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  Where am I?

  Kalea’s eyes flickered open, staring at a strange ceiling. She grunted, trying to push herself up in the narrow bed.

  “Easy there, you’ve been through a lot,” she heard as Annaliese hovered over her.

  Kalea blinked, clearing her vision. “What happened?” she asked, peeking around for the button to raise her bed to a sitting position. “This doesn’t look like the County Hospital.”

  Annaliese sat primly in the chair next to the bed. “It’s not. We had you airlifted to Washington Memorial.”

  “I’m in D.C.?”

  Annaliese nodded.

  Kalea sat a moment, waiting. When Annaliese didn’t reply, she sighed. “Why?”

  “I found you standing in the cemetery next to Dad’s gravesite. Four hours later, Mom found you in the woods screaming and kicking at trees before you started bleeding from every major orifice and passed out. The County Hospital back home had no idea what was wrong. They wanted to have you transferred to the Medical Hospital at the University, but I told them to send you up here instead.”

  Kalea looked puzzled. “I was in the church cemetery and then in the woods behind the house? Why?”

  Annaliese leaned back, rubbing her head. “I was hoping you could tell me that. Do you remember anything that happened two nights ago?”

  “I’ve been out for two days?”

  “Yes, but mostly because it was medically induced until they could stabilize you. You’ve been in and out of it over the past forty-eight hours.” She paused. “A few times, you were talking.”

  Kalea looked puzzled. “About what?”

  Annaliese shrugged. “I have no idea. Something about your recent mission failing and saving the rest.”

  Kalea raised an eyebrow. “The rest of what?”

  Annaliese stiffened. “Like I said, I don’t know. You sounded like -“

  “Uncle Carson before he died?” Kalea interrupted.

  Annaliese looked at her lap. “Yes.”

  Don’t tell them.

  Kalea sat in silence, considering her response. They were right. It was too far gone for anybody to help her, and too soon to reveal the truth. She turned, staring at the window and asking the light how to respond. “The last thing I remember is the attorney coming to Aunt Tabitha’s house to read Uncle Carson’s will.” She creased her brow. “He left everything to Aunt Tabitha, didn’t he?”

  “He left you five hundred thousand dollars. Don’t you remember? You talked to the attorney about having an account set up for it.”

  Kalea’s eyes narrowed. “That’s right. You were surprised. We all were.”

  Annaliese looked away. “It’s not that surprising. You were there for him the whole time, while Avery and I were away.”

  Kalea stared at Annaliese. “Are you mad?”

  Annaliese’s eyes widened. “No! It made sense. You don’t have to worry about it.” She shrugged. “Anyway, that money might come in handy since you’re going to be up here for a while.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We don’t know what’s wrong with you, Kalea, and nobody back home has what they need to figure it out.” Annaliese paused. “I got approval for funding to study this phenomenon that we think is affecting you, so we’d like for you to stay up here with me and Kieran until we can figure it out.” She held up a hand to stop Kalea’s protest. “I know you’re worried about your company, but your parents agree that it’s best that you stay up here where you’re on the front line of the best care. Your Dad said he’d help the other officers keep the company running until you’re better and can come back home.”

  It’s too late. They know.

  Kalea set her jaw. “What do you mean ‘until I’m better?’ I don’t understand. What phenomenon are you talking about? What’s wrong with me?”

  “We don’t know, but we’ll find out.” She picked up a computer from the bedside table. Kalea recognized the pink case as her own. She was surprised to see her cell phone on the table and her suitcase leaning against the wall next to the bedside table. They brought her up here prepared for a long stay, it seemed. “It might be easier if you read today’s news. Kieran got the funding request approved for my study last night, and it made this morning’s news outlets.” She pecked at the computer to bring up the daily news feed. The top headline screamed:

  NEW TERRORISM WEAPON INVADING OUR MINDS?

  Underneath a smaller headline read:

  Congress approves funding request to study the link between alien satellite signals and erratic symptoms in ‘miracle cure’ witnesses.

  They see us, but don’t recognize us.

  Kalea released a small chuckle. “You think I’m being controlled by signals from outer space? That’s funny, Annaliese. I can’t believe Congress approved this.”

  Annaliese stared at Kalea seriously. “It’s not a joke. We’ve tried to keep it quiet, but cases similar to yours have cropped up all over the country.” She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “We never studied the ‘miracle cures’ because we wasted all of our time trying to manage the resurrection cases, but now they’re all dead.”

  “All of them?”

  Annaliese nodded. “All of the ‘miracle cures’ were cancer and dementia patients, and they all regressed back through their diseases at a rate of a stage a week. The cancer patients died four weeks ago, and the last of the dementia cases died two days ago.” She paused, looking away. “That last patient didn’t want to be cremated, but they found the body burned in the storage freezer yesterday morning.”

  “Just like Uncle Carson.”

  Annaliese looked at her. “Just like Dad.” She shifted in the chair. “Kalea, you said something at the cemetery the other night about this wasn’t what Dad wanted, but it’s the way it had to be. You also said he died twice. What did you mean?”

  They know, but they don’t understand. The time for enlightenment hasn’t come.

  Kalea shook her head. “Like I said, I don’t remember that. I don’t remember anything after the reading of the will. I remember you saying something about flying back here that night, and Aunt Tabitha saying it was too soon for you to leave her.”

  “It was.” Annaliese leaned back, rubbing her head. “Look Kalea, the medical community wasted their time with the first line of miracle cures, and now we’ve lost our opportunity to figure out what happened with them. But they left something behind.” She pointed at Kalea. “They left you. Or rather, people like you. There was one witness to every cure, and you’re still around. Well, most of you anyway.”

  Kalea thought. “You mean the ones that went insane a few weeks later and attacked people. What happened to them?”

  “Most are comatose, but a few have died. Some were killed in self-defense. Some had other medical conditions that went terminal.”

  “But none of the ones that lost their sanity are functional?”

  “No,” Annaliese said curtly.

  Good.

  “Have the others like me had similar things happen to them?” Kalea asked. “Memory lapses and strange things happening like passing out in the woods after sleepwalking?”

  Annaliese nodded. “I have a patient in Raleigh similar to you, and she’s in the hospital down there. Her husband found her standing in the street outside their house at one o’clock in the morning screaming and bleeding all over the place before she passed out. I’m trying to get her transferred up here, but her husband is fighting me.”

  “He doesn’t like you,” Kalea said absently.

  “No, he doesn’t. He feels I’m intruding and working against him.” Annaliese tipped her head and studied Kalea. “How did you know that?”

  Kalea stared at Annaliese blankly. “Know what?”

  “What you just said about my client’s husband not liking me. How did you know?”

  “You said he was fighting her transfer. I don’t see why he’d do that if he wanted her under your care.”

  Annaliese stared at Kalea suspiciously. �
�All right.” She picked up her own computer in a discrete black case and opened it. “Since I designated myself as one of your doctors when you and Uncle Carson were under observation at Creekside back home, they gave me access to your medical records. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Not at all. What do they say?”

  Annaliese tapped at the screen. “Physically, there’s nothing wrong with you. We don’t know what caused that bleeding, but it stopped as quickly as it started, and they didn’t find any pathogens in your blood. The only thing out of order is that the electrical activity in your brain was off the chart when they picked you up in the woods behind your house. It’s was heightened throughout your entire body, but your brain was firing enough energy to light up D.C. for a year.”

  “Really?”

  “It might have overloaded your autonomic nervous system and caused the bleeding. We aren’t sure. The levels have diminished over the past forty-eight hours, but they’re still above normal.”

  “How far above normal?” Kalea asked.

  “A lot, but you don’t seem to be experiencing any physical symptoms from it. Your baseline readings on everything are up, but not to dangerous levels.” She looked up. “The hospital wants to keep you overnight for observation, but they’ve cleared you to leave tomorrow morning if nothing else happens. Kieran and I have the guest room set up for you. We want you to stay with us until this is over.”

  It will never be over.

  “Are you sure?” Kalea put on her most humble stare.

  Annaliese smiled. “Absolutely. We want you to enjoy it, too. Enjoy having a cook and a housekeeper to clean up after you. It will be just like being on vacation. In fact, Kieran even said he’d get you a pass to visit the Capitol and he’ll make sure you have free rein of the Library of Congress. We remember how much you loved it when you came for that Engineering conference last year. Treat it like a vacation. Have fun. Enjoy the city and our home. We haven’t had a chance like this since college graduation, so let’s take advantage of being like sisters again.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “And you’ll love the secret service agents. They can get you in anywhere.”

  “Secret service agents?”

  Annaliese laughed. “You’re a senator’s sister-in-law, and you’ve been in the media lately. You need protection.”

  No, I don’t.

  Annaliese’s watch buzzed. She tapped it and stood, dropping her computer in the chair. “Excuse me, work’s calling. I’ll be right back,” she walked out of the room.

  Kalea quietly grabbed Annaliese’s computer, touching the screen. A box popped up that read “Hello Kalea. Activate Ghost Files?” She clicked yes. Status bars zoomed progress before a soft chime alerted her that the download was complete. She opened the message app, clicking the “Send to All Ghost Contacts” and typed “Mobilize – Washington D.C.” Kalea paused a moment, glancing at the headlines screaming on her own computer beside her. She didn’t need to read the article because she already knew what it said. Time was running out. They saw, and soon they would understand what they were seeing.

  Plus, the other threat that was emerging faster than they anticipated.

  She tapped “send” on Annaliese’s computer and dropped in back in the chair just as Annaliese returned to the room, her cheeks pink. “Sidney’s husband had a change of heart. He agreed to transfer her up here. I need to go to the office to have a safe house set up for her.” She picked up her computer and waved to the suitcase in the corner. “I think I picked out your favorite clothes. At least, I tried to find things for the weather up here. It’s cooler than back home this time of year. Why don’t you pick out an outfit to wear home tomorrow and get some rest? I’ll have somebody pick up your stuff tonight.”

  “Thanks, Annaliese. I appreciate you looking out for me.”

  Annaliese smiled. “It’s the least I can do for my baby cousin. I have to protect you.”

  No, I have to protect you. I have to protect everybody.

  Kalea forced a smile. “Protect me from what?”

  Annaliese returned the smile. “I intend to find out.”

  Kalea’s smile faded as Annaliese disappeared down the hall. Yes, she would find out eventually.

  They had to get ready.

  Chapter 30

  It’s time to go.

  Sidney stirred in her sleep. “Go where?”

  Your summons arrived. Get up. Get ready to act soon.

  “Act on what?” Sidney pulled the pillow over her head. She didn’t want to have another discussion with them. She wanted to sleep, and then wake up to a normal world with a normal life and the normal routine she was used to.

  You know that’s not possible.

  “Why not?” she mumbled.

  The world has changed. You have changed. There is no going back. It’s impossible.

  “I don’t want this.”

  I thought we resolved this before. I thought you agreed to help.

  “That was before.”

  Before what?

  Sidney thought, trying to push past the grogginess of medication, fatigue, and confusion from the fugue that enveloped her for nearly three days. “Before Nate came back. Before it ended.”

  Before your father-in-law died the second time.

  “He died twice, and I couldn’t handle the second time.”

  You’re fine now. Get up. Heed your call.

  “I changed my mind. I don’t want to. I want to go home.”

  It’s too late for that. The call has been made. It’s in progress.

  “Why me?”

  Because you have healed. Because you are able. Because you are needed.

  “For what?”

  For whatever comes next. Get ready to go. Your commander awaits.

  “Go where?”

  Washington D.C. The nation’s capital. The place where we can act.

  “Sidney?” a man’s voice said, breaking through the white noise of the lights and voices.

  Sidney’s eyes popped open. Nate and his mother stood over her, peering down at her curiously. “Yes?”

  “Who were you talking to?” Nate asked, his brown hair mussed from sleeping in the chair next to her.

  “I wasn’t talking to anybody,” Sidney wondered if the concern she saw in his eyes was for her, or for himself. Those eyes didn’t seem as familiar as they should have.

  Nate and his mother exchanged a look. She knew that look. That was the look that said they had been talking about her. That they had plans. That her own parents were in Virginia and they’d have their way before her family knew what happened. That they weren’t going to let her have a say in the matter.

  Yes, they have plans, but it’s all right. Their plans will facilitate your own.

  Anger burned in Sidney as the realization that Nate and mother-in-law had played right into everything, but for the wrong reasons. They didn’t know what to do with her, so they wanted to push her out of the way. At least until she could come back better and be the good girl that they needed for her to be.

  Never again.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Sidney,” Nate laid a cold hand on her arm, “the doctors here can’t help you. The psychiatrist you’ve been talking to in Washington D.C., Annaliese Boyce, has just been appointed to do a research study on what’s happening to you and people like you.”

  “People like me?”

  Her mother-in-law nodded. “There have been others experiencing what you’ve experienced these past few weeks.” She choked on a sob and collapsed on the bed, embracing Sidney in a hug. “I’m sorry, dear. I’m sorry we didn’t pay attention to your suffering. I’m sorry if you feel we pushed you out of the way.”

  Let go of me, you witch. It’s exactly what you’re doing. You can’t deal and you can’t run, so you ship me off instead of listening.

  “I talked to Dr. Boyce,” Nate said as his mother pulled herself off Sidney and retreated a respectable distance away. “She’s arrang
ed for you to be transferred to Washington D.C. so you can get the first line of care that they have to offer.”

  You have to put up some resistance, or they’ll be suspicious.

  Sidney sat up in her bed. “You mean I’ve been recruited for them to experiment on.”

  “No!” her mother-in-law shouted. “It’s not like that. This doctor has her own cousin up there too. There is no experimenting. They want to go over your records and find out what you need to fix this, so you can go back to a normal life.”

  It’s too late for that.

  Sidney shook her head as if protesting. “How can I go to Washington D.C. for this? I have no place to stay. And how can we afford this medical treatment? How can we survive if I don’t get back to work soon?”

  “Dr. Boyce has arranged a condominium and secret service guards for you to live near her office temporarily,” her husband said. “You’ll be pampered beyond belief – cooks, maids, drivers, the whole nine yards. Her husband, Congressman Boyce, even said he’ll work with our district representative to get you in any place you want to see while you’re up there. You’ll have unlimited access to the Nation’s Capitol. It’s all paid for by the study, too. It will be like an extended vacation.”

  “Frankly, dear, you need it,” her mother-in-law said. “We didn’t realize how much you’ve been stressed out by what happened with my husband these past few months.”

  Her husband. Not your father-in-law. Not his father. Your husband. It’s all about you. It always has been. I’m sick of this shallow crap.

  Sidney looked at Nate. “Are you coming with me?”

  Nate looked down. “I can’t. I have to get back to work. I’ve missed so much, and things are crazy. I have to get it back together.” He met her eyes again, but his blue eyes seemed to reflect more ice than concern now. “The doctor said she’d help arrange for me to visit frequently, maybe every other weekend. Don’t worry. It won’t be for long, and I know you’ll love it.”

  “Just get better, dear,” her mother-in-law said. “That’s all we want. Let us help you. Let these people help you. They have access to everything up there, and now you’ll have access to it too.”

  Unlimited access to everything in the Nation’s Capitol.