Fragments - Book One of the Missing

Chapter 46 - Rowan

It came slowly at first— a warm trickle into her hands. Then the flow of energy picked up momentum and rushed into her mind like a wild river. A warm river that flooded through all of her. There was so much information, it was like trying to drink from a firehose. Faces. Names. Coordinates. Families. Stories. Histories. Gifts. Criminal files. War plans.

The roar of information kept Rowan pulled deep underwater, completely oblivious to the world around her. She was drowning in the information, the power, the rush. She was drowning until a sharp pain threatened her connection and shattered her focus. The river's warmth had started to burn, and with it came the pain. Her whole body wanted to scream out from the severed connection, and another pain so primal, so physical.

Rowan couldn't grasp what was happening. Something must have gone wrong for her to be interrupted. Her eyes were still out of focus when a new pain erupted in her cheek. For better or for worse the clarity was instant, forcing her to open her eyes.

Kat withdrew her hand and wrapped her fingers in Rowan's hair, pulling her up until their eyes were level. Rowan was vaguely reminded of a similar pose the last time they met. But oh how the tables had turned. Pain only vaguely numbed Rowan's rising panic.

Rowan bit down hard on her lip to stop herself from calling out while she ripped a blade from her hand. It was so large it was more like a machete. She looked at her mangled hand. Kat pulled out all the stops to sever her connection.

Cool, calm, collected, she had to remind herself. Repeating it like a mantra. She attempted a punch to Kat's chest, but she was weak from being in the vast network of information. Kat caught her fist, but Rowan used the momentum to twist out of Kat's hold.

The blade hung from her hand like a broken toy, she didn't want to use it, but she didn't want Kat to have it either. Kat seemed to have the same idea and lunged for her at the same time Rowan dropped the weapon and grabbed hold of Kat's throat.

Power started to pulse from her. She was ready for Kat to feel the burn or stop breathing, whichever came first.

"Don't you want to hear about sweet, little Olive?"

Rowan's grip loosened for just a moment. It was all Kat needed to swat her hands away and put some distance between them. Rowan's heart faltered. What could she know that Rowan hadn't already found in the computers.

"Liar," Rowan said, her voice cracking. The emotions overwhelmed her. Rowan's fists worked in quick succession, landing on her arms, her chest, her face. Kat was unperturbed, knowing that she had gotten the upper-hand. Rowan's energy was draining quickly after using so much power, from fighting through the pain. Anger was the last fuel she had left.

"She was very easy to find. Always running off looking for you."

Olive. Her innocent face swam in front of Rowan, her eyes welled with tears. "LIAR," Rowan screamed louder this time, drowning out the nagging whispering in her head. She went after Kat with her nails, ready to claw out her eyes. Her mangled hand smeared blood on Kat's cheek as they grappled. "Not my sister!"

"She was a cute little thing. So unassuming, so scared when we took her here for testing. She is quite talented."

Rowan charged her shoulder into Kat, not letting her finish. Rowan fell on top of her and closed her hand around her throat again, tightening her grip. She focused all her energy into Kat.

"Go to hell," Rowan spat out through gritted teeth.

"Can't already in it."

Against her will, pieces of Kat's life started to escape into Rowan's mind. She brushed them away, she didn't want them, didn't want anything to do with her.

"What did you do to her?"

Kat snarled at her. But this time Rowan couldn't unsee the memories. A small girl, alone and scared. Running through tunnels like a rat. Hiding her hair in a cap. The pain of beatings and whippings. The single focus to get out alive. To do whatever it took to survive.

Kat. Olive. Both. Rowan shook her head of the images. She was losing control.

"Tell me!" Rowan's voice was becoming hysterical. She was losing her power. Rowan knew she was burning her. She could smell the singed flesh. She was releasing too much energy, but she couldn't, no she wouldn't, stop.

"She's not here anymore." Kat's body wriggled beneath her. Rowan's knees clamped tighter around her.

"Where? Who has her?" Rowan's heart filled in fear. The Officials knew they were related. They were ruthless. They could hurt Olive the way they wanted to hurt Rowan. She was barely in control now; she wasn't sure she could hold it together long enough to get the information she wanted. Rowan was already fighting herself to not burn out.

"I don't know!" Kat squealed, her toughness finally giving way to fear and pain.

Rowan's fingers loosened. Kat looked almost relieved before Rowan knocked her out. Rowan swayed when she stood over Kat's body. She fell against a monitor and looked around the room. Relief washed over her to see Scooter knocking the boy soldiers out. She didn't want any more harm to come to them. This place was bad enough. They had seen enough. And Taniel was alive, throwing his knives. Still fighting.

Then everything went wrong.