Family

Chapter 25

“Hello,” Dr. Zollers said once I was in the room, his dark complexion standing out against the blue sky showing through the window behind him. “I’ve been expecting you.”

“I kinda figured that,” I said. “You know why, don’t you.”

His expression was cool, but there was a hint of levity in his eyes. “You suspect.”

I nodded. “You’re a meta.”

“I am.” He kept his infuriating calm. “Always have been.”

“You’re a telepath.” The words sounded incredible as they came out.

“Which makes my career in psychiatry all the more fascinating, wouldn’t you say?” He smiled, and made his way over to the chair that he always sat in for our sessions. “Why don’t you…have a seat?”

“Okay,” I said, though I really didn’t want to.

“And you don’t need that,” he said, nodding at the gun in my hand.

“All right,” I answered, and started to put it away but hesitated. I felt an internal tension rising, and wanted to scream at myself not to put the gun back in the holster at my back. “Why would I listen to you?” I asked him, my head rising as I looked him in the eyes and felt a slight tremor in my body.

“It’s just good manners, really,” he said, and I caught a hint of weariness. “And you might consider the fact that I saved your life the other night.”

“Why?” I asked, and I felt myself slip my gun back into the holster. “How?”

“I knew Mormont was bent all along,” Zollers said calmly, his fingers steepled. “It was proving it without revealing myself that was the problem. You ever try to frame someone for being a traitor? It’s not easy, apparently, even when they are. He didn’t tend to keep any real evidence on hand, and certainly not for long enough for me to nail him on it. Not without suspicion falling on me, anyway.” He let a slight smile crease his face. “And I couldn’t have that.”

“So…” My mind raced, struggling to put things together. “…you’re like some benevolent meta, working to try and help us, protect us from threats like Mormont?”

“Hardly,” Zollers said, and the deep tone of his voice, always so soothing, so reassuring, carried enough of something else that it made me worry – just a little. “I work for…another party.”

“Omega?” I asked, feeling the chill grow.

“No,” he said with little stir. “Omega is a group of toddlers crashing through sandcastles for all their subtlety when compared to my employers.” His usual smile was faded, laced with regret. “They’re fearsome, the people I work for, and I mean that in the most literal sense of the word. You should be afraid of them. Very afraid.”

“Why?” I asked, feeling almost paralyzed. “Omega has been after me since the day I left my house. They’ve sent Wolfe after me, Henderschott, James, and those vampires—”

“These people are worse,” Zollers said without blinking. “And they don’t want you alive, like Omega.” His voice softened. “They want you dead.”

I felt my mouth dry out as I stared at the man I had trusted with as many of my secrets as anyone else. “You were going to kill me that night with Mormont.”

“I was supposed to,” Zollers said, and I saw a well of emotion within him. “But I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it.” I saw wetness at the corners of his eyes and he bowed his head. “They’ll send someone else,” he said, and his eyes came back up, trying to impart seriousness to me. “Next time they’ll send someone harder, someone who won’t be as subtle. My mission was always infiltration, but they have worse. Stone killers, most of them, human and meta, and they won’t hesitate. They’ll die to kill you, if need be.” There was no smile now, just a haunted look in his eyes.

“They were the ones who killed Andromeda,” I breathed. “You betrayed us to them when she was killed.”

He nodded. “You were supposed to die then, too. I should have known you’d outmaneuver them.” He smiled. “They didn’t much care for that, but I warned them that they were underestimating you. They didn’t listen.” His smile evaporated. “They’re listening now, I promise you that.”

I felt my hand slide down to the pistol again, slow, subtle. I felt my control start to return and the fear start to rise the moment he admitted to getting Andromeda killed. My hand slipped onto the gun, and I drew it slowly, no flourish, and I stared at it dully. “You saved my life.”

“Yes,” he said simply.

“I’m going to let you go,” I said, and I knew somehow that he had zero influence over my words now, no dominion, “but not because you saved my life.” I blinked and felt tears run down my face. “I’m letting you go because…you’re the only person I’ve met who ever made me feel…” I blinked again and the whole image of his face was blurred. “…normal. Like I belonged somewhere.”

He stood, slowly, and adjusted his sweater vest as he did so. “I appreciate that you’ve made the choice to let me walk. You were always going to let me go, but you made this decision yourself, without me having to use my power to influence it in the direction I wanted. For that, I’m going to tell you something.” He looked reluctant. “A warning. I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but here it is.” He took a step closer and placed both hands on my shoulders, looking deep into my eyes. “Don’t trust anyone.” He looked at me with those eyes, and I stared back. “No one is looking out for you.”

With that, he broke free of me, and started toward the door. I kept the gun trained on his back as he retreated, and he paused at the door to turn back, his hand on the handle.

“Where will you go?” I asked, not sure why I even cared, or if I expected any kind of answer.

“Far,” he said. “As far as I can go. There is a storm coming, and the people I work for – worked for – are the heart of it. They’ll know I’ve failed, and they’ll want to kill me.” He smiled sadly. “And they probably will, eventually, but I’ll give them a merry chase before they do.” He straightened. “Take care, Sienna Nealon. You are…one of the most unique…” His voice drifted off, and he smiled. “…souls I’ve ever known.”

I watched him carefully. “Worth dying for?”

The ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “Apparently so.” He waved a hand at my head. “They’ll be along for you in a bit – long after I’m gone, I assure you. Until then,” he said, receding from my vision as things started to get blurry, “have a nice nap. It’ll make things easier on you if they don’t know you let me get away.”

“Thank you,” I murmured as I curled up on the floor, oddly comforted, as I had been so many times in this office – and now, never would be again.