Payback by Melinda Metz - Fingerprints - 7 Page B

know. If they see Rae with me-
    “You have to leave. You talked. I listened. Now go,” Yana snapped.
    “That’s it? Just go?” Rae asked, her blue eyes widening in astonishment.
    “You said what you had to say, didn’t you?” Yana asked. She had to get Rae out of there. If the agency spotted them together, then later, after Yana did what she had to do, they might think Rae was involved. And then they’d kil her.
    “I said it, but I don’t think you got it at al . Whatever your plan is-if you even have one-isn’t going to be good enough,” Rae said, her voice getting louder and louder. “Those people are professionals, Yan. They-”
    Yana gently shut the door. She watched through the peephole until Rae final y turned around, headed down the front walk, and di sappeared from sight.
    I wonder if I’ll ever see her again, Yana thought. But at least one thing was certain-once Yana was through, Rae would never be in danger again.

Chapter 9
    Aiden’s dead, Yana’s sneakers seemed to whisper as she walked down the main hal way of the Wilton Center. Aiden’s dead.
    Aiden’s dead. Aiden’s dead. Knowing that, knowing that the agency had kil ed one of their own, made the center feel more thre atening. Not that she hadn’t always known the place was dangerous for her. But now it was more real somehow. Everything felt different. The paintings on the wal done by the art students seemed drained of color. The sound of the guitar class practicing so unded mournful.
    They could have played at Aiden’s funeral, she thought. Because Aiden’s dead. Aiden’s dead. He got what he deserved, she reminded himself. She wasn’t going to waste any tears over him. Yeah, after she’d almost offed Rae, the guy had taken her in instead of handing her over to the cops or to the agency. But it’s not as if -
    Yana jerked to a stop. Had Aiden done more than that? Had he sent her that note? She didn’t know exactly when he died. God, maybe that was the last thing he’d done. Maybe-You’ve got no reason to think that, Yana told herself. If Aiden had the power to move things around with his mind, he would have used that to bring you down when you had Rae trapped in the cabin.
    So who got that note to her? Someone from inside the center? Who else could it be? How many people on the outside even knew the place existed? The back of Yana’s neck started to itch. Was whoever it was watching her right now? Did they already know she’d ignored the warning? What were they going to-Shut up, Yana thought. So someone doesn’t want you here. Someone with powers. Who gives a crap? You have powers, too - not that you can use them in here. And you’re going to show up here every day until you figure out how to shut the place down.
    “For you, Mom,” Yana whispered. She started walking again, her shoes immediately starting their Aiden’s-dead thing again.
    She ignored them. Yeah, the guy was dead. But that didn’t change anything.
    She had to do what she had to do.
    She turned the corner and immediately saw a guard stationed at the door to the stairs that led down to the basement. He’s wa iting for me, she realized. Isn’t that sweet? When she reached him, the guard opened the door and gestured her inside . “The gu ard in the upstairs observation center is now blocked,” he told her as she started down the stairs ahead of him. “He won’t be ab le to fol ow your orders anymore. So don’t bother trying it.”
    “Don’t be checking out my butt back there,” Yana replied, not giving him the satisfaction of commenting on the upstairs-guard sitch. She picked up the pace, taking the steps two at a time. She got to the basement door half a flight of stairs before the gu ard and started to go inside, but the door was locked. The guard took his sweet time getting over to her. Yeah, you’re big and important, Yana thought. You don’t have to talk to me. And you can make me wait, gee, a whole minute before you let me in.
    I’m just so in