Power Trip(51)

“You’re doing it again. No more secrets.” She spaced each word and put a threat in her voice.

Truman snickered from the corner. “Popcorn. We need popcorn for this.”

Jake sighed and pointed at the television. “Start there.”

She saw breaking news scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Genecorp burns. Peter Woodrow, Director of Cytogenetics at Genecorp Laboratories, is in critical condition after being rescued from the blaze that leveled Genecorp Industries.

“Sorry about that,” Truman said. “We’ve got a bunch of damn do-gooders on the police force.”

She kept her eyes on the bottom of the screen, not surprised to learn that Genecorp employees were being questioned but had thus far not been able to provide any useful information. Cal entered the room and placed a cup of tea in front of her. Audrey took a grateful sip, touched he’d laced it with soothing honey.

A shadow moved toward her from the corner and she jumped, almost spilling her tea. The boy stopped in front of her, holding out a wad of cash and her Genecorp ID. “I took them out of your purse the other night,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

She took the money and he returned to the corner behind Truman’s chair. For a long moment, she watched him watch them.

Truman cleared his throat, getting her attention. “I think I’ll adopt him for the moment. They call him the Imp, short for Impervious. I’m going to keep an eye on him while he gets used to being around people.”

Audrey sipped her tea while they watched the rest of the news. The factors spun in her mind—genetics, aluminum, weapons. The man who made you isn’t your father.

She gazed around the room, judging them all to be roughly Jake’s age. She and Jake had grown up in a foster home because their father had left and their mother had been too sick to care for them. Cal had mentioned being raised by his aunt. The Imp was at least fifteen years younger than they were, but he had been created in a laboratory—so that didn’t count. “Who are your parents?” she asked Sam and the Doc.

“We both grew up in an orphanage,” the Doc replied. She wasn’t wearing sequins today but she was still bizarrely beautiful. Audrey forced her gaze over to Truman.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus,” he said, looking uncomfortable.

Cal touched her arm. “He doesn’t know.”

Okay, she’d ask Cal more about that later. “Cheek swabs for the lot of you. I’m going to go out on a limb and say we all share the same chromosomal abnormality. Hard to believe we have the same father, but not impossible.” Hope kindled inside her. Maybe one of them would know where…

“Not the same father,” the Imp said. “The same doctor. We’re research projects.”

The hope that had sprung to life withered just as quickly, and it stung. “How do you know this? Didn’t Peter wipe your memories?”

The Imp shook his head. “Why bother? They only let me out the one time, and it didn’t go well. They weren’t going to let me out again.”

Curious again, she asked, “If your talent is being impervious, why couldn’t I hurt you the other night? Your talent shouldn’t work against me, and I got in some good punches.”

“You did hurt me, but I’m used to it.” Impervious shrugged. “They liked to push my limits.”

Her breath hissed out of her lungs. It was unsettling to learn Genecorp thought talent had limitations, especially since she planned to explore hers later, but it explained why Peter had been waiting for them in the basement. “How did Peter know we were coming? Jake hypnotized him. He shouldn’t have remembered anything that happened after dark.”

The Imp shrugged again. “I’ve heard it’s more difficult to influence other mental talents. Suggestions don’t work and blocks don’t hold.”

He was looking at her like she was an idiot, but she wasn’t going to allow a teenager to intimidate her. “Alright then, who’s this ‘Father’ guy? Peter mentioned him too.”

“He owns Genecorp, but I’ve never seen him. They blindfolded me a lot.” Audrey felt a flash of something more than sympathy, something more like memory. His face was emotionless as he stared at her. “You’re the one he wants—you have the power he’s been trying to create for years.”

“Why me?” she asked. “Aren’t you their super weapon?”

“I can’t be harmed by anything physical. That’s why Peter didn’t hesitate to shoot us. But I have no defense against talent.” The Imp pointed at Cal. “He hurt me. Genecorp doctors have been careless over the years, bringing their work home and experimenting on their families. There are talents popping up all over the place.” Across the room, she saw Jake twitch. Had their father been one of those careless doctors?