Kismet Encounter Ch. 04

Smoke billowed from the room as she stole a glance back, the space having become engulfed by flames, making its way to the threshold. She turned, searching for any sign of where Jude might be.

It looked to Natalie as a legitimate hospital, the long hall lined with doors and what appeared to be a barren nurse's station to the right. She pulled herself a few more feet, sweat dripping down her back and her lungs burning. Her sweat soaked cotton hospital gown stuck to her skin, the smoke causing her to cough, her chest heaving. Why weren't the sprinklers turning on?

"Jude!" Her voice was hoarse from coughing and she gripped the wall again as she was overcome by dizziness.

Lights flashed on the walls down the corridor of the facility along with a shrieking squeal alerting anyone within a twenty-mile radius that there was a fire. Well, probably not that far but to Natalie, the sound was ear-splitting.

The bright red exit sign pointed down the endless hallway and she clutched at the wall for support as she made her way down. Her head swam, more so now from the smoke than any left over medication but Natalie felt herself wavering as she took three more steps.

"Jude!" she yelled, her voice gravelly. She couldn't leave without her love. The smoke swirled around her, the fire growing, emitting a vicious roar over the alarm. "Jude," she tried again, dizziness washing over her. Natalie's hand slipped off the wall and she tumbled to the floor, her breath coming fast and the room spinning. Her eyes closed on their own accord and she sent out a prayer that Jude was safe.

***

"Camille!" Roland's fists pounded the metal door, the impact vibrating the surface and sending out a loud, hollow sound throughout the hall. "Camille!" Roland shouted again, her voice cracking from the repeated use of it. Four hours. She figured that was the amount of time it'd been since she woke up in the tiny cell.

The memories flooded back into her mind of when she and Jude were in the study. The sensory deprivation, the blood tests, the brain scans. "Let me out of here!" One last slam of palm on the door, her chest heaving. She turned, leaning back. The metal was cold on her skin as she slid down to the floor, her shirt being pulled up with the force. How the hell had they gotten themselves into this mess? Oh yeah, Roland wanted to talk to Camille. Had she been that stupid to fall right into the trap that was set for her?

It wasn't common knowledge that Roland owned the bookstore, but she figured the information could be easily attainable from any government office or public database, as her name was on the title and on the paperwork in escrow. If anyone were curious if she owned property or a business, a trip to the local public office or city hall would tell them as much.

She cursed, kicking the air, the motion futile, of course. The room was small and resembled a hospital room, save the random equipment. It held the same eerie sterile feeling along with the white walls and cramped space. However, the door was locked and the only window to the hall was small, barbed wire threaded in the glass. She stood and peered out into the empty corridor anyway, her eyes scanning the dark space for movement. Nothing was visible out there and she sighed, wandering over to the bed again.

She looked around, the only other door leading to a small bathroom without a sink. On a further inspection, Roland noticed a tiny red light in the corner. She rose and crossed the room, realizing it was a camera. She flipped it off with both middle fingers and yelled, "Fuck you! Let me out of here!"

Shaking her head, she threw herself on the little bed. Roland knew Camille hadn't forced the feelings upon her. She just wanted to hear Camille say it aloud. Had she just told Camille how she felt before, they could've avoided the mess she got them in. They wouldn't have left the safe house and she wouldn't have checked her phone, receiving the frantic voicemail from Gladys.

It wasn't the old woman's fault. Roland kicked the wall in her frustration, letting herself acknowledge that the creepy guy Camille had referred to must've been working for Dr. Thorn, just waiting for her to show up after he placed the faux letter on the door of the shop for Gladys to find. Why me, though? she wondered. It didn't make any sense.

Telepathy didn't seem to be a hot commodity, at least not from her experience when they were in the study as kids. Thorn never seemed too interested after the rest of the kids started flowing in. It started with just her and Jude but then there was the boy with pyrokinesis, then the girl with dream manifestations, the kid with clairvoyance and then the little girl with telekinesis.

That was the one who captured Thorn's attention the most. So, as Roland rolled over and wrapped herself in the scratchy blanket, she wondered why the hell Thorn wanted her. Perhaps it was Camille she was after. But, how would Thorn know Camille would be with Roland?

Camille. The woman who was swiftly and effortlessly capturing her heart was somewhere in the building, probably terrified and alone. The thought caused Roland's chest to seemingly seize with emotion. It was a sick strike of fate, as if Roland was finally getting the karma for her atrocious behavior, her past transgressions and the questionable treatment of each woman she'd been with. Now that she found someone who caused her to long for change in how she lived her life, she was going to lose her.

Roland kicked the wall again, her bare feet taking the brunt of the hard concrete. Although she proposed she deserved every bit of karma that came her way, Camille surely didn't.

A piercing alarm sounded through the room, reverberating off the concrete walls and tiled floors. Roland covered her ears as she sat up, the light accompanying the shrill siren illuminating the room in a white flash. Crossing the room, Roland peered out of the window, seeing the same light mirrored in the long corridor. She tried the door again, gasping as it gave way and opened, allowing her to escape. She bounded out into the hallway, head whipping around as she scoped out the exit sign. "Camille!" she screamed as she passed each door.

"Roland?" She heard Camille's voice over the screaming alarm and whipped her head around, finding Camille standing at the end of the hall, waving her arms.

She ran to her, wrapping her arms around the other woman and pressing her to her chest.

"Fuck, I thought I lost you," Roland yelled over the noise. She cupped her face and kissed Camille, regardless of the pluming smoke around them, she held her to her body, breathed in her soft scent, thankful that the woman who was quickly stealing her heart was alive.

"We need to find Natalie." Camille bobbed her head, and they hurried down the hall, searching every room. A voice cut out through the shrill fire alarm and Roland stopped. "Did you hear that?" Camille nodded, and they stood, waiting for it again.

The second time, Roland heard the general direction of where it was coming from and she turned, taking Camille's hand and leading her down another hall at a fork by what appeared to be a nurse's station.

On the floor a few yards ahead of them lay Natalie, her brown hair spread out over the tiled floor and her right arm red and slightly burned. Roland knelt beside her, giving her shoulder a gentle shake. The rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was still breathing although she wasn't moving even when Roland pushed her shoulder harder. "Natalie. Wake up, Natalie."

"Let's just grab her," Camille shouted over the alarm, pointing to angry flames burning a path a few yards down from where they knelt. Camille helped Roland stand the unconscious woman on her feet, laying her arms over Camille's and Roland's before they hurried down the hall.

The sound of the fire behind them rumbled through the hall corridor, fear coursing through Roland as sweat dripped down her face. As they rounded a corner, flashing blue and red lights met them through the glass entrance past the lobby of the facility. Roland breathed a sigh of relief as two uniformed firefighters burst through the front doors, just as an explosion shook the building, the three women hitting the hard tiled floor.

***

The room spun as Natalie fought to open her eyes, the strangled cry coming from her chest tore through her throat and she sat up. "Jude!" she screamed. Eyes fully open, Natalie took in her surroundings as she was pulled into a warm embrace.

"Shh, it's okay, baby. Everything is okay," Jude whispered into her hair, her hand running up and down her back. Natalie relaxed slightly, wondering if she was having a pleasant dream versus the nightmare of her current reality. She was in a different room, this one holding a noisy television and the smell of old coffee and antiseptic instead of dust and decay.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to be carried away with the sensations following her dream. The heat of Jude's body hugging her, the aroma of her scent and the soft words being whispered beside her ear. She moved away from Natalie, the disconnect physically painful and she grimaced at the burning sensation in her right arm.

She glanced down to find it wrapped with white gauze from the elbow down to her wrist. "Are you okay? I can call the nurse if you're in pain," Jude said, eyes searching Natalie's face.

"This is real? You're not a dream?" Natalie's voice was incredulous, and she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"Oh, baby, yes I'm really here." Jude clutched Natalie, the next words she spoke cracking with emotion, "You're safe."

"What happened?" Natalie whispered, her breath coming in slower as she forced herself to relax, shoving the memories of Dr. Thorn down.

Jude's eyes were brimming with tears and, instead of answering Natalie, she held her tighter. After a few moments, Jude cleared her throat and stood straight but before she could speak, Roland's voice interrupted. "That psycho bitch kidnapped you and left you for dead."

Natalie peered over at Roland, who was jauntily leaning against the far wall beneath a mounted television, dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie. For the short period of time Natalie had known Roland, she would never have imagined the woman owned anything in the category of lounge wear, nonetheless wore it. Small cuts and scrapes were scattered over her soft face and the smile she shot Natalie was warm and sincere. Another woman Natalie didn't recognize stood beside her, dark hair pulled back in a messy bun and sporting similar attire and a smile on her brown face.

"I remember the whole kidnapping part, well bits and pieces." Natalie turned to Jude.

"She threatened to hurt you if I didn't use my ability and I was furious. Where is she?"

"The bitch lied to you the whole time. It was me. She used me to bait you." Roland shook her head. "I wish I could've gotten my fucking hands around her throat, that lying, psycho, piece of—"

"Roland," the woman beside her chided Roland, placing a hand on her forearm. Natalie found the gesture odd, especially for Jude's twin. It was one of great intimacy, the scowl on Roland's face relaxing.

"This is Camille, by the way," Roland said, dipping her head toward the woman who still had her hand on her forearm.

"Hi." Natalie didn't know what to say. The whole situation seemed surreal and she wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl under the covers with Jude and her dog. Turning to Jude, Natalie inquired, "Where's Bruce and Jamie?"

"Jamie was here earlier but went home to walk him. I'm sure she'll be back again but she didn't want to wake you up." Jude's fingers caressed Natalie's cheek and Natalie closed her eyes from the pleasant touch. The fingers of her other hand curled around Natalie's.

"Hey, it's on again," Roland interrupted, gesturing to the television with a jerk of her head. Jude took the remote from Natalie's bed and turned the volume up.

A woman with platinum hair and a snazzy blouse looked into the camera with a stern expression, her brows drawn together and tone serious, "...BioMie's CEO Joseph Costello turned himself in to the authorities yesterday afternoon after the Federal Bureau of Investigations received a detailed summary of a covert study that was funded by the pharmaceutical giant, dating back to the early nineteen-nineties. The alleged 'Project Caydence' has been funded by other organizations in more recent years, continuing a decades long study on individuals with alleged extra sensory abilities." Natalie gasped and met Jude's eyes before she looked back to the television. "The project illegally performed countless experiments on the first two dozen children admitted to the study, two of which being Costello's own twin daughters. It's reported that three children died during the two-year course of that first study, their deaths directly related to the trials."

"Oh my God," Natalie murmured. Her fingers squeezed Jude's hand tighter as she took in the details being broadcast to millions of homes at that very moment. What did this mean for people like her, Jude and the others? The travesty of what had happened to them was being spread all over the news and with that, their secret was becoming common knowledge.

Roland cleared her throat. "Wait for it," she muttered cryptically.

"Authorities have arrested and detained Dr. Miranda Thorn, world renowned geneticist and immunologist from Cornell University for questioning regarding the stacks of evidence pinpointing her to the head of research. The exposure of these findings is also linked to a recent fire and explosion in the Kirkland psychiatric hospital that has been under renovation. Documentation on the current alleged testing was destroyed in the fire, however, the confession of Mr. Costello has provided the district attorney enough evidence to hold Dr. Thorn."

"She didn't get away? They actually got her?" Natalie ripped her eyes from the news story and caught Jude with a pleading look.

She smiled wide. "They did. By the time the fire department arrived, she came bounding out of the building, crying and putting on some pity party act like she was a former doctor at the hospital looking for documents on a current patient. That is, until we ran out and called her bull shit. She bolted and tossed the papers in the river."

"Yeah, but we didn't even need those, seeing as our father finally bent to the amount of guilt he was trying to drown out with alcohol," Roland said crudely. "Everyone knows about us now. Our freaky powers are out in the open. Dinner table talk. It's fucking bull shit."

Natalie's brows furrowed as she acknowledged the truth in Roland's words. What did it all mean? Would they be treated differently? "What does this mean for us, Jude?"

Jude sighed, running a shaky hand through her short hair and feigning a smile. "I don't know, baby, but I'm sure we'll figure it out, together."

Natalie glanced back at the television, catching the tail end of a video clip. It was of her, saving the little boy, the look of fear flashing across her face on the screen. She inhaled, turning to Jude. "Allen released what he had gathered, finding that video after he was finally able to get through some firewall. He explained it very thoroughly to me, but I had no idea what he was saying." She chuckled, her eyes warm as they washed Natalie in affection, easing the fear in her. "He said he wanted people to see that we aren't bad. You saved that little boy's life and were kidnapped and tortured because of it."

"Do you think people will treat us differently?"

Jude grimaced and shrugged her shoulders. "It's possible but we can get through it. We've been through worse." She wrapped her arms around Natalie again, Natalie settling into the comfort of her lover. She truly hoped Jude was right and that the worst was behind them.

A nurse came in shortly after their conversation, offering Natalie relief from the searing pain in her burnt arm with medication. Natalie readily accepted and dosed into a dreamless sleep, her fingers still intertwined with Jude's.

When she opened them again, the room was darkened, the illumination of the television flickering over the white walls. Jude pulled back Natalie's blankets, crawling into the small hospital bed with her, wrapping her arms around Natalie. Natalie sighed, reveling in the comfort of her lover. "I was so worried about you." Jude laced her fingers through Natalie's messy hair, placing her lips on her forehead.

"Are you allowed to get in the bed with me or is that sweet nurse going to turn into nurse Ratchet when she finds you under the covers with me?"

Jude chuckled, the sound caressing Natalie's soul. "Let's see, you were just kidnapped and tested against your will, survived a fire and an explosion. I'm pretty sure she won't give you a hard time for wanting me in bed with you."

"Okay, good." Eyes closing again, Natalie beamed. "I love you." Jude's arms secured her, the rise and fall of Jude's chest mixed with the medication soothing Natalie into a relaxed state.

"I love you, Natalie." Jude leaned her head against Natalie's as she yanked the blanket back over them. Natalie knew no matter what happened next, she could handle it as long as she had Jude beside her.

***

Camille strode out of the room, Roland right behind her. Natalie had fallen asleep and the couple didn't want to bother her, Jude ushering them out as soon as the brunette closed her eyes again.

A couple? Was that what they were? Camille wondered this as she and Roland took the elevator down to the first level of the hospital. They hadn't talked about much since the night before, when Roland had found her in the smoke-filled hall, grasping her in an iron grip, her eyes wide and fearful but tinged with distinct relief.

The conversation they had before they were kidnapped and shoved into the SUV hadn't been conclusive on their status, but Camille assumed Roland wanted to be with her, care about her, even. Every chance she got, Roland clutched her hand, the look of uncertainty passing through those cerulean eyes when they met Camille's, as if Camille was going to disappear off the face of the planet. It warmed Camille's heart to feel such affection, but it also worried her.

"Now we know who started the fire. I still can't believe Thorn left her there, tied to the damn bed." Roland's voice was hushed but Camille could hear the rage flowing from her words. After the news broadcast had ended, Natalie told them she'd become so entranced by the energy in her that it expelled itself from her, literally sparking the fire that began in the facility. The irony of the situation was not lost on any of the women, as Dylan had been outside the facility at the very moment, prepped to start a fire with his own ability of pyrokinesis when Carey failed to break into the fire panel to start the alarms.

Once they entered the mostly darkened cafeteria, Camille grabbed a paper cup and filled it with barely warm coffee from the tall carafe on a small table set up beside the refrigerated pre-made foods. "I don't know how someone could do that. Natalie would've died if she hadn't gotten out."

"Yeah, and we would've died from smoke inhalation. Jude would've died from heartbreak. I'll be livid if that piece of shit jumps bail after her arraignment and disappears." Roland opened the door to the fridge, grabbing a sandwich and a soda before heading to the yawning cashier, Camille close behind with a package of granola and a cookie.

"What do you think about all of this, anyway?" Roland asked as she sat across from Camille at one of the many tables in the cafeteria, tearing open the plastic wrapper around her questionable sandwich.

Camille rubbed her eyes, fatigue plaguing her more than she realized until she eased into the uncomfortable chair. "Think about what?" She had an idea of what Roland was referring to but didn't want to assume.