Free Oblivion by Adrianne Lemke Page B

too.”
    “Where is he?” I
asked again, aiming my focus toward Kindred again.
    “There is a large
abandoned building near the edge of town,” Kindred informed us. “This group has
taken it over for their own use.”
    “I know the
place,” Tessa said. “It’s an old steel mill. Since it was shut down it has been
used for all sorts of questionable activities. Unfortunately it is hard to
prevent people from breaking in.”
    “Or from taking it
over, apparently,” Kindred spoke acerbically.
    Tessa frowned
thoughtfully. “I did hear rumors that someone bought the place and was planning
to fix it up for use again.”
    “A clever cover,”
Mark said. “If there are as many people there as Jeremiah says, then they would
be noticed.”
    “They have
excellent security. There are cameras everywhere that are closely monitored. My
ability will not be of much use. Several of the guards also have cameras on
their helmets, allowing them to see me.”
    “So we don’t sneak
in,” I snapped. I turned toward Mark. “You and Alice are cops. We know Jason is
there, we can walk in the front door and get him back!”
    It couldn’t be
that easy. Nothing is ever that easy. “We could try it that way, Sam,” Kindred
answered. “But I’m afraid they would simply hide Jason away until we leave. You
underestimate them.”
    Glowering at him,
I snarled, “If they don’t willingly tell me where they are keeping my brother,
then I will make them.”
    “Sam, don’t go
down this road,” Hannah pleaded. “Jason wouldn’t want you to go around hurting
people with your ability.”
    I looked at each
of them. My friends. My allies. And each of them held the same concerned frown,
their eyebrows crinkled slightly as they met my eyes. Not one of them seemed
frightened of me, but instead they all seemed worried for me. “Jason is my only
family,” I insisted. “He doesn’t know what I am capable of, and I can use my
abilities to force information from people without harming them.”
    The former
assassin was the first to raise concerns. “Are you certain of this? You have
shown little control so far.”
    Letting out a
huff, I assured them. “When I was with Hunter I was able to get information out
of him. After our discussions, he had no memory of what he told me.”
    “And yet, you let
the power overwhelm both the Hunter and your brother. Both circumstances
happened without your conscious knowledge or consent. How can you hold such
exact control over your power at one point, and lose it so completely at
another?”
    I opened my mouth
to defend myself, but clamped it shut a moment later.
    “You don’t have to
answer to him,” Hannah assured me. “I can make a pretty good guess.” She turned
to Kindred. “Jeremiah, Sam is a fourteen-year-old child. His emotions are in
turmoil on a regular basis due to normal teenage hormones. When you add his
ability to that, it’s a wonder he doesn’t lose control more often.”
    “I can’t always
tell my own emotions from other people’s ,” I admitted
softly. “When I was with Hunter, I felt more aggressive and powerful. Once
Jason showed up, I was panicked.”
    “You can tell
every time we doubt you, can’t you?” Alice asked. Shame flowed from her in
waves, and I doubted I was the only one who could tell.
    Nodding once, I
added, “When I lost it with Hunter, I knew Jason was in trouble. My big brother.
My hero. He had fallen. The only way I could think to help him was to make
Hunter feel everything I felt.”
    Mark whistled.
“That’s a lot of emotion to pile into a sociopath, kid.”
    My mouth quirked.
“I know. I hoped it would slow him down until we could get to them. I never
thought…” My voice caught. I had killed him.
    “You and Jason are
more alike than you realize.” Hannah pulled me in for a hug, tears glistening
in her eyes. “You never want to admit when you’re hurting.”
    Sniffling, I wiped
my nose with the back of my hand. “What can you do to help