“Then there are the up-aboves,” Dan continued. “Many of these guys used to be part of the Agency. They know all the insider trading tips. They have connections. They dress in nice clothes.” He swiveled his neck around, indicating that he thought they were a bit uppity. “And finally, there are the military grunts. These are the ‘for hire’ men the Opposition gets to do their dirty work. They’ll do anything for money, though some of them are in it for the right reasons. They hate mimics. The most important thing to remember is you can’t trust any one of the groups.”
I looked up, speaking loud enough to be sure Dan could hear me. “So, you’re saying I can’t trust you guys?”
Dan slammed his hand on the steering wheel and glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “That is exactly what I’m saying. And it would be in your best interest to remember that.” He shook his head at me, and I couldn’t help but smile. I looked across at Brody, who had his hand over his mouth, trying to cover his own smile. His legs were stretched across the van, and he nudged me with his foot. I hit him back, and he brought his hand down to show me his smile. He had perfectly straight teeth, like he used to have braces. I wanted to ask him, but I thought that would be weird. There was so much I didn’t know about him. But I wanted to.
As we entered the heart of Chicago, I admired the tall buildings through the windshield. I felt lighter than I had in a long time. I felt different as well. Even before I was taken, I always had to hide what I was. I didn’t have to with these guys. They knew my secret and had accepted it. Sort of.
Aaron pointed straight ahead. “We’ll be staying in the top floor of that hotel.”
It was one of the tallest buildings I had ever seen. I stared up at the top of the hotel. “Isn’t that…dangerous? Like a trap?” I looked from Brody to Aaron with concern on my face. I was also a little afraid of heights, but I didn’t want anyone to know.
“The entire floor is stacked with security,” Aaron said. “No one else on the floor. It’s a major penthouse suite, so it’s easy to secure the floor from intruders. No one else should be going up that high.” Yes. No one should be going that high, I silently agreed. Aaron continued. “They have retinal scanners, which makes the place a mimic-free zone. I mean, besides you, of course.” I nodded and lifted one corner of my mouth in a half grin. He turned and watched as we approached the building. I continued to look at the back of his head, his blond hair mussed with the wind. In the time I’d known him, it was the most he had spoken to me without yelling at me or hitting me.
When we arrived at the hotel, Aaron said something to a man at the front desk. He called someone on the phone, and then another man appeared next to us. There was no need to check in. He led us through the lobby to a service door. It smelled like laundry and food, and then we were at an elevator. No one crossed our path which made me feel a little more secure.
The man produced a key card and swiped it on the panel. The elevator climbed the shaft, and I grew anxious and light-headed, watching each of the floors light up as we passed them. The elevator jumped to a stop, and the light indicated we were at the top floor.
The doors opened to the foyer of a large suite. I took a deep breath as the man pointed to the cameras that were trained on the elevators, explaining the security to us. “The cameras take pictures of anyone arriving on this floor; granted, they need the code to be able to open the elevator doors. The images taken are then sent to a computer that runs a retinal scan. So, if someone gets here and knows the code, the scan will identify them in our database. Which reminds me, we will need to scan her.”
He motioned to me. “Mimics are a bit trickier as you know.” The man nodded at me. “You guys can change the color of your eyes to match your likeness, and you also change the shape of your eyes, which is what our computer measures. We do have a way to identify mimics, though we wouldn’t want to give away all our trade secrets just yet.” He smiled and winked at me. This was much different from the last place, when the men wouldn’t even look at me. I stood a little taller.
Though this was no vacation, when we entered the hotel room, Dan and I, with a sense of childish wonder, oohed and aahed at the luxury around us. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one used to minimal living quarters. The suite seemed to go on forever. It was bigger than my home had been, with an open concept kitchen and living room and an entire wall of windows. The kitchen was shiny granite and stainless steel, and the sofas were a deep, rich shade of red. It even had an expensive smell, like cologne.
Dan sprinted over to the window and pressed his forehead against the glass, trying to look down. I joined him, afraid to look, but when he looked at me, smiled, and motioned for me to do the same, I stepped closer and looked down. It felt like I could fall, but Dan nudged me. “Cool, huh?” I laughed, and it came out louder than I meant it too. Dan looked startled, and I laughed again. It had been a while.
Then Brody joined us, and Aaron came along, lagging behind. “Woah,” Brody called out, and Aaron couldn’t resist. He stepped up to the window as well. Standing there, the four of us, with our foreheads pressed against the glass, I was reminded that we were all just teenagers, and there were still things out there that could surprise us and fill us with wonder. And just like that, I felt like I belonged. Like I was one of them. And I was surprised not only by the beauty of the view, but the beauty of these boys, and their youth and their goodness.
I glanced at Aaron and then at Brody. Sometimes I was amazed at how beautiful people could be. Even the most unexpected people have something beautiful about them. There are so many different variations of beauty, from eyes, to graceful hands, to a curve in the hip. There is so much beauty in the world, and not many people pay attention enough to see it.
“Ahem.” Behind us, someone cleared his throat. We all turned at the same time. The man who stood before us looked like he was in his late twenties or early thirties. He wore a suit that had not one wrinkle or crease, and his skin was a dark mocha color. Aaron was the first one to straighten up and step forward with his hand out. “You must be Aaron,” the man said, gripping Aaron’s hand.
“You must be Smith,” Aaron said in return. The rest of us approached the man as well. He shook hands with each of us, including me. Surprisingly, no one tried to put handcuffs on me. “Thank you for accommodating us,” Aaron said graciously. I was surprised by what a gentleman he could be. I guess, considering the position his father had held, he was used to meeting people in formal situations.
“Aaron, I’d like to go over a few things with you.” A looked bounced between Aaron and Brody, and Brody gave a curt nod. Smith nodded at Brody.
Smith continued. “You can join me in the debriefing room.” Then he turned to the rest of us. “The fridge is fully stocked. Go ahead and make yourselves at home.” He motioned to the living room. Brody made eye contact once again with Aaron, and Aaron nodded before he disappeared behind an oak door with Smith leading the way.
In seconds, Dan was at the stainless steel, double-door fridge, emptying its contents. “Yeah, cake!” he yelled. I looked around. There was a man sitting in the foyer who seemed to be keeping watch.
I stood by Brody. “When are we going to be debriefed?” I asked quietly, not wanting to sound ungrateful. “I mean, I can understand why they wouldn’t want to tell me all the plans, but shouldn’t you know? And Dan?” Brody shrugged, but I could tell that once I said it, it bothered him. I felt guilty. I hadn’t meant to plant a seed of doubt in him, but this mission was important to me, and I wanted to know what they were planning. I also thought if anyone would look out for the best interests of my family, it would be Brody. Then I felt even more guilt. I needed to start trusting Aaron after what he did for me.
Dan interrupted, talking to us while chewing, “Would you two quit yapping and grab some sandwiches?” Brody and I stopped talking and followed Dan’s orders. We grabbed our sandwiches and planted ourselves in front of the large screen television. Brody tried to get Dan to watch the news, but Dan kept
switching it back to a movie that involved illegal street racing and women in scantily clad clothing. I could have guessed this would be the kind of thing Dan would enjoy.
After we finished eating, Dan dozed off on the couch. I dozed off too, my stomach stuffed. The couch moved as Brody got up. He was talking to the man who sat watch, but I was so comfortable I didn’t care. I didn’t need to be nosy anymore. I continued to fall asleep, but then felt as if someone was watching me, so I jumped awake. When I looked up, Brody was standing over me.
“What?” I asked, sitting up.
He reached his hand down and whispered, “Come with me.”
I felt a little like I was dreaming as I got up and walked behind Brody. Brody looked at the man and pointed like he was asking permission, and the man nodded. Brody took me by the hand and led me down one of the hallways, and I stumbled drowsily behind him. When we got to the end of the hall, there was a door with a sign that said, “To Rooftop Balcony.”
I looked at him questioningly. “We shouldn’t go anywhere,” I stuttered, suddenly nervous. What were we doing? I wasn’t sure what Brody wanted from me. “We don’t know who could be out there,” I blurted. “What if we’re seen?”
“It’s fine, Meda. I checked.” He smiled at me. “Come on. Live a little.” Then he pulled me out the door. It didn’t exit out to the roof, like I thought it was going to. It brought us to another door marked “Fire Exit.”
“Where are we going?” I asked. Brody didn’t answer, but he seemed to know the way. Now I knew what he had been talking to the man about. He pushed the door open and pulled me into the stairwell with him. It was all concrete and white, and there was no carpet, so it seemed like an area that wasn’t meant for guests.
He turned, smiling. “Come on,” he said, motioning up the steps. He took the first couple two at a time, dragging me behind him. His strides were longer, but I was quick. It was dark in the stairwell except for the security lights.
“What are we doing?” I asked.
“We’re going all the way to the top,” Brody responded.
“I thought we were on the top.”
“Not quite.” Our feet echoed in the stairwell, and I tried to hold back a smile. A fluttery feeling burst in my stomach. I was excited and scared all at the same time. It didn’t feel right to feel this in our current circumstances, but I had been feeling like an entirely different person ever since we left the safe house.
We came to a landing at the end, and Brody went to push the door open that said, “Rooftop Balcony.” I grabbed his arm. “Wait! Are you sure the alarm won’t go off?” Brody smiled and walked out the door.
He pulled me in a rush out to the rooftop. The cold air outside hit me immediately. Then, the vastness of the night struck. I didn’t realize that as we napped after our meal it had turned to night. Stars flickered above me. It was dizzying. “Beautiful,” Brody said quietly.
“It is,” I said, looking at the stars. I dropped my eyes to Brody and noticed he was looking at me. I was immediately embarrassed and struggled to say something, but my mouth didn’t work.
Something glimmered in Brody’s eyes as he moved towards me, cautiously. I didn’t back away, though everything in my body tried to make me. Brody’s words traveled quietly through the night. “It’s a shame you were born a mimic.” My stomach dropped, unsure of what he meant. Then he continued. “Because a face this beautiful should never be allowed to change.” I laughed. It was so cheesy I couldn’t look at him, but I also found a deep blush lurking up my neck. I always wondered why, in books, women seemed to fall for the cheesy lines. I knew now it didn’t matter how cheesy the line, because when a man you care for compliments you, everything in the world brightens.
One hand slid delicately to my hip. “Meda, I want you to trust me,” Brody said, his smile replaced with a look of earnestness.
I had a difficult time finding words when all my attention was focused on his hand at my hip. “Of course I trust you, Brody. Look at all you’ve done for me.” Then, his other hand dropped to my other hip, and he slowly pulled me towards him.
“What I meant was, I won’t let anything happen to you.” His voice had a dreamy quality. His hands slid from my hips and met each other at my lower back. I had been hoping, wishing the entire time, that it wasn’t all in my head. Willing myself not to trust him. I had no way of knowing until that very moment how he felt, but I couldn’t return his embrace. I stood with my arms dumbly hanging at my sides.
“I know,” I said, but I felt stupid. I was speechless. I was afraid to hold onto someone. Those people had a way of being used against me. Brody gently placed his hand on the side of my face. He brushed my cheek with his knuckles and brought his hand under my chin, and suddenly his warm mouth was on mine.
I closed my eyes and sighed. Now I had stars in my eyes. Starbursts of color flooded my senses, and I felt every inch of his lips. Then, I pulled back. He looked into my eyes and saw my concern.
“What is it? Tell me. You aren’t alone anymore.” He continued to hold me, not letting go.
“I don’t know if I can do this.” I shook my head. “I’m afraid.” He studied me. “There is always something to lose. The more people I get to know, the more people I have to worry about.”
“Stop. You don’t have to worry about me.” His brows drew together. “It’s my turn to worry about you. You have people on your side. You’re not alone,” he whispered.
Though I fought it, tears welled up in my eyes. I shook my head, amazed. “How do you always know the right thing to say and do?” It was that very reason why I didn’t trust him in the beginning. He seemed too perfect. Like a cardboard cutout of the perfect guy.
Brody laughed and shook his head. “It’s funny to me you see it that way.”
“I’m not the only one who does. Dan told me you’re like Clark Kent.” I tilted my head, studying him, waiting for his answer.
“Meda,” he sighed. “I don’t know what is right any more than you do, but I trust in myself. That is what you need to do. Instinct will get you far, but confidence in your choices will get you the rest of the way. And you are a good person. You should be confident that you will choose to do the right thing when the time comes for you to make such a decision.”
I threw my arms around Brody’s neck and kissed him deeply. He stumbled back a bit, and I could feel the smile creep up on his face, so I kissed him harder. His hands traced their way around my waist. This was what it felt like. This was why my dad held onto the memory of my mother. This was the feeling I’d been waiting for. The feeling that life was worth all the trouble.
I pulled back. “Well, I feel like that was the right choice.” I smiled.
“I second that,” Brody added as he ran his hand through my hair. “Sadly though, I think we’re out of time.” He tilted his head. “We’d better get back to the guys.” He reached his hand out, and I grabbed it. He pulled me along, back to the door, back to the stairwell, and back to the room.
When we arrived, Aaron was sitting on the couch next to Dan. He only looked up briefly, but that brief look said it all. Aaron knew there was something different between Brody and I, and his look showed that he thought it meant nothing but trouble. He shook his head.
Brody and I sat down on the loveseat across from the two. “Where’s Smith?” Brody asked.
“Gone. I’ll go through the debriefing.” Aaron opened up his computer and turned it to face us. “We will be initiating the switch at the zoo to get Meda’s family back.”
“Wait, what switch?” Brody asked.
Aaron looked to him. “Meda’s going to have to shift.” Then he looked at me. “Hopefully you remember what your stepmother looks like.”
chapter 16
When my father had first introduced me to the woman who would be my stepmother, I was surprised. Beth was the opposite of my mother. She was small and agreed with my dad on everything while my real mother and father got into epic fights that ended with a lot of kissing and p
robably other stuff I didn’t want to think about. My mother’s personality could fill the room while Beth faded into the background. I didn’t know then, but that was why she was the perfect operative for the Agency.
Ginger and Georgia were still young when my dad brought home the auburn-haired, mousy-faced Beth. Like any woman auditioning to be a stepmother, she was kind to us, but there was always a coldness about her. I knew I could never get close to her because Dad told me not to share my secret with anyone, which meant I couldn’t even let my guard down at home.
At first, I couldn’t believe Dad had betrayed our family that way, even though it had been years since we had last seen my mother. But Dad still talked so lovingly about Mom and was so different around Beth, I soon realized Beth was not a replacement, she was a stand-in. If and when Mom returned, Beth would be dropped in an instant. Which made Beth tolerable but also made me feel a little bad for her, until I found out she betrayed our entire family and had been working for the Agency the entire time.
That was why I was speechless at first when Aaron told me I would be shifting into the woman who betrayed me, the woman who had taken the place of my mother, and who, even though she had been cold, had pretended to treat me like a daughter. Yet, I listened intently to Aaron’s plans. I could see many ways in which it could go wrong but focused on the way it would go right. When it did go right, I would be reunited with my family.
The switch would take place at the zoo, where my father would be taking my sisters and stepmother. This was all orchestrated by Smith, who had someone in the Agency who could get to my family. A secret double agent. My father told my stepmother about the planned trip, and she, in turn, informed the Agency. It was a pretty great plan. It was clear the public place was necessary just in case people were watching. Even the Agency wouldn’t risk a shootout at the zoo. At least that was what I hoped.
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