Allie's War Episodes 1-4(21)

“No,” he said sternly, as if talking to a dog. “Do not make me put you to sleep.” His eyes flickered between mine. “If you need to hear it again, I will talk. Do you agree?”
I felt my muscles unclench as a part of me deflated.
Probably not a good idea to piss off the murdering seer who could read my mind and had me handcuffed to his car.
“Yeah,” I said. “Okay. Sure.”
He released my arm, returning his gaze to the road.
But he didn’t talk.
We drove in silence while I massaged my wrist. When I happened to glance up, he was staring at my bare thigh, which had shifted out from under the ugly, gray blanket he must have put over me after he knocked me out.
Slowly, I retracted my leg, hiding it back under the blanket.
I’d forgotten all those other stories about seers.
Frowning, he averted his gaze. “I haven’t seen you in the flesh in a long time.” He gestured vaguely with one hand. “You are...larger.”
I said, “Oh.”
“You are safe with me, Alyson.”
“You say that a lot.” My fingers clutched the chain between the metal bracelets.
I tried to think if there was any way I could talk him into untying me...then remembered he could read my mind. That pretty much limited my options.
“Yes,” he agreed neutrally.
I turned at this, biting my lip.
“So what are you?” I said. “A terrorist? One of those ‘unaffiliateds’ who want a seer nation? What?”
He made that soft clicking noise with his tongue. I watched him do it, fascinated in spite of myself. I remembered reading somewhere about seer language, how they used sign language in addition to verbal and telepathy.
“Alyson,” he said. “Killing him bought us time only. I’d prefer not to waste it while you assume my agenda is that of fictitious seers portrayed on your human news.” He glanced at my face. “I was sent to bring you back to our world. That is all. I would only kill you...”
Letting out a shriek, I slammed my shoulder against the door and window.
The man grabbed my forearm, roughly. Once more, I found myself staring up at his face.
“...I would only kill both of us if my attempt failed. If I failed, Allie. Understand?”
I found myself staring back and forth between those clear, glass-like eyes. As I did, my shoulders relaxed involuntarily.
“No,” I said. “I don’t understand.”
“But you believe I will not hurt you.” I heard relief in his voice. “Good. That is good.” He released my arm, putting both hands back on the steering wheel. “We can talk now.”
But he didn’t talk.
I watched in disbelief as he sank deeper into the cloth driver’s seat, wincing from the gun wound in his shoulder.
“So you’re from another world,” I prompted, when he didn’t look over. “I remember reading some conspiracy theory about that actually...that you’re really aliens who seeded us from another galaxy.” I leaned against the car door, trying to find a comfortable place for my arms. I couldn’t. “I also heard one where you were all victims of some disease...or an asteroid that hit the earth back in the early years of human evolution.”
His eyes flickered to mine, puzzled once more.
“Seriously,” I said. “If this isn’t about the terrorist thing, what do you want? Money? I don’t have any. Sex? There are easier ways, man. You’re not a bad-looking guy. One of my friends thought you were hot. I don’t know how she feels about seers, but knowing Cass, she’d try anything once.”
He frowned slightly, his eyes flickering back in my direction.
“Did someone hire you?” I said. “Do I have a rich crazy stalker this time?”
“You are the Bridge,” he said. “The Harbinger.”
“Great,” I said. “That’s what the other guy said.”
The man’s mouth firmed to a line. I got the sense my words irritated him, though.
“Terian likes his little games,” was all he said.
I waited, wondering if he would say more, but he didn’t.
Biting back impatience, I shook my head, as if to clear it. “So what kind of accent is that? German? I didn’t think any seers lived in Europe anymore. I thought you were all in Asia, with the exception of a few who worked directly for—”
“You are not human, Alyson.”
When he didn’t say anything else, I broke into a shaky laugh.
“Okay. So you want to play that game again? Well, I’ve been tested, like, hundreds of times, man, so pardon me if I think you’re full of shit. Whatever you’re trying to do, framing me as some kind of über-seer, Syrimne-wannabe, I don’t appreciate being the fall guy for whatever takeover trip you’ve got planned...”