Chapter 4

Though it was difficult to keep Vi on topic, she eventually told me as much as she knew, the gist of which was this: she wasn’t sure why, but she and I had both been kidnapped and “modified.” Steve worked for whoever was doing it.

A pot of strong coffee was definitely in order. Once it was made, I poured us both a cup, and we settled on the couch.

I lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

She frowned. “Why would I make something like that up?”

“I don’t know. You strike me as the kind of person who likes to screw with people.”

“Can’t argue with that,” she said and grinned. “Especially that guy who came to visit you—he was my favorite.”

“You mean Chad, my dickhead boss?”

“Is that his name? He’s lucky I didn’t break his wrist.”

I laughed at the thought. “What are you, a ninja or something?”

“No, I’m just strong.” She showed off her biceps, and while they were nicely defined, they didn’t seem that out of the ordinary.

“Strong?”

“Yes, I could’ve easily shattered every bone in his wrist with just a little more pressure,” she said matter-of-factly.

I had trouble believing her, but since she’d just teleported into my kitchen, I should’ve been more open to the possibility.

“Oh, you want a demonstration, huh?”

“Yeah, but Chad’s not around,” I said, taking a long sip from my mug.

“How about this couch?” She jumped up, and before I could get off, she raised it so high I could touch the ceiling.

“That is awesome!” A little freaked out, I added, “Can you put me down now?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, her expression proud. It was clear she enjoyed showing off her power. “So what can you do?”

“Me? I don’t do anything.”

“You mean you don’t know?”

“I’m not like you,” I said, and realized afterward how that sounded. “I mean… I don’t have a cool power.” I said that, but then I thought again of that gross image that popped in my head when Chad was at the hospital. I shook my head. It was probably just the aftereffects of blacking out.

“Yet,” she said ominously. “Whatever you do, stay away from Steve.”

“Why?”

“He’s one of the bad guys,” she sang.

Of all the quirky things about Vi, I found her tendency to break out into spontaneous song the strangest.

“I got away from them,” she said, and flexed her muscles. “They don’t even try to fuck with me anymore.”

Not having a power, I wondered if I could resist, if they really wanted me. They didn’t do much the first time to capture me except offer me a light.

I sighed and rested my head in my hands. “Why does my life have to be so damn complicated?”

“There it is!” The nearness of her voice startled me. Her finger touched the spot on the back of my neck. “That’s where they got me too.”

“So, you didn’t have your power before they kidnapped you?”

“No. Granted, I’ve always been kinda strong. I used to be a personal trainer, did some competitions. But not like this.” She twirled her hair around her finger, restless once more. “I can’t wait to see what your power is!”

Neither can I, I thought, and shuddered. “So why were you stalking me?”

“I wasn’t stalking you,” she said in a pissy tone. “I just thought you were a kindred spirit, you know? I could tell you were altered by the haze in your eyes.”

I looked at her quizzically.

“Go see for yourself.”

In the bathroom, I took off my glasses and saw what she meant. Looking at them up close, I could see a subtle cloudy film over my eyes. It dulled my already dull green eyes, making them appear hazel. Great—arguably my best feature, and now gone.

“Are they going to stay like this?” Looking into Vi’s eyes, I already knew the answer. It appeared as if her eyes had been a beautiful shade of baby blue, but now they appeared gray.

Vi nodded. “I was thinking of buying some colored contacts.”

“So what were you doing in the USAcom building? Do you work there?”

“Fuck no. Do I look like a technogeek?” I narrowed my eyes at her and she laughed. “No offense,” she said, “but computers aren’t my thing. I was looking for the other one.”

“Other one? As in someone else with powers? How many are there?”

“Don’t know. But I remember seeing something in Steve’s files that mentioned your company. I thought maybe I could talk to the guy, before Steve got to him.” Vi plopped herself down on my couch, lying down with her head on one of the throw pillows. I sat on the small space left on the other end of the couch. Pickles situated himself on her chest.

“I think he likes me!” She stroked his cheeks, and he totally hammed it up for her.

The cat had warmed up to very few people so quickly, so she did have that going in her favor. But I still wasn’t so sure about anime girl.

“If you’re wondering why I haven’t left yet, it’s because you need protection,” she said, “at least until you get your power.”

“Protection from what? A hot guy in a suit?”

She sat up abruptly, despite the meowed protest from Pickles. “Kate, you have to listen to me.” She grabbed my shoulders. “Steve is not just a hot guy. If you believe nothing else I say, know that he’s bad news.”

The force with which she held my shoulders grew as she spoke, and it was starting to hurt.

“If Steve is okay,” she continued, “Why is he kidnapping—”

“Uh, Vi? Could you please?” I motioned to her hands, and she released her grip.

“Sorry,” she said, looking guiltily down at the floor. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, I’m fine. And Steve is bad, I get it.”

“I saw him leave the hospital,” she said. “He was trying to take you again, wasn’t he?”

I nodded. “He’s afraid of you.”

At that, she grinned. “He should be.”

Never get on her bad side, I thought. My work cell phone rang, and I frantically dug through my purse to find it. I was relieved to see “Jay” on the caller ID.

“Feeling better?” he asked when I answered it.

“Yeah, I am. Thanks,” I said.

“Just wanted to check up on you. Make sure you didn’t pass out again,” he said, which was followed by a very geeky giggle.

I cringed. Jay was even more awkward speaking on the phone than he was in person. “No, still returning all zeroes.”

He laughed at the programmer reference I knew he’d appreciate. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah, thanks. Bye.”

Vi looked at me expectantly, as if she were waiting for me to explain.

“Friend from work,” I said.

“Oh, that other guy at the hospital?”

“I think he was there before you.”

“Was he about your height, with black hair and funky glasses? Kinda cute in a geeky sort of way? Yeah, he was there after I left, too. When I checked up on you that night, I saw him.”

How sweet, I thought, but wondered why he would stay, when he had a family to go home to. Maybe he felt somehow responsible for me, I reasoned, because he was there when I blacked out.

“I need to get some stuff from my place, okay?” Vi said. “I’ll be right back.”

The one phrase you never utter in a horror movie. But as weird as my life was lately, I still wouldn’t have categorized it as horror. Maybe sci-fi… As I considered this, Vi poofed out of my apartment, and I was alone again.

For a solid hour, I sat on my couch with my cat, pretending my life was normal and ignoring the double entendre texts from Dickpiggly on my phone.

Vi decided Steve wouldn’t attempt anything at my job, so she very graciously allowed me to go back to work. Though she offered to teleport me there, I thought it would be safer to drive. Of course I regretted that decision when I was sitting in traffic, but after the accident cleared, it wasn’t too bad. I had made it through nearly half a packet of cigarettes before I got to work, and somehow everything seemed a little better.

Mr. Douchenozzle was already there when I got in, ready to pounce. He spent a solid ten minutes asking about my hospital stay—in particular, nurse Vi. He kept going on about how he so wanted to break her. I smiled, thinking how she actually could break him. Put her fingers around his throat and silence him for good.

“Hello?” Chad said. “Earth to Kate, are you there?”

“Yes, of course,” I said, shaking off the fantasy.

“Nice to have you back,” he said, and rubbed my shoulder. “Just not the same without you.” His eyes dropped to my legs, and I swiveled around, minimizing his view.

“Thanks,” I replied, without looking at him. My stomach was still recovering from our last encounter.

With all my catch-up work, the day flew by. I didn’t even break for lunch, and it was six o’clock before I looked up from my screen, rubbed my eyes, and realized the office was totally empty. Except for Chad.

I gulped. There was a reason I never stayed late. It was to avoid the very situation I found myself in—being alone with him.

He got up from his chair, and I thought he was leaving, until I heard the sound of a lock click. My stomach dropped. He was easily three times my size, with strength to match.

“Don’t want to be disturbed,” he murmured as he approached me from behind. I turned away from him and gathered up my things, pretending it was just another end to another day. Hoping I had imagined the sound of the door locking. Hoping that I wasn’t, in fact, trapped with him. His hand touched my shoulder, and my heart began to pound.

I faced him and cleared my throat. “I-I was just on my way out,” I stammered, trying desperately to mask the fear in my voice.

“I don’t think so.” He grabbed my arm. “You’re not going anywhere.”