The Pyramid Chronicles: Fortuna Guard (#2) [MOVING JUNE 30]

Chapter Twenty-Six: Here We Go Again

"Help you?" Malcolm asked with an amused expression, as if he already knew what Adam was thinking. "Did you have something specific in mind?"

"If you can give people nightmares, can you also...stop them?" Adam asked. "Push people into having normal dreams instead of bad ones?"

Malcolm laughed. Adam glared at him.

"Maybe, but I've never tried anything of the sort," Malcolm said. "And I don't see the point in starting now.

"To win us over? Convince us to let you out?" Despite Malcolm's reaction, Adam was sure it was a reasonable idea. Or at least, it would be, if Malcolm weren't...Malcolm.

"You have a plan to take down Scorpion, don't you?" Malcolm asked.

"Kind of," Adam told him. "We're finalizing it in a couple of days."

"Good." Malcolm stepped away from the wall and walked back toward his cot. "You're going to realize that you need me."

And they were right back where they started. Adam let out a small sigh. "Are you this rude to everyone?"

Malcolm turned around. "Not exactly. To be honest, I find you boring and I'm not particularly interested in talking to you."

"Boring?" Adam wasn't sure if he should actually be offended by that.

"Your power's basic, you were never abducted, and you can't help me get any fragments."

Adam blinked. "I'm the one who collapsed the energy field at Delta Labs!"

"And why did you do it?" Malcolm asked. "Because someone else told you to?"

All Adam could do was glare harder.

"I'm right, aren't I? Someone else figured out what had to happen." Malcolm was quiet for a long moment before smiling again. "All right, let's make a deal."

"A deal?" Adam asked.

"Sure. I'll show you I'm a man of my word." Malcolm's arms folded. "I'll try manipulating your dreams into becoming something more harmless. But I want to see the collapse for myself, first."

"What? How?"

Malcolm lifted a hand. "It won't take long. Less than a minute, out here. I'll put you under, and we'll watch you collapse the energy field."

Adam tensed. He could do it. He'd seen it so many times already. What was the harm in watching it happen one more time? Especially if it meant he could stop the dreams for good. "Okay," he said.

Adam completely missed the sensation of falling asleep. He blinked, and he was in the artifact chamber.

The other altered stood around him, and as the memory began to play out, Adam realized there was another version of himself standing nearby. Sometimes he relived the memory, and sometimes he watched it play out like a bad movie. Like this.

"The Director came down here himself," Malcolm said, making Adam jump. He'd appeared at Adam's right. "Interesting choice."

Adam frowned. "You know him?"

"Sort of." Malcolm's gaze flickered between Adam and the Director. "I didn't think he'd risk—well, never mind."

"We don't have time for this!" Willow yelled.

"Is that Willow West?" Malcolm asked.

Adam nodded as he watched himself hold out an arm to stop Eric from attacking her, watched himself yell, "We have to collapse the field!"

Malcolm regarded the scene with a curious expression. "And she knew about the energy field?"

"Yeah. She told us about you, too," Adam said. "She got into SCI's files, security footage, Delta Labs reports..." He paused. "And she betrayed us to join Scorpion."