimes I forget. I just … blend in. With the Dark.”

In the interrogation bay, Hal stood behind Jumper, and put his hands on the man’s shoulders. Jumper shuddered as Hal talked, painting a picture with his power, sending the thief into his own world, plucking out his secrets.

Lester shivered right along with the amiable bank robber. One of his recurring nightmares was being trapped in the Mental wing, listening to the drone of Hal’s voice. Hal’s voice became his father’s, became Hal’s—an endless cacophony in his head until Valerie finally shook him awake.

Thank Jehovah for Valerie.

“Our boy’s in fine form,” he said to distract himself. Nightmares weren’t real. He was a grown man now, and he knew that.

“It must be awful,” Blackout said. “To have a voice in your head that’s a stranger’s.”

“Voice in your head, period,” Lester said. “Creepy.”

“Oh, it’s not so bad,” George murmured, and Lester got the distinct feeling Blackout wasn’t talking to him. “If it’s a friendly voice. A familiar voice …” He shook himself and stopped talking.

“What the bloody hell are you on about, George?” Lester demanded. After a moment, “George?”

But Blackout had vanished, whether out the door or into Shadow, Lester didn’t know.

The close little room was hot, but Luster couldn’t shake his chill.

CHAPTER 21

NIGHT

Going to roll out the comlink today. Could be the answer to everything, if it works the way it should.

—From the journal of Martin Moore, entry #73

R
ick.”

Night froze. Then he lost count of his reps, so he started over. A scowl on his face, he pushed up. And again.