The Hostage in Hiding, page 6
The captain raised her voice. “Isn’t that right, boys?”
A ragged chorus of men called, “Aye!”
“But,” false disappointment filled the captain’s voice, “you obviously didn’t inherit your looks from your dear mother. Feisty little Michelle was quite the beauty back before she married your father. In truth, little Nora,” the captain did the mocking sing-song thing again, “you’re plain compared to your mother.”
While the pirate captain needled the girl she thought was Nora Connaught, I wracked my brain trying to figure out who the captain was. She obviously hated my parents—especially Dad—but I couldn’t imagine why. Mom and Dad made plenty of enemies during their adventures, but the pirate thing had me convinced this woman was connected to the pirates who held Dad’s parents hostage for seven years.
It was a safe assumption some of those pirates were women. But all the pirates my parents fought during the rescue were men. So, I was at a complete loss who this woman pirate captain was and why she hated my parents so much.
Through my new link with Sofia, I felt tension building on top of her fear. A similar tension grew inside of me. Right next to my new feelings of self-loathing for agreeing to let Sofia pretend to be me.
Sofia interrupted my thoughts by speaking. Her voice only trembled slightly as she asked, “What are you going to do with me?”
“That is the question, Nora. What, indeed?”
“If you’re smart, you’ll hold me for ransom.”
“Oh ho, listen to little Nora. Are you lecturing me on how to do my job?”
“I’m just pointing out that my family will pay a lot to get me back safely. Enough to make every member of your crew millionaires.”
Excited babbled rose around Sofia as the rank-and-file pirates voiced their approval of that idea.
“Silence!” the pirate captain snapped. “We’re going to make plenty from this haul, as it is, boys. Don’t let this girl’s pretty words distract you from that. Besides, you all know I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on a Connaught for years. And it wasn’t just so I could pick the Connaught’s pockets for a few million credits.”
“A few hundred million credits, you mean,” Sofia countered.
A slap sounded. “That’s enough from you, little Nora.”
The fear and tension flowing through my connection to Sofia kept rising. And I didn’t blame her one bit for it. The unnamed pirate captain obviously had a vendetta against my parents and, by extension, me. And whatever drove her went beyond getting a lot of money from the Connaught family. But I couldn’t figure out what it was.
The captain must have leaned close to Sofia, because she whispered the next words so quietly that only Sofia could hear them. And me. I heard them. And they sent a shiver down my spine.
“You might think your family’s money will save you, little girl, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up.” The captain’s voice dropped even lower. “Have you ever heard this ancient saying? An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth?”
I heard Sofia’s breathing grow ragged and rapid. “I… Yes.”
“Well,” the captain murmured, “I’ve come up with a new addition to it. Would you like to hear it?”
“No.”
“Too bad. You’re going to hear it, anyway.” The captain paused for several seconds, then hissed, “My new addition is, a daughter for a son.”
DIAMOND-HARD TRUTH
What was going on? What did this woman, whoever she was, have against me? My mind raced, searching for the reason behind the pirate captain’s hatred. But nothing came to me.
I’m just No-Talent Nora! I’ve never done anything special. Definitely nothing that would cause the loathing I heard in the pirate captain’s voice.
Over the comm, I heard Sofia gasp. Over my mental link to her, I felt panic bubbling just beneath her emotional surface. Not that I blamed her. I’d be panicking, too, if Sofia hadn’t made the colossal mistake of switching places with me. Of assuming the pirates would value me for the ransom I’d bring.
“Why—?” Sofia choked on the question. She took a steadying breath and tried again. “Why do you hate me so much? What did I ever do to you?”
The captain stopped whispering and spoke so all could hear her. “You were born, child.”
Sofia sobbed softly, “I don’t understand.”
“Are you crying, girl? Can it be that the great and wonderful Matt Connaught’s daughter is a coward? Can it be that the coldly beautiful Michelle Connaught’s daughter cannot face her death with dignity?” The captain sniffed. “I shouldn’t be surprised, what with your soft, privileged life on Ark’s Landing. You never struggled for survival, did you, girl? Death didn’t lurk down every corridor and beyond every airlock like on Rockville Station.”
I’d thought the captain’s tone was as cold as possible, but it dropped to the absolute zero of deep space. “But Death never caught my son in those places. No, Death came for my Paco through your father’s hands. With two blaster bolts to the chest.”
Oh, no. No no no no no no no!
I knew all about the shooting of Paco Rivera. I knew because Dad told me about it before he let Granddaddy teach me about guns. I knew because Paco’s death still haunts Dad to this day. I looked into his eyes when he told me how he felt after he shot Paco. I saw the grim pain taking a life inflicted on him. And that, as much as Dad regretted killing Paco, Dad didn’t doubt he’d done the right thing. That he’d do it again if he had to.
And that meant I knew the details this pirate captain wouldn’t admit. Maybe she couldn’t admit them. But it didn’t change the facts. Dad shot Paco because Paco was trying to kill Mom. And if Paco had gotten her, he’d have turned his blaster rifle on Dad. It was self defense all the way. The security vids confirmed the story, and Rockville Station officials never even pressed charges.
I don’t know if Sofia was familiar with the Rockville Station Shootout—that’s what the writers named it—but that wouldn’t help her. She was openly crying now, terrified out of her wits, and all alone. So horribly alone.
But she didn’t have to be. I could be with her. I could provide comfort. And whatever came next, I could make sure she didn’t face it alone.
Just because you got inside her head once doesn’t mean you can do it again, Nora.
Get out of my way, No-Talent Nora. I don’t need you anymore.
You’ll always need me, because you’ll never measure up to the Connaught name.
Over the comm, Sofia whispered, “Please…”
Just that one word. And Sofia wasn’t even talking to me. But it burned through my mind like a laser.
Don’t even think—
I cut No-Talent Nora off mid-derision. My friend needed me. She needed me now.
And, without another doubt, without conscious thought, I went to her.
In the blink of an eye, I left behind the great storm of emotions from the passengers of the Pegasus. The first time I’d entered Sofia’s mind, I’d discovered an emotional safe haven. A calm and comparatively tranquil refuge for my own battered mind. This time, an emotional storm raged inside Sofia’s mind.
It picked me up and flung me around like a leaf caught in a tornado. Terror buffeted me in ever-growing waves. Despair sucked me into its depths and threatened to drown me. It was all I could do to hold on to my own sense of self under the assault from Sofia’s emotional turmoil.
I felt something vast and terrible lurking in the darkness that engulfed me. Its looming presence drove Sofia’s emotions before it like a wolf pack stampeding a flock of sheep. The thing must be Sofia’s emotional impression of the pirate captain, and it was horrible in ways I had never imagined. Sofia’s panic burst into my mind and crashed against everything that makes me who I am.
I felt reason slip.
I felt sanity crumble.
In desperation, I cried, It’s me, Sofia! Stop panicking! I’m here! I’m with you!
Sofia’s emotional assault on me eased. Yes, that’s it! Breathe, girl. Let me be the calm in your storm.
The terror that battered me didn’t disappear, but it lessened and swirled around me instead of over me. Sofia’s panic responded in the same way, and I finally got a chance to find my bearings inside her mind.
Emotional memories tumbled inside the river of terror and panic that flowed around me. Without conscious thought, I caught one. Last time I was inside Sofia’s mind, the memories were small, squishy, and warm. The fresh memory was nothing but deep shadows briefly illuminated by flashes of painfully bright light that gave me the briefest glimpse of something I couldn’t quite make out. But it was dreadful beyond comprehension.
I dropped the memory and continued trying to sooth Sofia. You’re not alone!
Another emotional memory came my way, and I grabbed it. This one was diamond hard and as cold as the grave. It was filled with deep shadows and mocking laughter. The appallingly frigid memory burned my mind, and I threw it from me in disgust.
All the while, I sent soothing emotions into Sofia’s mind. We’ll get through this together, Sofia. You and me. Don’t worry.
But suddenly Sofia’s emotional storm strengthened. Her panic surged over me and sent me reeling. Fresh emotional memories smashed into me and I caught brief impressions of what she was feeling now.
The hideous effect of the pirate captain’s casual hatred.
The warmth-draining feel of gun metal against her skin.
The inexorable pressure of the blaster pushing against her forehead.
Those feelings smashed through my pathetic attempts to sooth Sofia. Smashed through the idea that I could help Sofia if I was with her. And in a moment of absolute clarity, I realized my mistake.
Whether calm or panicked, there was nothing Sofia could do to stop the pirate captain from killing her. Sofia could die crying and begging for her life, or she could die looking the pirate captain in the eye. But she would die either way. Because the pirate captain held all the power. All the rage. All the pent-up emotions tied to her son’s death twenty years ago.
I’d let my own emotions affect my judgment. I’d let myself get swept up in what I heard and felt from Sofia. I’d entered her mind in a vain attempt to help. And I was certain I could help. Just not from where I was.
Entering another’s mind had been the right thing to do. I’d just entered the wrong one.
With a strength of mind fueled by desperation, I pushed aside the stinging lash of Sofia’s inner terror and searched for her outward projecting fear. It blazed inside her mind like a column of fire. And just like I’d done the first time I exited Sofia’s mind, I grabbed onto her fear of the pirate captain and willed myself to go with it. Her white-hot fear seared my mind, but I didn’t let go.
Sofia’s fear carried me towards a seething black pool that I prayed was the pirate captain’s mind. I smashed into the pool and darkness engulfed me.
Jagged, rasping emotions roiled and boiled all around me. Tongues of dark flame flicked over my…sense of self? Emotional awareness? Whatever held me together inside this new mind, the murky fire scorched what it touched. Searing pain lanced through me and new emotional memories tap danced on the fresh burns.
Joy, when a nurse placed an infant in her arms. Resentment as a man—her husband?—took the baby from her. A wail rose from the child at the man’s rough handling. Relief mingled with fear when the man shoved the baby back into her arms.
Was the baby Paco? Was the man Paco’s father? Um… Hector? Yeah. Mom and Dad told us about Hector, along with Paco. They said Hector was part of the space pirate gang that kidnapped Dad’s parents.
Hot flames washed over me again, bringing more pain and more emotional memories tied to Paco.
Agony warred with impotent anger as Hector towered over her. Paco, now a child no older than four or five, stepped between her and his glowering father. The boy’s posture screamed defiance. Hector’s proclaimed fury. Terror surged in her when an enormous fist fell and Paco crumpled.
I would have cried at the memory if tears were an option. God above, it appeared Paco’s father was an even worse man than Mom and Dad thought. And that says a lot, since they already thought Hector was lower than slug slime.
The pirate captain’s fiery emotions engulfed me a third time. As before, they brought emotional torment.
Joy warred with despondency as she held another baby. A preteen Paco stood before her, insolence and sullen hatred smoldered in his eyes when she showed the infant to him. Paco’s eyes darted to the baby, softened for a second, then flicked back to her. Without a word, he turned and walked away. And Hector watched it all with a tight smile.
More emotional memories scalded me. I saw Paco scorn her affections. Hector ignoring his wife and new daughter. Paco giving his sister the love his mother longed for. Her daughter doting on Paco’s every word. And Paco's mother basking in her son’s devotion to his sister and vicariously claiming a sliver of Paco’s love through her children’s bond.
The darkest flame yet swept over me. I writhed under its blistering heat and would have screamed if I had a mouth.
A girl on the cusp of womanhood stood before her. Tears streamed from eyes filled with loss and anguish. The pirate captain extended her arms towards the girl. Anger flashed in her daughter’s eyes. She shouted and evaded the proffered hug.
That emotional memory—I guessed it was when the pirate captain and her daughter learned of Paco’s death—triggered a cascade of other emotions.
Relief when the Federation imprisoned Hector for piracy. Despair as her daughter grew distant. Determination to win love from her daughter. Hatred for the chosen source of all her despair—the fugitive heir, Matt Connaught. Resolve to even the score with him.
I almost felt sympathy for Paco’s mother.
Almost.
Yeah, she had a tough life. My brief glimpses into her marriage to Hector horrified me. Stuck on Rockville Station, escape from that life was probably impossible. I could even sort of understand the twisted logic that fueled her hatred of Dad and, by extension, me. But the woman’s solution to her vendetta against my family utterly turned me against her.
I mean, piracy? Come on, what kind of person decides it’s okay to ruin thousands of lives just to take revenge for an innocent man’s imagined crimes against her? One with a tenuous hold on sanity, I guessed. And any doubts I had that Paco’s mother could kill Sofia vanished.
The first time I entered Sofia’s mind, I learned I experienced time differently inside another head than I did inside my own mind. But that didn’t mean I had a lot of time to spare. I felt certain Paco’s mother had a gun pressed against my friend’s forehead.
Would the pirate captain draw out the scene? Would she search for satisfaction from Sofia’s suffering? Or would she decide that would only come from pulling the trigger?
Whatever she decided, I had mere seconds to stop her.
Earlier, Sofia’s emotions responded to my mental commands, so I tried the direct approach first. I reminded myself that the pirate captain thought Sofia was me and sent a command at the captain.
You don’t want to shoot Nora Connaught. She’s innocent, and killing her will only make you feel worse. You’ll feel guilt that will consume you from the inside out.
The pirate captain’s mind roared, drowning out my mental voice. The emotional conflagration raging around and over me doubled in ferocity, fanned and fed by the force of her rejection of my command. Barbed shards of memories tied to Paco and her daughter lashed my senses, ripped open my soul, and poured bitter, stinging memories into the fresh emotional wounds.
I felt the captain’s mind crumble. Watched her rebuild her identity around a core of burning hatred for my father. Reveled in that hatred as it consumed her every waking thought. Heard the captain infect her daughter with it and shape the girl’s will.
Malice for everyone and everything associated with the Connaught name smashed into me and tore away my meager emotional protection. Loathing for my family oozed into me through the tattered remains of my emotional self. My grip on reality—already slipping away under the emotional assault I’d been under since my empathic ability burst forth—loosened further as the captain’s insanity insinuated itself into the very core of my being.
I flailed for a lifeline to pull myself out of the captain’s mind. But I couldn’t find the shaft of terror I’d ridden from Sofia’s mind into the captain’s. I was sure the pirate still terrified Sofia, but neither of them were empaths. Their emotions wouldn’t extend into another person’s mind. At least, not without help from me.
The captain’s rage seethed all around me, and it led straight to the girl she thought was me. But the insane anger frightened me more than anything else I sensed inside the pirate captain’s mind. If I took hold of the enmity the captain felt for my family, I felt certain my touch would be the last spark that tipped the captain over the mental edge. She’d pull the trigger of her blaster, and Sofia would pay for my mistakes with her life.
Something soft and fuzzy crashed into me. It felt so different from the ragged-edged emotions pummeling me that I thought Sofia had somehow thrown me an emotional lifeline. I scrambled after it as the out-of-place bundle of emotions and memories bounced off me. It almost eluded my grasp, but I flicked a tendril of desperation at the fluffy ball. My mind sank into the thing and…
Four-year-old Paco faced her. Terror and confusion filled his innocent face. He held his arms out, seeking solace and safety in her warm embrace. One hand held a toy gun someone had given him for his birthday. A gigantic shadow fell over Paco, plunging the boy into darkness. A monstrous capering caricature of Matt Connaught appeared behind the boy. Twisted glee danced in Matt’s glowing red eyes. A long tongue flicked over blood-red lips as Matt lifted a huge blaster and pointed it at little Paco. Matt met her gaze. His mouth split in an impossibly wide grin. A bolt flashed from the blaster and right through Paco. The little boy stumbled. One tiny hand reached for her. Then he fell. Above her, demonic Matt Connaught laughed maniacally.
