AGENT 23 BLACKOUT (Agent 23 Book 1)

CHAPTER 12

The pain sears into my brain's frontal lobe, threatening to split my skull in half. My body shakes like a magnitude ten earthquake, rumbling down my torso and coursing through my legs, all the way to my feet. I crumble to the floor and collapse into a pile of flesh and bone. Visions race through my mind, images of my phone, and text messages I don't understand. Memories of my encounter with Kayla and Agent 24, discovering the secret passage and the room with the weapons cache. Amid the sweeping tremors, my leg buzzes and Kayla's arm wraps around me, her hand clutching my upper arm. Her mouth brushes against my ear, trying to comfort me. But nothing seems to help.

I rock back and forth on my knees while holding my head in my hands, pressing my palms into my temples to rid my head of the pain. I think I'm going to die; it hurts that bad.

But eventually, and thankfully, it subsides.

The pain leaves my mind numb, and I sway like a ship at sea.

Slowly, the waves cease and I float in tranquil water.

"Aiden," a voice says. "Aiden, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Clarity rushes in, and I realize it's Kayla. Behind me, she holds me in her arms as I lie on the floor. I don't know how she maneuvered to her current position, sitting back on her heels. I thought I was on my hands and knees, face down on the floor, but somehow, I ended up on my backside with my legs stretched forward, leaning back into her arms.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"Still in your dungeon."

I blink as I recall how I found this room. For a moment, I consider saying, technically, my dungeon is upstairs in the basement, but I keep that to myself.

As my physical strength and mental faculties return, I want to rise to my feet. But Kayla's embrace is something I could get used to. Unfortunately, I know I can't stay here much longer.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm good," I say. "I mean, yeah, I think I'll be fine."

When I don't move, she clears her throat. "My foot is asleep, so if you could get up now, that would be great."

"Oh, sorry." With a wince, I push up and lend Kayla a hand.

As she stands in front of me, I consider how she tried to help me when my head exploded between my ears. While thinking about her kindness, I have a sudden memory. "My mom used to comfort me," I say. I stifle a chuckle and smile at the thought. "When I was nine, I fell out of a tree house in the backyard and broke my arm. I cried like a baby." I laugh, but frown when the memory turns worse than a fractured forearm. "While my dad was out of town on a work trip, my mom rushed me to the ER. Seems I have a lot of memories where he's not around. Just me and my mom."

Kayla listens with her lips pressed together. She seems moved by my childhood memory.

"He was never around." My eyes drift around the room to the gun drawers, then to the stainless steel worktable, and then finally settle on Kayla. "He skipped town a few years later. I think I was about twelve. But my mom was always there for me."

"She sounds like an amazing woman."

"She was." My frown deepens as I inhale a troubling breath. "But she died three years ago."

Kayla gasps. "Aiden, I'm so sorry. That must have been so terrible. First, your dad leaves and then your mom dies. I can't imagine how that must have hurt you."

I know what she's thinking; she's wondering how my mom died. The way this night has gone, I don't feel like keeping a secret, so I lower the boom and clear the air. "Someone murdered my mom in the house I grew up in, in the middle of the night." I wag my head. "The police say she surprised a thief, but I don't know. There was nothing taken from the house." I stare into space and sigh. "I think someone meant to kill her, but for the life of me, I don't know why."