I can’t breathe again, but this time Bobby has nothing to do with it. The room and everyone in it seem to be underwater. Laila sways slightly back and forth with the knife pressed to her throat. I can hear her draw in a surprised breath, her shoulders rising slowly with the sound. Bobby leans one hand against the bookcase, a smile creeping onto his face. And next to me, Duke turns toward Bobby, each miniscule movement being registered and recorded by my mind. Has the world around me slowed down, or am I in another dimension?
Outside, a car’s tires screech over what sounds like a mile of asphalt before car doors open and slam. And then Duke dives forward, swimming through the air. Bobby’s smile contorts into rage, and Laila’s hand pulls back and then moves forward, releasing the knife. It flies like an arrow through honey, straight toward me. I have plenty of time to see its exact path and move out of the way. It sticks, point first, into the wall behind me. When the front door is battered open, the spell is broken, and Duke’s flying form connects with Bobby in a full-body tackle. Laila collapses in a heap on the floor, and I let out the breath I had been holding in a giant whoosh of air.
I crawl forward to Laila’s side. Her neck is dripping blood, but the wound looks superficial.
“I’m so sorry,” she says. “Did that knife hit you? I had no control over it.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“And about Duke …”
“Duke’s a Mood Controller,” I manage to say without emotion, even though I had learned it myself less than two minutes ago. “He had us both under his influence.”
“Hands up where I can see them, everyone,” a man in a black Bureau vest says as he enters. He’s followed by three men holding guns. Soon the guns are only pointing at Bobby. Laila, Duke, and I are led outside to where my mom waits by a white, unmarked car. As I run toward her wide open arms, the tears I’d been holding in making their way down my face, the world fades to black.
CHAPTER 36
screwed: adj. having to choose a bad path to avoid a worse one My eyes pop open, and I suck in a huge mouthful of air.
“What did you see?” Laila asks.
Her voice startles me and, as if on a springboard, I launch myself to a sitting position. It takes me a moment to realize everything I just saw wasn’t real even though my heart feels like it’s been ripped in half.
“You look horrible,” she says. “Is everything okay?”
“No.” I push my fingers against my temples as if that action will squeeze out a solution. There has to be a solution.
My dad.
I jump out of bed and run to the door. Just as I’m about to open it, I stop. Think this through first, Addie. If I tell my dad about Bobby and Poison that will solve both problems, won’t it? No. What if telling my dad about Bobby delays his leaving the Compound so he can investigate? I know the Bureau can’t use my Search as evidence. First I’m underage, and second my ability is considered subjective. Too many variables. So, what if my dad can’t bring Bobby in for questioning? What if that sets off a completely different series of events with Bobby still free? If I could save the murdered girls referred to in the interviews, I would march out there right now. But they’re already gone. The first crime happened the second week in September and the other months ago.
I sigh.
“You’re scaring me,” Laila says. I had almost forgotten she was here. I turn to face her. What if I just tell her? Surely she’ll stay away from Bobby. I roll my eyes. The knowledge will probably send Laila straight to his house with a knife and an attitude. And even if she does stay away, what if Bobby goes after a different girl instead? Crap. I have to live out my sucky future with Duke.
“I don’t want to do this.”
I throw back my head and groan. I know she has to Erase the life with my mom. If she doesn’t, there is no way I could even stand to look at Duke, let alone allow him into my life so that the future plays out exactly like I saw it. Even the slightest variation can result in dire consequences. Laila got into serious trouble in both versions of the future. A completely different path, like choosing neither of my parents, or marching out and telling my dad everything, will only lead to a different variation of trouble. At least this way I know Laila will be fine.
I lean my back against the wall as the next logical thoughts come into my mind. If she only Erases Duke, the knowledge of Laila’s death will paralyze me, terrify me. And there’s no way I’d fall for Duke with Trevor on my mind.
She has to Erase Trevor too. I want to scream.
“Do you need to go further, or do you know which future you want?”
I feel numb. “Yes, I know.”
“It was that apparent, huh?” She looks down at the bed and then back up at me. “Are you staying?”
“Yes.”
A huge smile breaks out on her face, and she jumps up and flings her arms around me. “I’m so happy. I knew you couldn’t live without me.”
I want to hug her back. I want to tell her never to look at or talk to Bobby or Duke. But I don’t. “You’re right, I can’t.”
She pushes me out by my shoulders. “Okay, so do you want me to Erase your memories now or—”
“No. Not now,” I interrupt, the suggestion making my heart pick up speed. I take several deep breaths. I don’t want to forget Trevor yet.
Over Laila’s right shoulder, painted on my wall, are the words “… we had everything before us, we had nothing before us …” I remember when I first read those words from A Tale of Two Cities. They spoke to me. They speak to me again now.