Fix You (The Playlist BOOK 1)

Song - Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads

I sit in the room for hours, or days, I can’t tell. It feels eternal. The window has bars on it and looks out of an open field with no discernable landmarks.

I sit on the bed, my knees folded to my chest and try the mind link over and over again.

The door handle wiggles and I’m filled with dread.

Ben walks in and my dread turns to anger. Elijah took him in, fed him, sheltered him and trained him. All the while he was betraying him.

“Oh, come on, don’t look at me like that,” he feigns a sad pout.

“What did you inject my Aunt and Cole with. Are they ok?”

“Yes, they’re fine. It was the same thing we injected you with. Don’t remember much about your little trip do you?” He chuckles, “fuck my dad was mad about that. I wasn’t supposed to drug you but I panicked when you started linking.”

“How long have I been here?”

“Three days.”

Shit. I’m sure Elijah is going out of his mind.

“Are you going to send the message to the council?”

“Yes,” I figure thats the only answer that buys me enough time to get out of here.

“Good, that’s what I hoped you would choose...”

Hes still talking but I’m not listening. My mind races, I hear Elijah but he’s fuzzy and distorted. I try to act like nothings happening so he won’t be suspicious but it’s hard when a choppy voice is ringing in your head.

Elijah must feel that the link is opening up because he keeps trying.

I can’t think straight so I decide to cough. I start choking and hacking and gasping for air.

He jumps up and yells out the door for someone to bring water.

“I’m sorry,” I gasp, “I feel really sick suddenly,” I cover my mouth with my hand and gag into it.

“Fuck!” He jumps up and runs out of the room.

I close my eyes and focus hard.

“Elijah!”

He responds but I can’t understand him.

“I hope you hear this. They’re drugging me to block the link. I’m sure they’ll do it again. I’m not hurt. They have me locked in a room. I can see outside but there isn’t anything around, its flat open fields. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you, I’m coming for you, baby” his voice comes through clearer and I sob.

“Elijah... it’s the rogue that manipulated your...”

The door opens, interrupting me. Ben and Michael rush in.

“Tell me I misheard that,” his voice growls through the link and I know Michael is onto me.

“She’s fucking mind linking! Knock her out.”

Ben rushes forward and raises his fist in the air.

“I love you, I lov...” a sharp crack to my face knocks me backwards and everything goes black.

-------

“I want you to give Michael a message from me, my love.”

I let out a heavy sigh of relief at the sound of her voice.

“Tell him I have watched him all these years and I have only allowed him to continue because I don’t interfere directly with my children. I allow you to make what mistakes you will but beware, I am losing my patience.”

“I’ll tell him.”

-------

I wake up with a thumping in my head. That seems to be the norm for this place. My right eye is swollen shut and dried blood is all over my pillow and shirt.

I test the link but, not surprisingly, it’s blocked.

I pull myself up to look out the window again. Wide open nothing. Fuck. I press my forehead against the cool glass.

Think, think, think.

The door clicks open behind me but I don’t move.

“Ah, you’re awake,” Michael sets down a tray with water and bread on it.

“The Goddess summoned me, she’s not happy with you. She said, and I quote, ‘I’m losing my patience,’ maybe you should stop this.”

He laughs, “you’re right!” He jumps up and pulls the door open, “everyone, stop what you’re doing! I’ve had a change of heart!”

He turns on his heels and comes back into the room, slamming the door closed.

“I gave you the message, thats all I can do,” I shrug.

“We have jammers onsite so that no technology works here, as a safety precaution. I’m going to drive you to an offsite location to contact the council. Eat, I’ll be back for you in five minutes.”

As soon as he leaves I gulp down the water.

When he returns he has a syringe in his hand. As he steps forward I have an idea. I take a deep breath, this is about to hurt.

“This is only to keep you obedient,” he smiles as he pulls my arm forward, plunging the needle into the vein in the crook of my elbow.

I yank the needle arm inward while pushing my other arm over the syringe, making it fly onto the floor. He quickly backhands me causing my body to tilt back.

“Stupid bitch,” he mumbles as he picks up the syringe and walks out of the room.

I hope he’s so angry that he doesn’t realize that my plan actually worked. The long needle broke off in my arm. I pinch and move my skin, forcing it out. I feel my limbs growing heavy, whatever he gave me is kicking in fast.

I hold the needle between my fingers, holding my hand tight so it stays put.

When he comes back in he smiles smugly, “there, that’s better, let’s go.”

He throws me over his shoulder and walks down the hall. I look at everything I can, making mental notes about the layout.

When we get outside I’m able to see more of our surroundings. We’re in the middle of nowhere.

He sets me in the backseat of an old beat up car and we drive for miles without coming across anything.

Eventually we drive through a small town. On the outskirts we pull into the long dirt driveway of an old farmhouse. He stops behind the house where Ben is waiting outside.

He yanks me from the backseat and hauls me into the storm cellar, my feet feel like lead and they mostly drag across the ground.

He pushes me into a chair and walks away. On the table in front of me there is a paper. I can see that it’s what they want me to say but I can’t pick it up to actually read it.

“How do you normally contact the council?”

“Through my dad. I never got a chance to set up a new line of connection.”

“We’re going to call him and you’re going to have him put you on with the council. Remember that you have no idea where we are. If you try anything, we’ll kill you before anyone figures out where we’re keeping you.”

I nod.

I tell them the number to call. Michael holds the phone, on speaker, in front of me.

The line rings and my throat goes dry.

“Alpha James, speaking,” my dads gravelly voice booms through the speaker.

“Dad,” my voice is hoarse.

“Sorsha? Where are you? We’ll be there as soon as we can. Are you hurt?”

I try not to let the concern in his voice make me emotional.

“Dad, I need you to put me in contact with the council.”

“What? Sorsha who has you? Are you still being held?”

“Dad, the council, please.”

For a moment I’m afraid he might not do it. I think he can feel the gravity of the situation because a few seconds later his voice cuts through.

“Alpha Rhys, my daughter needs to speak with you, urgently.”

“I’m listening,” Rhys grumpy voice comes on the line.

Ben holds the paper up for me to read.

“I’ve been told by the Goddess to warn you of several b-bombs,” my eyes go wide, “packs across Montana, Idaho and North Dakota have bombs hidden on packlands. The council lodge is also under threat.”

“Bombs?” He asks frantically.

“Yes, Alpha, that’s all the information I was given.”

I hardly hear whatever he says next. My head is spinning. Is this a real threat or are they covering something else?

I’m suddenly yanked from the seat and pulled toward a different car, a small two door, rust bucket.

“Take her back to the compound,” Michael instructs Ben.

Ben tosses me into the passenger seat roughly before slamming the door.

I need to make my move.