Free Payback by Melinda Metz - Fingerprints - 7 Page B

trembling.
    “It… it sounds great with Zeke,” Mandy said. “But is it like Rae and Anthony? If there was something you wanted to do, would it be important to him? As important as it is to you? Because that’s how it seems like it is with Rae and Anthony. And I think, I hope, that’s how it might be with me and this guy someday.”
    “Yeah. Definitely,” Emma answered.
    Mandy shot Rae another panicked glance. Rae knew Mandy wanted her to say something. But what? Emma was never going to see anything bad about Zeke. That was obvious.
    “Real y?” Mandy went on when Rae didn’t jump in. “So like when you head off to UCLA, would he, I don’t know, would he rent a U-Haul and drive your stuff? Would he move to LA to be with you? Would he quiz you on your homework for UCLA?”
    Too much. Way too much, Rae thought. But there was nothing she could do to stop the train wreck.
    “You’ve been listening in on my phone cal s again, haven’t you?” Emma demanded. She shoved the ice cream carton at Mandy.
    “Did you tel Dad what you’ve heard?”
    “If I had, you’d be locked in your room permanently,” Mandy answered. “But you’re insane if you think Zeke real y loves you. If he did, he’d want you to take the scholarship and-”
    “Get out,” Emma ordered, her voice low and cold. “Right now. Both of you.”
    *
    The sting of the electric charge hit Yana’s temple.
    “What is it?” Eggar asked, holding up a playing card with its back to her.
    Yana had no clue. Her brain felt like a melted blob of ice cream. “What is it?” Eggar repeated.
    Slowly Yana managed to find the words she wanted. “Two of spades,” she answered, taking a wild guess.
    Eggar placed the card on the table between them, faceup. Seven of hearts. “The electric stimulation doesn’t seem to have any effect. Let’s move on.”
    Move on? God, weren’t they finished? If they kept going, her brain wouldn’t just be a blob. It would be a puddle. Yana yanked off the electrode that had been taped to the side of her head. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a flash of movement. She tur ned toward the window that looked out onto the hal , expecting to see some other agency suit. But it was Sam. The freakboy who’d glommed on to her in the parking lot yesterday. He was wearing a T-shirt with a chimp on it. Someone had drawn a table around the chimp and added restraints to its hands and feet. The guy pointed at Yana, pointed at himself, then pointed at the chimp, like they were three of a kind. Then he turned and walked away.
    “Who was that?” Yana asked.
    Eggar got up and shut the blinds. “You don’t need any distractions,” he told her.
    “I need a break. That’s what I need,” Yana said.
    “If you are serious about discovering the depth and range of your powers, you-”
    Eggar was interrupted by the door swinging open. A woman in a suit that screamed money, money, money stepped inside. Ins tantly Eggar stood, gathered his notes, and left. The woman sat down across the table from Yana and smiled. “Is Eggar treating you al right?” she asked.
    “He’s okay,” Yana said.
    “Good, good,” the woman answered. “Did you sleep wel last night? Is there anything I can get you? Change of clothes? Some food you’ve got a craving for? I get a serious craving for biscotti right around this time of day. The ones that have been dipped in chocolate.”
    Oh, so you’re going to be the good government agent. You act all concerned about me, and then I’ll do whatever you want, right? Yana thought. Well, I’m not that easy.
    “Who are you?” Yana asked.
    “Sil y me.” The woman smoothed her deep red hair away from her face with her perfectly manicured nails. “I’m Layla Cascone.
    I’m the administrator of this facility. We’re al very glad you found your way to us. I know we can help you reach your maximum po tential.”
    And then what will you have me do with it? Yana wondered. That was the mil ion-dol ar question. She