Interference: Book One Read online

  “Mercy. Earth to Mercy.”

  I looked up at Fitz, standing in front of the guild with a clipboard.

  “Did you hear your assignment?” He asked.

  “No, sorry. I was planning my escape.”

  He lowered his glasses, unamused. “I want you and Drake to take these streets in Chinatown. Neela, you and Ren take these toward Little Italy.” He handed us print-outs, informing us where to go. “See how much you can get done in three hours, then come straight back. Got it?”

  “Yes, Sir.” I mumbled.

  Wonderful. Three hours with the guy I wanted to kiss and slap at the same time. Was I being punished? That had to be it.

  “You ready?” Drake asked.

  “Yep.”

  “We can take the subway if you like. It’ll be quicker,” he offered.

  “Sounds good.”

  I looked around for an escort—a Fremont employee—anyone not admitted to the institution for a mental disorder. We were going alone, and I found that to be odd.

  Everything about this place is odd.

  Gratefulness overpowered my curiosity, so I kept my mouth shut. The freedom would be nice. I felt as though Fitz and Dr. Lee were constantly watching me—waiting for something to happen. I’d kept my anger under control though . . . for the most part.

  Crisp spring air blew across my skin as the savory smell of food carts assaulted my nose. I missed walking the city streets every day, watching the men and women rush through the busy crowd in their own world—ignoring thousands around them. The streets were packed. Car horns honked, people jaywalked, a naked guy stood in a filthy alley. Typical day in New York.

  Walking down the steps to the closest subway, along with Neela and Ren, we dodged the crowd departing from the previous train. Ren pouted over my assignment with Drake—discontent obvious by his narrowed eyes and tight-lipped smile. Drake hadn’t mentioned it once.

  Ren spoke up. “I don’t see why we can’t switch if we want. I mean, Mercy might not want to spend the morning with you. It’s not like you’ve been very inviting toward her.”

  Neela rolled her eyes at Ren’s sad attempt to swap partners. Drake whipped around, his eyes landing on me.

  “Do you have a problem spending the morning with me?”

  “Oh, um. Well, no. Yes, I mean—No, I don’t.”

  I’d apparently forgotten English.

  Drake looked toward Ren, “She’s fine. Now, shut it.”

  Ren never replied, but sulked as we hurried to scan our Metro cards. We rushed onto the train, doors nipping at our back as they shut tight.

  “That was close,” Neela said while squeezing between passengers.

  It was standing room only, and Drake struggled to maneuver his way to the map to determine our next stop. “We jumped on the blue line, so let’s get off at Canal Street and walk over to Chinatown.”

  No one disagreed, so we all remained quiet. Especially since Drake appeared more on edge than usual.

  As Canal Street lit up the display, we hurried off the train and walked over to the street we were assigned. Neela and Ren still had a couple of extra blocks to go, so Neela waved as she followed Ren to the crosswalk. When Drake wasn’t looking, she wagged her eyebrows up and down.

  She’s such a child.

  I wagged mine back for good measure.

  “See you guys at Fremont,” I called out.

  Ren stomped off without a word.

  “You know, he’s going to pout about this for days.” I grinned at the thought.

  “This isn’t about your boyfriend. It’s community service,” Drake snapped.

  I whipped my head around. “Whoa, excuse me?”

  Drake didn’t answer. He kept walking as though I hadn’t spoken at all.

  I grabbed his arm to stop him, and the familiar pull shot through me. “Ren is not my boyfriend.”

  His eyes darkened the longer I held onto him. He nodded, so I knew he heard me, then spun back around.

  “What about Cassie?” I asked.

  “What about her?”

  “How does she feel about her boyfriend spending the morning with Missy?”

  Drake chuckled. “I don’t know. I don’t tell Cassie anything about myself or the plans I have for the day.”

  “What do you talk about?” I asked.

  “Her. We always talk about her.”

  Ok, that sounded like a miserable conversation.

  Drake stopped to pull garbage bags and gloves from his backpack. The streets Fitz assigned to us were overcrowded and covered in trash from the previous weekend. We worked well together, gathering garbage and taking bags to a public dumpster. I avoided personal questions since that seemed to bring out the worst in him.

  “Favorite baseball team?” I asked.

  “Well, duh. The Yankees.”

  “Basketball?”

  Drake gave me a look that said I should try harder. “The Nets, of course.”

  “Ok, I have a good one for you. Your favorite college football team.” I smiled, waiting for his response.

  He stopped to think about that one, but I knew he had an answer when the grin appeared.

  “Come on. Tell me.” I begged.

  “I don’t have one.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you do. You have to tell me.”

  “Alright. Being from New York, this is top secret stuff. You can’t tell anyone this. Do you promise?” he asked.

  “I promise.”

  “Alabama.” He mumbled it so softly, I almost didn’t hear him.

  “Alright, I get it.” They had an incredible football program. I’d give him that.

  “You get it?”

  “Well, yes. Saban totally turned that program around. They have the best running backs in the country, and the upcoming quarterback is going to be tight.”

  Drake grinned, but didn’t respond.

  I threw my hands up, guilty, “I know, I’m more like a dude sometimes.”

  “I like it. Not dudes. You, I mean. I like spending time with you.” He looked down, as if he couldn’t meet my eyes. “What about you?” he asked. “Who are your favorite teams?”

  Yeah, this was easy for me.

  “Braves, Warriors, Patriots, Predators, Raphael Nadal, and Serena Williams.”

  “Wow, I’m impressed. You even threw hockey in there. You’re my kind of girl.”

  The comment thrilled me, and I grinned up at Drake.

  He realized what slipped out and looked down abruptly. “We better get moving if we hope to finish this block.”

  We spent another hour cleaning, then walked past an empty alley littered with paper bags and bottles.

  “I’ll make a quick sweep here and be back in two minutes,” I said.

  Drake’s gaze searched the alley and his brow furrowed when he glanced back at me. “You’re sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m good. Be back in a flash.”

  As soon as I stepped into the shadows, an eeriness floated through the alley that took my breath. Only a small strip of sunlight peeking through the buildings interrupted the darkness within. The rustle of bags and clanging of bottles were the only sounds, as I scooped up the discarded garbage.

  How much effort did it really take to throw something in a trash can? I found the dumpster sitting in the back corner. Glancing toward the entrance, I didn’t spot Drake anywhere, so I assumed he had moved along. When I lifted the lid of the dumpster to throw the trash inside, a strange voice drifted through the silence.

  “You shouldn’t be here.”

  Startled, I jumped, releasing my hold on the lid. The loud bang amplified my fear, and I spun as though I’d have to defend myself. A dark shadow in the corner captured my attention, and I fumbled back toward the main street.

  Once again I heard, “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “Who’s there? I know karate, so you really don’t want to mess with me.” Of course I didn’t, but they didn’t know that.

  “You’re lying.”

&nbs
p; Damn.

  “Even if you did, it’s not the karate that I’d fear from you.”

  A black hood fell back, and an older man sat on the nasty street, his back against the brick wall. His long thick robe tied in the front and his head was shaved smooth.

  “Ah. You don’t have a clue. Do you?” he asked.

  The man had lost his mind. I had officially arrived in crazy-town. “Clue about what, Sir?”

  He chuckled. “The flame on your back. The mysterious mark on his.”

  I stepped away as if the old man had burned me, and hit my back against the hard, rough brick wall. “How do you know that?”

  “I know more than you can imagine. I can teach you, but you have to find yourself before you can learn from me. Find yourself, Mercy. Look deep within.”

  Drake called out from the entryway, “Mercy, you all done here? We really need to move.”

  I glanced back at the old man, and a pile of loose bricks and trash were all that remained. I spun as if he’d somehow snuck behind me. He was gone. My heart pounded against my chest as I searched up and down the alley. “Did you see that man?”

  “What man? Are you alright? Did someone bother you?”

  “Yes, but he wasn’t a threat. I’m just . . . not sure where he went.” I stepped toward Drake, looking back into the alley once more before continuing. It was empty.

  “Our time is up, wanna catch the train back?” he asked.

  “Sure,” I answered, scanning the area one last time.

  I smelled disgusting. Heat and garbage did not mix well, and a long shower would be the only thing that would help. We made our way back down Canal Street toward the subway. The streets were packed, and I had to stay close to Drake, so I didn’t lose him. The creepy man in the alley weighed heavily on my mind. How did he know about the flame? I couldn’t shake the need to find him—question him.

  The train came into view, and we jumped on it the minute the doors opened. Loads of people shuffled out, and it looked as though Drake and I would be the only ones riding. I peered over at him, one brow raised. I’d never seen it this empty in the middle of the day.

  “There isn’t a bomb threat we aren’t aware of, right?”

  Drake didn’t speak, but looked around on high alert. He grabbed my hand and bolted for the sliding door, but we were too late. When the train jolted forward, Drake gripped me by the arm, leading me down the aisle to a closed-in area in the corner.

  His gaze met mine. “Stay behind me, alright? I need you to promise to listen to me.”

  My eyes widened at his words. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t have time to explain. Do you trust me, Mercy?”

  I looked into his intense black gaze and knew the answer without thinking. “Of course.”

  Drake stood in front of me in a defensive position, looking from door to door. Confusion and paranoia caused me to question everything, but I trusted him.

  Chill bumps ran across my arms, but it had nothing to do with the cold. A charge, almost electric, vibrated throughout the air—anger combined with hurt and revenge. It was hard to describe. It felt as if the emotions radiated from Drake, and even then I struggled to comprehend the reason behind them.

  As the door at the opposite end slid open, two guys stepped forward, dressed in all black. They looked like everyday men—early twenties, clean-shaved and average build—but something told me they weren’t. They were anything but normal. Their black outfits were loose and unrestrictive and a lazy confidence existed in their smirks. The one on the right stepped forward with his arms crossed, his sadistic gaze landing on me.

  “Don’t look at her. You look at me.” Drake demanded.

  What started as an ache, pulled at the back of my neck and radiated toward my skull. A terrible squeezing pressure throbbed inside my head, and I hit the floor, holding both sides of my temples. My vision blurred until there was only blackness. Trapped in an isolating darkness, feeling nothing but pain, I couldn’t think—I could barely breathe.

  “Hang on, Mercy,” Drake called out.

  I could have laid there for minutes or hours—I had no clue. The throbbing slowly dissipated, and I sat up, disoriented. The men remained focused on getting past Drake. The sliding door on the other side revealed several more men, anxious to attack. I slid back against the wall, curled in a corner protecting myself. The pain in my head was somewhat relieved, but still lingered enough to weaken me.

  Two guys came toward us, but it only took one uppercut from Drake on the first guy. He swept the second, the man’s feet flew out from under him, and Drake landed on top. He knocked him out with a punch, so forceful, I feared he’d broken the guy’s neck. I’d never seen anything so violent—but I couldn’t look away. Drake backed up protectively toward me, waiting for the next threat. Several more came forward, but were swiftly dealt with.

  I stood up, gripping the back of his shirt with trembling hands. The pain moved to the front of my head and I leaned against him, fighting against the pressure. I knew he could feel my fear as I clung to his back. Drake was solid, unmoving, and unafraid.

  “Who else is here?” Drake asked. “I think we all know you aren’t capable of any real power.”

  The man sneered at Drake’s remark. “You can’t keep her protected, Moreno. You know how this ends.”

  “I’m not so sure about that, but I’m willing to go with this a little longer if you are.” Drake’s body hummed as the air around us thickened, making it hard to breathe. A look of fear and confusion came over the men, and their hands flew out, feeling around for what they couldn’t see.

  “Damn it, everything is black!” One of the men shouted while keeping his fists out, protecting himself. “He’s a sensory interferer,” he warned.

  “My legs. I can’t feel my legs!” the others screamed as they crumbled to the floor in front of us. The doors opened once again, and a group of men ran through, caging us in. One in particular stepped forward, a cocky grin on a somewhat familiar face. Had I met him before? He wore the same type of uniform, except in gray, with a long robe over his shoulders. His dark eyes met mine, even though his words were for Drake.

  “Drake, it’s been too long. Good to see you.”

  “Not long enough. And, good? That’s amusing,” Drake chuckled, not at all winded from the fight.

  “Want to know what I find amusing? You. You’re convinced you can protect that woman. Aadya’s never going to stop until she’s dead, you know that. After I tear you limb from limb, I’m going to take my time doing the same to her—of course I’ll have a little fun first.”

  Drake stepped forward. “I’d like to see you try. I’m warning you—” Drake froze mid-sentence. “Mercy?”

  My hands gripped Drake’s shirt as anger built within him. I could sense it all around me and the intensity took my breath away. The thought of someone harming Drake, and threatening my life was too much for my—already on edge—nerves to handle. Drake glanced behind him, feeling the change within me. Everything I’d kept buried my entire life, all of the darkness and power, clawed its way forward.

  “Mercy? What are you doing?”

  The air vibrated, and my hands shook uncontrollably. The men took a step back, eyes darting around the train as the car trembled from the unknown force. All at once, the man in gray stepped forward and my arms tensed at my side, palms and fingers splayed wide. A ripple in the air originated from where I stood and exploded outward through the men in front of us.

  As if in slow motion, Drake spun, covering my body with his own as windows exploded on all sides of the train and men flew backward, hitting the wall of the car. After several quiet seconds, he pulled me to a standing position as we took in the destruction around us.

  The subway glided to a stop, and the doors opened for the new passengers to board. There weren’t any, and I found myself even more confused about what just happened. Drake grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the train before the door closed. Looking behind me, I could feel the a
ngry glare of the man who threatened us. He was pissed. Drake didn’t slow at all as we ran up the stairs onto the sidewalk. He weaved through the crowd, knocking people to the side, focused on getting us out of there.

  There were so many questions I wanted to ask. I knew it wasn’t the best time, but anxiety overpowered any sense of reason I had. I jerked on his hand, and he spun to face me, searching for the threat. Drake looked down, his eyes full of worry. “Mercy, we need to. . .”

  “What’s happening to me?” I couldn’t keep my lip from quivering or stop the tears that fell from my eyes. I’d never been an emotional person, but the fear of being the dangerous woman my mother accused me of terrified me.

  His hand cupped the side of my cheek, as his thumb wiped a tear from my face. Drake’s dark eyes softened at the sight of my distress. “Trust me, we need to get off the street.”

  I nodded, and he turned to continue his pace through the crowded streets.

  The old red brick of Fremont came into view, as Fitz paced on the top step—waiting for us. Drake gripped my hand as if he feared I’d disappear. Someone to the side of the door caught my attention, and I realized Fitz wasn’t alone. Cassie waited for her boyfriend to return, and she looked furious. Causing Drake more problems today wasn’t on my to-do list, so I tried to slide my hand away, but he held tight, refusing to let me go.

  “What happened? You were supposed to be back hours ago.” Fitz shouted.

  Hours?

  Walking straight past Cassie without a glance, Drake whispered, “Custos.”

  Fitz paused, staring after Drake, then snapped out of it and quickly followed us into the building, ignoring the stares and whispers in the hall.

  We shuffled into Fitz’s office as he entered behind us and slammed the clipboard on the desk. I sat down, for fear of collapsing. The flush of his face and tight line of his mouth made him look older—more intimidating. “I don’t understand,” Fitz called out. “We don’t even know if she’s the one they’re looking for. There’s nothing concrete to prove it.”

  “I know.” Drake exhaled, as if annoyed.

  Fitz crossed his arms over his chest. “How many?”

  Drake shook his head. “I don’t know, maybe eight to ten?”

  “Eight to ten? Are you joking? Aadya must be desperate. And you handled all of them?”