Page 131 of A Stop in Time
The whispered words pour out of me without hesitation. “Help me, Mac. Help me find you.”
I stand drenched in silence until something indescribable has my feet moving further down the hall to the very end. There’s no sound of voices but the trace of light beneath this particular door tells me she’s in there.
An ominous chill races through me the instant I push open the door.
It only gets worse when the man’s voice reaches my ears, causing every single fucking hair on my body to stand on end.
“Ah, so nice of you to bring him along.”
61
MAC
Terror grips me in its unyielding grasp, clawing at my throat, because Daniel shouldn’t be here. It’s too dangerous.
Dr. Pinney stands in the connecting doorway leading to the “torture room.”
Dressed in a simple hospital gown, a woman remains lying on the gurney, her eyes trained on the ceiling. She doesn’t move or blink; the only indication she’s alive is the barely noticeable rise and fall of her chest.
The intern looks like he’s about to have a coronary from panic alone, while Dr. Pinney radiates smugness. “You appear conflicted, Mr. Madrano. Who do you kill?”
He steeples his fingers in front of him. “The woman who murdered your sister or the man responsible for programming her to do so?”
Spine rigid, Daniel holds himself utterly still, gun in his grip. Green eyes dart my way ever so briefly, and if I weren’t so attuned to him, I’d miss the slight dip of his chin. It’s as though he’s offering me a sign to say that he’s supporting me in at least this. In me ending this nightmare, once and for all.
Dropping his hands at his sides, Dr. Pinney’s lips curve upward. “Quite the quandary, don’t you think? Not to mention, your sister assisted me for years, helping me with twenty-seven other unsuccessful subjects before my lovely Eleanor Mackenzie.”
Holy shit. That’s what the twenty-seven tally marks represented in Emilia’s employee file. There were twenty-seven others before me?
“Unfortunately, Emilia grew a”—his lip curls in derision—“conscience and was planning to free my most-prized subject.”
He lets a pause linger. “Understandably, I couldn’t have someone on board who posed a threat.”
His eyes settle on me with a disturbing mix of affection and pride. “I could always count on you to eliminate them for me. Not to mention, you were always ready to dispose of the subjects that failed or disappointed me. You were such a good girl.”
Evil delight suddenly stains Dr. Pinney’s expression as he withdraws a small device from his pocket.
“But now, I’d like to introduce you to my most promising subject.”
Pressing his thumb on the button, he eyes me sharply just as I sense a strange urge. I’m bombarded by the sensation of an invisible pull on my muscles, but the necklace must be diffusing whatever it might be.
Dr. Pinney’s brows knit together. He appears troubled but turns to the open doorway leading to where the intern and woman are. “Oh, Catherine,” he calls out.
She sits up so abruptly, she startles the intern, who scrambles away, hovering against the wall in fear. Wide-eyed, he watches her slip off the gurney.
Dr. Pinney’s attention returns to me while still addressing the woman. “I have someone I’d like you to meet.”
Long, determined strides carry her toward us, and as she crosses in front of Dr. Pinney, he murmurs quietly. “He appears to have a weapon, Catherine.”
She holds up her hand, and Daniel’s gun flies from his grip and lands in her palm. I can’t help but stare. What the fuck? Daniel advances on her, only to immediately stop as if he’s being held back by some invisible force.
Panic ripples through me, and I press my thumb and finger together, desperately hoping it’ll somehow work this time. Of course, when nothing happens yet again, I swallow hard against the bitter defeat.
Dr. Pinney’s astute eyes flick to my right hand, curiosity gleaming in the depths, before he tips his head to the side. “Catherine has recently developed telekinesis and psychokinesis. Isn’t that remarkable? Even more impressive is her ability isn’t affected by this particular space that’s known to be resistant to any energy manipulation.”
His gaze hardens, a strange dichotomy to his softened tone. “Have you brought him here as a gift to me, Mackenzie?” Patronization laces his words, as though I’m a small child.
Eyes sweeping over my features, he scrutinizes me closely. “Did you bring me one of your victims’ siblings? Did you tell him how you killed her?” A flicker of evil joy flares in his eyes. “How she put up a fight, but you beat the life out of her?”