Chapter 2
In the years that I've been a mediator, I've had my fair share of kidnappings. Some of which were my own. Is it my fault that sometimes people really don't enjoy my interference?
This time was different. I'd managed to not only miss all my possible rides, but on top of it all I was loaded down with homework, and it wasn't exactly going to be very pleasant trying to walk home.
Just as I was reaching the gate, however, I found that I didn't have to worry about walking home.
That's because this black sedan pulled up alongside me. These two big guys just sort of jumped out of the car and, before I knew what was happening, they grabbed me by the arms and shoved me into the backseat of the car.
As soon as my attackers climbed in the car next to me, the sedan sped off.
"Who are you?" I demanded. Besides the two thugs next to me, there was another guy-the driver-and a woman.
The woman turned around to face me. She would have been kind of pretty, if she didn't look as though she never smiled. "You're Susannah Simon, aren't you? The Mediator?"
I nodded, wondering how these people knew about me when I'd kept that information from just about everyone.
"We're from the Agency of Paranormal Activity Control," the woman continued. "We've been keeping an eye on you, Miss Simon."
I stared at her. "What are you talking about?"
The woman sighed. "Look, we know that you have been in contact with Paul Slater, one of our agents-"
"One of your what?"
"Paul Slater has been working for the agency for several years. Or at least he was until he began killing his girlfriends." The woman shook her head. "We have been keeping track of people like you and him for years. The agency believes that you could be very useful."
Well, this wasn't too strange. I mean, here this lady was, kidnapping me and telling me that she worked for some agency that wanted to use me for something. What that something was, I had a feeling, was not going to be very good.
"Why would you want me?" I asked carefully.
"Because with your abilities there is quite a bit you could do for us." She smiled at me, but it didn't really look right on her face.
I crossed my arms over my chest. "And if I refuse?"
"You won't."
***
I'm not sure how long exactly we drove. It seemed like a very long time before we finally stopped. We parked in front of this big building, which wasn't really surrounded by much.
The two guys who'd grabbed me before yanked me out of the car and we followed the woman into the building. I'm not sure where exactly the driver went off to. He just sort of disappeared. But I soon forgot about him when I saw who was waiting for me in the lobby.
"Jesse!" I cried when I saw him. Jesse was standing in the lobby, flanked by another pair of beefy guards.
I broke away from my own guards and ran to Jesse. I hugged him tightly. I don't know why, but for some reason I felt better with Jesse there. I had a feeling that whatever reason we were both there for, it wasn't good.
Jesse didn't move. He just stared straight ahead. I looked up at him, trying to meet his gaze, but he wouldn't look at me.
Someone pulled me away from Jesse. I spun around and came face to face with a guy who looked not much older than me. I wanted to hit him. Because just then he looked over my head at Jesse and his guards and said in one of those mind control voices, "Take him away."
The guards complied.
I stared at him. "You-You're a-"
The woman answered, "Yes, Derek Ashley has been one of our top agents for the past three years."
The name probably should have clicked in my mind then, but for some reason it didn't.
Derek smiled down at me. "Don't worry about your friend, you'll get him back later, if you cooperate." He made it sound like Jesse was a thing instead of a human being. I decided right then that I hated him. I hated him for working for these people. I hated him for treating Jesse like he was a possession.
But really, at that moment I knew I had to get him back. I didn't like the idea of what these people would make me do so that I could get him back, but I knew that whatever it was, I had to do it.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. The things you do for love, I thought. I opened my eyes and turned back to the woman, ignoring Derek. "What do need me to do?"
In the years that I've been a mediator, I've had my fair share of kidnappings. Some of which were my own. Is it my fault that sometimes people really don't enjoy my interference?
This time was different. I'd managed to not only miss all my possible rides, but on top of it all I was loaded down with homework, and it wasn't exactly going to be very pleasant trying to walk home.
Just as I was reaching the gate, however, I found that I didn't have to worry about walking home.
That's because this black sedan pulled up alongside me. These two big guys just sort of jumped out of the car and, before I knew what was happening, they grabbed me by the arms and shoved me into the backseat of the car.
As soon as my attackers climbed in the car next to me, the sedan sped off.
"Who are you?" I demanded. Besides the two thugs next to me, there was another guy-the driver-and a woman.
The woman turned around to face me. She would have been kind of pretty, if she didn't look as though she never smiled. "You're Susannah Simon, aren't you? The Mediator?"
I nodded, wondering how these people knew about me when I'd kept that information from just about everyone.
"We're from the Agency of Paranormal Activity Control," the woman continued. "We've been keeping an eye on you, Miss Simon."
I stared at her. "What are you talking about?"
The woman sighed. "Look, we know that you have been in contact with Paul Slater, one of our agents-"
"One of your what?"
"Paul Slater has been working for the agency for several years. Or at least he was until he began killing his girlfriends." The woman shook her head. "We have been keeping track of people like you and him for years. The agency believes that you could be very useful."
Well, this wasn't too strange. I mean, here this lady was, kidnapping me and telling me that she worked for some agency that wanted to use me for something. What that something was, I had a feeling, was not going to be very good.
"Why would you want me?" I asked carefully.
"Because with your abilities there is quite a bit you could do for us." She smiled at me, but it didn't really look right on her face.
I crossed my arms over my chest. "And if I refuse?"
"You won't."
***
I'm not sure how long exactly we drove. It seemed like a very long time before we finally stopped. We parked in front of this big building, which wasn't really surrounded by much.
The two guys who'd grabbed me before yanked me out of the car and we followed the woman into the building. I'm not sure where exactly the driver went off to. He just sort of disappeared. But I soon forgot about him when I saw who was waiting for me in the lobby.
"Jesse!" I cried when I saw him. Jesse was standing in the lobby, flanked by another pair of beefy guards.
I broke away from my own guards and ran to Jesse. I hugged him tightly. I don't know why, but for some reason I felt better with Jesse there. I had a feeling that whatever reason we were both there for, it wasn't good.
Jesse didn't move. He just stared straight ahead. I looked up at him, trying to meet his gaze, but he wouldn't look at me.
Someone pulled me away from Jesse. I spun around and came face to face with a guy who looked not much older than me. I wanted to hit him. Because just then he looked over my head at Jesse and his guards and said in one of those mind control voices, "Take him away."
The guards complied.
I stared at him. "You-You're a-"
The woman answered, "Yes, Derek Ashley has been one of our top agents for the past three years."
The name probably should have clicked in my mind then, but for some reason it didn't.
Derek smiled down at me. "Don't worry about your friend, you'll get him back later, if you cooperate." He made it sound like Jesse was a thing instead of a human being. I decided right then that I hated him. I hated him for working for these people. I hated him for treating Jesse like he was a possession.
But really, at that moment I knew I had to get him back. I didn't like the idea of what these people would make me do so that I could get him back, but I knew that whatever it was, I had to do it.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. The things you do for love, I thought. I opened my eyes and turned back to the woman, ignoring Derek. "What do need me to do?"
