Chapter 4

Trace calls late at night and breaks the news: there's been a shooting and the whole family needs to get to Denver as soon as possible. We race in to the car half-asleep and, in Xav's case, half-dressed. The drive is silent as we all steel ourselves for what we're about to witness. We meet the rest of my brothers in Denver before heading to the room the witnesses are being kept in. Well, here goes nothing.

The whole Benedict family sits in a circle with the witnesses. They saw the Denver shooting. Pale, drawn faces look to all of us for guidance though one man is old enough to be my father. Even Will is quiet and the easy-going smile gone from his face - we all know this isn't going to be pretty. Just another day in the office for the Benedict family though.

'We're here to help get evidence,' Dad says soothingly, to the youngest.

She just a child really. No more than eight with wisps of soft blonde hair and frightened blue eyes that remind me of Sky. Absently I wonder if Sky's been stabbed while I've been away. Something tightens painfully in my chest but I ignore it. After all she's just be another person I couldn't save to add to the ever-growing list.

'Why don't we start with the youngest?' Mum says, just wanting this ordeal to be over for the girl.

'What…what do I need to do?' The girl asks, eyes darting around as she inches closer to her father.

'Nothing, sweetie. We'll do all the work.'

One by one my family uses their gifts and I see it all. Trace isn't here, he's busy with Victor at the crime scene seeing if they can find anything useful there. The murderers have gone on the run and its our job to track them down.

Xav's not here either. He tried to heal the man's sister but she died screaming anyway. For once Xav had shut up and retreated to help those with injuries he could actually heal.

Last up is Uriel, our eyes meet and we both know this isn't going to be pleasant for either of us. See, with Uri's gift you actually experience the things they experience - the fear, the pain, all of it.

He murmured words of reassurance to the girl before closing his eyes and concentrating.

It was a nice day. Mummy and Daddy were taking us to the park with all the family. The stork had just brought my brand new baby brother and I wanted to play with him. Mummy said okay as long as I was gentle.

Daddy pulled me closer to him, glancing at a man. The man was angry, shouting at someone else and gesturing wildly. Then more men appeared on each side of the road, slinking out of the shadows like ghosts . I didn't like it, we were in between the men, so I hid behind Auntie Kaye. A loud bang sounded and I brought my hands to my ears. Mummy started screaming as she clutched my brother to her. Danny was bleeding. Maybe he'd had a nose bleed like yesterday. I peak closer and Daddy turns and shouts at me to run. Not before I see Danny though, and the mess that used to be his head. Then Mummy falls to her knees, eyes wide as blood pools out of her stomach. The bullet hit her too. She drops Danny but I guess it doesn't matter. He's dead.

Daddy grabs me and throws me around the corner as members of our family drop, each with blood pouring in a never-ending stream.

The last thing I see before I faint is Danny. Twisted with half his head missing, laying in a pool of other's blood.

The memory draws to a close. I jump to my feet and run out the room. I have to get out of here. I can't do this anymore. I can't see the vile things people do to each other and still justify my helping them. Once I escape the room I turn and violently throw up. I'm even crying and I'm not ashamed - if you'd seen that you'd cry too. I can't get the image of the baby out of my head. Jesus Christ, who did that? Who hurt a baby?

Mum's followed me out the room and, even though she's so much shorter than me, wraps her arms around me and pulls my head to her shoulder.

In the end Trace and Victor catch the bad-guys without much difficulty. They weren't that smart: it's who they are that's the problem. Kelly's. Once again our family's stuck our necks out for others and all we get in return in psychopaths hell-bent on revenge. Isn't life fun?

The second we get back to Wrickenridge I take off for the Ghost Town. At this time of year it's completely deserted - there are no tourists to make the trek there and any locals who want to see it have already seen it. It's where I go when being a Savant gets to be too much. When I have to process the horrific things I've witnessed.

Of course, when I properly need to think someone else is already there. The new girl. Well, looks like she didn't get stabbed in my absence.

I step on a twig, accidentally announcing me presence. The girl swings round fearfully - so she should, she's in the middle of nowhere. Anyone could run up and stab her; doesn't she have any sense?

'Perfect, just what I need,' My heads so filled with the violence from the shooting, I can't deal with this girl now and her drama.

'I'm going.'

'Forget it. I'll come back later.' Curiously I try to dig deeper than her surface thoughts. Why's she even here? What is the little girl from England doing in a deserted Ghost town?

'Please - don't do that,' She shivers, closing her eyes.

'Don't do what?' She can feel that? How? She isn't a Savant.

'Look at me like that.' The girl blushes, worrying about what I'd think of her before she turned and hurried away from me. I'm not letting her get away that easily.

'Look at you like what?' I demand, following after her.

'I don't want to talk about it. Forget it.' Wow, girl was brave when she was being elusive. Most people mutter an apology and run in the opposite direction.

'Hey, I'm talking to you,' I grab her arm before releasing it - intimidation won't get me anywhere, she'll think I'm threatening her, 'Look…er…Sky, isn't it?'

That's what Mrs Hoffman called her, right?

'I've got to tell you something,' I stare upwards mentally cursing God for giving me these gifts. There much more hassle than there worth sometimes, 'There's something you need to know.'

If I warn her about her impending stabbing, will it prevent it? Or cause it to happen? I figure I'll take a risk and deliver a vague warning then call us even and leave her to it.

'What?' Sky ask, eyeing me warily like I might attack her.

'Be careful at night. Don't go out alone.' There. That couldn't bring about a stabbing, could it?

'What do you mean?'

'The other night I saw…Look, just be careful, okay?'

No, not okay. He was one scary guy.

'You've got that right,' I respond automatically,

What? I hadn't said that aloud, had I?

Fuck, I'd answered her thoughts. In annoyance I swiftly kick the closet object - whatever it is - it's metal and hurts like a bitch. I don't know what I was expecting it to feel like. Of course kicking metal hurts.

Sky hugs herself, making her almost impossibly smaller.

This is my fault. I'd done something - I don't know what - something to set him off.

Why are her thoughts so obnoxiously loud? Why can't I shut them out?

'No, you haven't!' I shout. Why on Earth is she blaming my temper tantrum on herself? 'None of it is your fault, you hear?' I speak quieter, talking mostly to myself, 'And I'm just scaring the hell out of you, aren't I?'

Sky freezes up like a leaf in winter.

'Fine. I'll leave,' I escape towards the trees, swearing violently at my own incompetence.

Hell, even Xav could have handled that better.