The Mesmerized Read online

  Grudgingly, Alec reached into his jacket to pull out the cards. His eyes meeting Minji’s, she could almost hear the wheels in his head turning as he contemplated his options. For a second, she feared he’d pull his own weapon. Instead, he handed her the two cards, keeping the tablet and remaining card out of sight.

  “I’ll take care of this,” Deputy Hatcher said in a gruff voice. “Since you seem incapable of doing your duty.”

  Alec glowered at him intensely.

  Putting more pressure on her arm, the man directed Minji toward the waiting SUV. “Move along.”

  Minji stumbled, but caught her balance. She glanced toward Ava. The little girl was following. It broke Minji’s heart to see that Ava’s hands were trembling.

  “Give those to Arthur,” Deputy Hatcher directed when they arrived at the SUV.

  With a sarcastic smile, Minji extended her hand. “Don’t lose them, idiot.”

  With a frown, Arthur took the cards. “You’re a traitor.”

  “You’re still an idiot.”

  To her surprise, Deputy Hatcher handed her the keys. “You’re driving. Just aim the SUV right down the center of that pathway. This road leads straight to the facility.”

  “See! See how they are with her! They’re making a path,” Arthur hissed, casting a distrustful eye in Ava’s direction. “It’s because it likes her.”

  “Calm down, Arthur. We’ve got it under control now. See?” Deputy Hatcher gestured with his free hand for Minji to take the wheel while prodding her with the end of the revolver. “Get in and climb over the console into the driver’s seat.”

  Minji again considered her options, but came to the same conclusion that there was nothing she could do at the moment to escape. At least Alec had one card left. She wondered if the mesmerized would let him through without Ava. If something happened to her, then Alec was the world’s last chance.

  Entering on the passenger side, Minji scooted over the center console, ducking her head to do so. The interior of the car reeked of cigarette smoke. The deputy never let the weapon leave her side as he slid into the passenger seat. Seizing Ava’s arm, he hoisted her into the vehicle and positioned her between his legs. The child gave him a dark look, but remained silent. Indicating the gun pressed against Minji’s ribs, the deputy made the silent threat crystal clear to the entity within the girl.

  Ava crooked her head to gaze at Minji.

  “I’m going to get you home,” Minji promised.

  Arthur climbed into the back seat and slammed the door shut. “Simone is probably hiding in the shuttle bus.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We have what we need. Drive, Minji.”

  Shifting into gear, Minji drove the SUV onward. Meanwhile, Alec strode to the shuttle bus, his hands on his hips and a weary expression on his face. Deputy Hatcher rolled down the window, letting cold air sweep through the vehicle.

  “Take the other woman and the baby somewhere safe and wait this out. I’m sure the authorities will want to know all about you deciding to not obey orders!” the deputy shouted when the vehicle rolled past Alec.

  “Blowing up the facility will kill thousands upon thousands of people! Send it home and end this!”

  Deputy Hatcher rolled up the window and shook his head in disgust at Alec’s words.

  “I told you. They’re on its side,” Arthur groused.

  Directing the SUV onto the path cutting through the mesmerized, Minji squeezed the steering wheel in an effort to quell her trembling. As one, the great mass of the mesmerized started walking again. This time they strolled in two columns, allowing passage to the SUV.

  “Working like a charm,” the deputy said with satisfaction.

  “You could have just asked us to team with you, you know,” Minji said.

  “After what Arthur told me, I’m not about to risk the world. You’ve been protecting it since all this started.”

  “That kid’s been creepy since the first time I saw you, and she only got worse,” Arthur hissed near her ear. “You keep protecting her even though you know that she’s possessed by the thing destroying the world. Maybe you want to bring destruction down on humanity since you’re a weird Goth girl, but we won’t let you.”

  Minji wished that the entity would attack, but Ava’s eyes now glittered with unshed tears, stark fear stamped on her face. Was it just the entity, or was Ava afraid, too? The need to comfort her child was difficult to ignore. Maintaining her focus on her journey along the track provided by the mesmerized, Minji’s mind skimmed through all the ways she could possibly outwit the two men holding her captive.

  The beams from the headlights illuminated the terrible condition of the masses. A few individuals toppled to the ground only to be trampled by the others.

  “If you set off the bomb, you’ll kill all these people. You’ll kill us,” Minji said. “There is no way we can escape in time.”

  “Maybe. I don’t like the idea of dying, but if it’s to save everyone else, I’ll do it,” the big man answered ominously.

  “Uh, what bomb? What?” Arthur leaned forward. “What bomb, Lenny?”

  “He didn’t tell you? Part of their orders is to set off a bomb to destroy the facility to make sure the creature is dead.” Checking her rearview mirror, Minji was pleased to see Arthur’s frightened face.

  “Can’t we just shoot it?” Arthur asked.

  “I don’t know. No one told me if it’s killable that way. We’re supposed to go in, follow the shutdown procedures on the portal, and then activate the bomb.” There was a hint of uncertainty in the man’s face and tone. “We’re supposed to have enough time to get away, but with all these people out here, I doubt we’d be able to.”

  “But if we can shoot it, can’t we skip the bomb part?” Arthur sounded on the verge of a panic attack.

  “Maybe...” the deputy said, but sounded non-committal.

  A definite bruise was forming where the gun was pushing into her ribs. Minji bit the inside of her lower lip to keep from whimpering. Every bump in the road was deepening the contusion, making it more painful.

  “What if we just kill her?” Arthur asked, pointing at Ava.

  “Hey!” Minji almost swerved, but caught herself.

  With a grave expression, the deputy shook his head. “It won’t do any good because the creature is out there. She’s just its way of spying. We’ve got an hour to worry about it. We’ll deal with the situation when we get there. One way or the other, this thing needs to die.”

  Ava’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two men, and then settled on Minji.

  With all her heart, Minji wished for another attack.

  Instead, Ava set her hand on Minji’s wrist as if to comfort her.

  Chapter 32

  The vast heavens were alive with the brilliance of stars and a glowing sliver of a moon. Ava’s face turned upward to gaze at the beauty of the sky, ignoring the fetid appearance of the mesmerized. Minji wondered what the entity saw among the stars. Did it see the world similarly to how humans did? She rather doubted it. The visions during the first attacks were unlike anything she’d ever seen. The intense colors, the canticle of ethereal resonances, and the surreal landscape were nearly impossible to describe. Even her memory was a faded replica of what she’d seen. How frightening the world of humanity must be to a being used to such majesty. It must be like being cast out of heaven.

  “It’s wearing your daughter’s face, but it’s not your daughter, you know,” Deputy Hatcher said, jolting her out of her reverie. “Look at what it has done. The destruction. The death.”

  “It doesn’t understand. Or at least it didn’t,” Minji retorted. “We brought it here, then trapped it. It was defending itself.”

  “It killed my family,” Arthur raged, pointing an accusing finger at Ava. “It murdered them. And it would kill us, too, if we weren’t immune.”

  “It murdered those soldiers back there. You saw them, didn’t you?” The deputy shot a disapproving look at Minji.

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nbsp; The gun pressed harder into her side. Was Deputy Hatcher doing it out of anger? Or unconsciously?

  “They were identified as a threat. Maybe because of their uniforms. Or because they tried to get into the facility. Just like all the people wearing white,” Minji replied. “Did you think of that? Maybe it thought they were trying to hurt it. Which is the truth of the matter. They were trying to hurt it.”

  “And that’s why you’re with us.” The deputy watched the mesmerized part before the SUV like the Red Sea parting for Moses. “For some reason, it likes you. And for foolish reasons, you’re protecting it.”

  Resisting the urge to get into a verbal war with the deputy, Minji concentrated on the patch of road in front of the SUV. The pathway through the mesmerized made the journey easier, but she didn’t dare drive too fast. There were children and elderly in the crowd and sometimes they were bumped into the path of the SUV. So many had died already and she didn’t want to be responsible for any more deaths.

  “We’re almost there,” the deputy said studying the GPS on the dash. “We should be coming up on it any second now.”

  Minji slowed the SUV as the road gradually curved. It was difficult to see the lay of the land with the mesmerized obscuring the view. The tall posts of a toppled fence came into view. Beyond the remains of the enclosure were several squat concrete buildings. The mesmerized were swarming a dome shaped building on the far end that wasn’t much larger than a shed.

  Deputy Hatcher pointed toward the oddly shaped structure. “That’s the entrance.”

  The mesmerized were compressed so compactly into the area, they could no longer move to allow the SUV to pass. Minji was forced to stop.

  “Keep going, keep going,” Arthur insisted.

  “I can’t. There’s too many. We have to walk,” Minji answered.

  “Fences are down,” the deputy observed. “There are about a hundred yards between here and the entrance. Walking through it will not be easy. Minji, carry the little girl and take the lead. I’ll be right behind you. Arthur, you’re last.”

  “But what if they try to hurt me?” In the rearview mirror, Arthur’s face resembled that of a mouse cornered by a cat.

  “They won’t.” The deputy shoved the passenger door open and pushed on it with one foot until the mesmerized scooted out of the way. Wrapping one arm around Ava, he motioned for Minji to turn off the SUV. “You’re going to slide over the console just like before. Understood?”

  Nodding, Minji popped her seatbelt and obeyed. She’d hoped for some relief from the constant prodding of the gun, but the deputy was very good at keeping it lodged against her ribs. When she set foot on the ground, he swung Ava into her arms. The little girl was no longer ramrod straight in Minji’s embrace, but clung to her.

  The gravel covering the parking area made the ground uneven and crunched beneath the soles of her boots. The mesmerized pressed in around her, but she managed to keep moving. The wretched smell of body odor filled her nostrils and made her eyes water, but it was better than the acrid smell of the fires in Las Vegas. Bumping into the men, women, children, and elderly, she fought the urge to apologize for forcing her way through their midst. The blank faces and empty eyes sent slivers of fear through her. What if she was wrong and they turned on her? Visions of the two dead soldiers sprang to mind. Fear almost froze her in her steps, but a hard jab from the gun prompted her onward.

  “Keep moving,” Deputy Hatcher barked.

  The heads of the mesmerized swiveled to watch her passage, though their eyes remained lifeless. Was it the other entity watching? Minji swallowed the hard lump in her throat and whispered to Ava and the child entity that everything was going to be okay.

  The gun was an unwavering presence at the base of her neck. It was a relief after the bruise inflicted on her ribcage.

  “I don’t like this,” Arthur called out. "They’re watching us.”

  “They’re watching her,” the deputy replied.

  The distance to the entrance gradually diminished. She was running out of time. Again, she pondered her options.

  “Once we get to the door, use the card to go in, Arthur. When it resets, I’ll follow. Minji and the little girl can wait outside while we deal with this.”

  Upon hearing these directions, Minji knew she had to make a move and fast. The barrel of the revolver against the back of her head was terrifying, but so was failing. Was it wrong to want to help save a child from another world? She thought of her own daughters. Wouldn’t she want someone to help them if they were lost? If there could be a peaceful end for both worlds, she had to take a risk. She had no doubt that Deputy Hatcher believed he was doing the right thing, but she had to wonder how willing he was to actually shoot her. Did he really see her as a criminal? Someone dangerous enough to kill?

  The entrance loomed before her, a heavy steel door inset into an alcove. Tightening her hold on Ava, she deliberately stumbled. Instantly the press of the gun vanished as she brought her head down, curling her body around Ava.

  “Attack them,” Minji whispered urgently.

  The silky, freezing tendrils swirled around Minji, invisible to the naked eye, but tangible against her skin. The mesmerized froze in place. Relief flooded Minji.

  “I’m completely immune like you,” Deputy Hatcher’s voice said from above her. “Now get up.”

  Lifting her head, Minji stared in shock at the weapon aimed at her head. “Don’t do this. Please, listen to reason.”

  “Get up!” The coldness in the man’s dark eyes spoke volumes. He would shoot her.

  A blast of a car horn echoed through the night and headlights sliced through the dark. It was the shuttle bus. Startled, the deputy glanced over his shoulder, the weapon in his hand wavering.

  In that instant, Minji sensed the frigid invisible tentacle power she’d experienced before. Now that she was aware of the influence of the two entities, she felt the difference. This was the mother. And she was furious.

  The mesmerized seized the deputy from all sides, dragging him to the ground.

  “Don’t kill him!” Minji shouted. “Don’t kill him!”

  Thrashing beneath the mesmerized, the deputy’s cries were frantic gibberish. Sweeping Ava up onto her hip, Minji backed away from the cluster around the screaming man.

  “Please don’t kill him!”

  Arthur snapped out of his transfixed state and screeched in terror. Shoving the mesmerized out of his way, he darted around the thrashing pile of bodies and raced toward the door. Minji swung about and followed him.

  “Do it again! Freeze him!” Minji urged the entity within Ava.

  The child’s eyes were full of fear. Maybe she couldn’t do it again. Upon quick reflection, Minji realized the attacks had been spaced apart. Maybe the entity had to recover each time before it could act again.

  Arthur slammed into the door, pressed a card against a square of murky glowing glass inset in the wall, and the steel door slid open in the blink of an eye. Diving inside, Arthur twisted about and flipped Minji off.

  The door banged shut.

  “Shit!”

  The glass was a dull color now. Minji fished the card out of her pocket with trembling fingers. The mesmerized continued to subdue the deputy. Or were they killing him? She could hear the man screaming, but wouldn’t he be dead by now?

  “Arthur is immune to your mother’s power, but not yours,” Minji said quietly to the entity inside of Ava. “That’s why things have been so bizarre.”

  Then a thought struck Minji so forcibly, she slumped against the door. It wasn’t the child that had chosen her. It was the mother. Minji wasn’t immune. The first attacks had been overlapping each other. Minji remembered vividly going blind and the visions. She had succumbed to the influence of the entities, but then it had stopped. Everyone had assumed she was completely immune. But that wasn’t the case at all.

  She’d been chosen.

  Finally, the pane of glass lit up again and Minji slid the card over it.

/>   “Minji!” Alec’s voice called out from amidst the mesmerized. “Don’t go in!”

  “Follow me!”

  The door gaped open. A very small, stainless steel elevator waited. It was only big enough to fit a tall, large man. Holding Ava firmly against her chest, Minji stepped into the elevator. Only one person was supposed to enter at a time and when the door slammed shut, she knew why.

  “Two heartbeats detected. Beginning security protocol,” a voice intoned from above.

  There was a terrifying hiss from above her head and gas filled the elevator. Minji attempted to hold her breath, while pressing her hand against Ava’s lips. Hopefully it was just a knock out gas and nothing lethal. Ava’s gaze met hers as her vision became gray around the edges. Tears dripped from the corners of Minji’s eyes when she realized she was about to fail. Now Alec was their only hope. Or would the elevator lock down and not let him in?

  Darkness swallowed her vision and Minji slumped against the wall. Ava’s tiny hands pressed against her face, cool and comforting.

  Minji’s mind was engulfed in sounds and sights that sent her to the brink of madness.

  Chapter 33

  Minji opened her eyes when the elevator doors opened. The gas had been sucked back into the vents and the air was fresh. A rush of adrenaline made her heart hammer in her chest in a painful staccato beat. She should be unconscious, taken down into the depths by the gas in the elevator, but she was vividly awake. It was the child entity in Ava who was doing it, keeping her mind alert when her body should be asleep. The fine spider web tendrils of the child were wrapped around her brain. She could feel each individual one.

  The hallway was surprisingly dull with gray walls and off-color ceiling tiles with black flecks. The floor was highly polished concrete. There wasn’t a speck of color anywhere except for a small plant sitting on what Minji assumed was the receptionist desk. There was no sign of Arthur.