Gina and Spencer were the only members left. They were trying desperately to find the other Lhaam members, but didn't get anything. Gina was a new member and Spencer was of Quinn. Together, they tried to locate the missing.
One day, Gina got a package. Inside was a large mirror, about the size of a door. She showed it to Spencer before resting it against a wall, intending to put it up later. Spencer sensed something wrong however, and watched Gina carefully as she let it rest. Before she could turn away however, something in the reflection caught her attention. She looked deeply in it and the reflection swam, changing. Cool air rushed out of the image and Spencer saw that it had changed into an entrance to a passageway. Spencer got up from where he sat at his desk, calling Gina back away from it. It was too late however. She was too intrigued, and before he could do anything, Gina had stepped into the mirror. Spencer rushed over and found that the entrance way was now closed and only showed what was happening on the other side. She was looking about uncertainly when she was grabbed by two other people. Before she was dragged out of sight, she yelled out to Spencer for help. The image faded and the mirror returned to normal. Spencer stood there bewildered.
Gina was led to one of those old-fashioned study rooms with an oak desk and leather chair. The chair faced away from her and she wondered who sat there. "Hi, Gina," a vaguely familiar voice said. The chair spun around and there she stood facing someone who looked familiar as well. "You look confused. I guess you don't remember me. Think back to when you first came to good, ole junior high. Now do you remember?"
"Austin? It can't be. It's been so long ago. It doesn't seem possible."
"It's a small world. Anything's possible."
"Right," she mumbled.
"Listen. I brought you here for a reason. You are of Lhaam, are you not?"
"Why?" As soon as the word exited her mouth, she knew she'd given herself away. Although many knew of Lhaam and Nica, there were plenty of Unknown's as well.
He smiled at her. "Just making sure." He made a gesture and two people came to lead her away. A great crying and moaning came as the people walked through. Gina looked around and saw that cells with the remaining Lhaam members surrounded her. It felt and looked like a prison. Gina looked down toward her feet, ashamed that she couldn't have helped. Spencer was their only hope now.
They didn't stop in the room of cells, but led her up a staircase into a hallway. She was pushed into one of the rooms, a bedroom. As they locked the door behind her, she started to weep.
Austin came in later and found Gina asleep on the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed, looking down at her. Feeling a presence in the room, Gina woke up and saw Austin there. "What do you want with me?"
Austin didn't answer, but started coming toward her. She leapt out of bed to a corner of the room and faced the wall. "Leave me alone." Tears came and she angrily brushed them away, embarrassed that Austin witnessed her crying.
He walked over to her as she cried, letting her finish before whispering in her ear. "I can't leave you alone. You've been a plague on my mind ever since that first day in junior high. I knew something was different about you."
"Oh yeah? And what's that?"
There was a short pause as he tried to find the words. He wrapped his arms around her gently, feeling her tense up but remained still. "Besides seeing the future and seeing what you'd become? I saw a beautiful, young woman. She was strong and successful. Everything went her way. The only problem was, she was alone. Frightened in an unforgiving world." Gina started to cry again, and he comforted her. "Yes, alone and scared. Oh, Gina, what can I do to show you that it doesn't need to be this way? That I can help you?"
Inwardly, he smiled to himself. He could sense the uncertainty in her. She was confused with his meaning. She was still too new to Lhaam to really understand how the battle worked. She was hungry for the independence she wanted to gain in the world, thinking that that would bring her joy. He saw that she was calculating, wondering what he could offer her. Right now, he offered her comfort, and he gave it to her.
He took her in his arms and slowly turned her around, letting her wrap her arms around his neck and cry into his chest as he held her, rocking her back and forth. Yes, he thought. This one was perfect. Too innocent. Too pure. So easy… He bent down and kissed one of her tears away. Then another. She trembled but didn't ask for him to stop, and so he continued. Gina fell asleep in Austin's arms that night.
The next morning, Gina woke up not knowing where she was. Then moments from the night before came into her mind in stages. She could not believe what she had done. Suddenly, the resolve to talk to Spencer was unbearable. As she figured, she couldn't create the mind-link needed to break through the force surrounding the area. So she took the next best idea from her mind.
Gina barely remembered the way to Austin's study room but she made it. A flutter of hope caught in her chest as she saw that the room was empty and there was a phone nearby. As quietly as she could, she made her way to the phone and dialed a familiar number. It rang a number of times and she was about to hang up when she heard Spencer's voice say hello. "Spencer? It's me, Gina. Are you alright?"
"Gina! Where are you! Are the others there?"
"Yeah, they are. Look, I don't know where we are or anything else. As we suspected, it's a high security complex. I have no idea how you can get in or anything. Oh, and get this. The leader? It's Au-"
Austin grabbed the phone away from her and held her neck by his arm, almost choking her. She struggled to get out of his grip but he wouldn't let up.
Austin spoke into the receiver. "Hello Spencer? Hi! You can hear your precious Gina struggling for now, but be aware that she won't be struggling for much longer." He hung up the phone. "How dare you!" Austin raged. He flung her out of his arms and she fell backward toward a wall. He snapped his fingers and two people came in and led her out. Instead of taking her back to her room though, they stayed in the prison complex. In the very center was a small platform, and she was left there. As soon as she had touched it, she felt herself grow light and hang suspended in the air. As soon as the two who'd brought her there left the room however, the device was activated. Gina screamed briefly as intense heat and light were given off. The platform made a column of Energy reaching the ceiling and she was in the center of it. She was the first to be drained of Energy. Austin watched from the study room from a window peaking into the complex and smiled to himself. His experiment looked like it was working. His new technology was making it possible for him to separate Energy and Spirit from Body, harnessing it for a greater cause. Austin laughed in triumph as he watched Gina at first, cry out, squirming in agony, and then slowly give in to the machine's power. Now, she hung limp, unconscious as it finished its task. Austin turned away from the grand spectacle. It was time to figure out what was next.
Spencer hung up, confused. He knew that they were being kept at Nica headquarters. He could sense that. But why was she the only one to call after all this time? Why were they all being kept in one area? What did Nica have in mind? He didn't have time to think about it though. Spencer got into his car to go after Gina and the others. He let his sixth sense take over and drive him to where he needed to go. As soon as he stepped out of his car, two people accompanied him to the same study room where Gina had just been a few hours before.
"Hi, Spencer," a voice said before a chair swung around.
For a few moments, Spencer stood there looking at this person, trying to remember why he was so familiar. "Austin? It's been a long time, but I never would have thought you were behind this. Why in the world you?"
"The question is, do you want to see the others or not?" Spencer nodded hesitantly. "Fine. Then let us go look." Austin got up and led him to the prison complex. All the lights turned on and all around him were cells filled with people he knew. There was Hyam, Melisenda, Casta, and Li as well as the other members of Lhaam. Those lights turned off, and then a light was focused on the center of the room. There was Gina, still suspended in air, body limp as it slowly turned around, letting all examine her almost life-less body.
"Gina!" Spencer uttered under his breath as he tried to rush forward. Austin took a hand though, resting it on his shoulder and holding him back. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Spencer was enraged. "And why not?"
Austin gave a slow smile. "You want to go ahead and follow in her footsteps? Be my guest and touch the platform then." A crushed, defeated look entered Spencer's body and he felt tired. "I give you a choice," Austin's voice came, startling Spencer. "You can either leave free and leave the rest of Lhaam to stay for my experimentation. Or, as Quinn, you stay and let the others go free, no harm done to them."
Spencer looked at him suspiciously. "What's the catch?"
"No catch. Choose one."
Spencer looked over all his friends and felt the ache in his heart grow. Too long, they had been separated and now they were to be separated once more. "Let the others go."
A cry filled the room but was instantly silenced as Austin made a gesture and they all disappeared. Deep down, Spencer felt that all of them had returned to their lives outside. Deep down, he could also feel their pain and loss. Spencer turned around and saw that all the cells were now empty. He turned to the center though and was furious to find Gina still there. "You said you'd let them all go!"
"Oh, Spencer, give me some slack. She's practically gone now. What chance would she have outside?" Austin gave an evil laugh as he turned away to go. Spencer remained where he was, tears streaming down his face. She never had a chance to Live! Oh, Tanek, what is your plan? Why did you let an Innocent one go?
A feeling warmed Spencer's heart and he silenced his thoughts, allowing the sensation to overwhelm him. Tanek had him understand. Although words were not used to communicate, Spencer understood. 'The little one is not lost and nor has she gone anywhere. She is waiting for you. Reach out to her, Quinn. Take her back as your own and raise her up again. She can help you.'
With the spirit of Tanek still around him, filling his senses, Spencer closed his eyes and reached out his hands toward Gina's body. Slowly but surely, the body left the air and drifted down towards him, and soon, she was in his arms. He knelt down, gently laying her on the ground. He brushed away some of the stray hair from her face and wondered to himself.
Spencer found himself being used as Austin's personal slave. Only at night, when his master was asleep, would he be allowed time for himself. He took this time to administer to Gina, who he kept in his room. He grew increasingly frustrated however, when it appeared that Gina didn't improve in any way, only remaining in bed unconscious. Many times, he questioned Tanek, wondering what was going on, and each time he was left unanswered. Imagine Spencer's surprise then when one day, after he had been working for Austin at least half a year, he found Gina awaiting his return. "You're awake! But how?"
Gina raised a finger to his lips, indicating that he needed to be silent. Because they were so close and because she was still weak, she spoke to him in thought, creating a mind link with him. 'I've found a way!'
'What are you talking about?' Spencer asked, taking a seat next to the animated Gina.
'I'm talking about your escape.'
'Huh? But how can that be? You've been here all along!'
Gina shook her head. 'What do you think I've been doing these past few months? I've been sending my Spirit out, searching and learning everything it could about this place. It's taken a long time but I've found the way!'
Spencer now understood what Tanek had been trying to tell him. All of Lhaam had a destiny, a future for themselves. Gina still had a purpose for her life and so, had stayed nearby. He smiled. 'What is this way?'
She reached up a hand and touched his forehead. Closing his eyes, he saw images fly by. She was leading him along the path they would need to take to leave. As soon as she was done, he opened his eyes and looked at her in awe. 'I don't know what to say.'
Gina nodded a little bow, smiling. 'This is my gift to Lhaam. There is no need for thanks.' Spencer smiled back.
Night fell, and Gina and Spencer quietly made their way through the darkness toward freedom. A few feet from their exit however, footsteps were heard behind them. Gina stopped and urged Spencer to get away. "Spencer, get out now! This is your only chance!"
"I can't leave you behind!"
"Didn't I tell you that this was your exit? Your escape?"
Spencer locked eyes with Gina, remembering what she had revealed to him earlier. "No," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Flashlights shone on the two and Gina pushed Spencer onward. With the belief that she was following close behind, he ran on towards safety. As he exited the Force of the area however, he turned around and cried out. Gina stood, her back towards Spencer and facing the oncoming Nica. She was of Li and transformed herself into a panther. She growled at her predators and they came toward her. Spencer's vision swam as he watched her get surrounded. Cries of triumph mingled with the strangled sounds of an animal being killed. The animal's voice turned human for a brief moment and a chilling scream was heard before it was silenced forever. Spencer transported himself away from the place, away from the sight. The images would not leave him though. They never would.