by Adi Sethupat
She nodded again, trying not to bring up those memories.
“The pools,” interrupted Michael, changing the topic, “do they truly have healing power?”
The tall man laughed. “No. Not exactly. The natural springs that flow from this mountain do produce very special water. It is a natural inhibitor. These waters suppress the giftings but only while the person is wet.”
“Oh!” cried Chrissy.
“So now you see why this place is so important to me.” He smiled faintly. “I used to have difficulty controlling my gift. But here…here I’m not a danger to anyone. Here I can make it stop.”
Chrissy nodded. “This place…it must be such a relief to you.” She had experienced his gift and it frightened her.
“Yes,” said the man, solemnly.
“Why do the rebels keep coming?” asked Michael.
“They want the water too. The rebels have been trying to get it for over ten years. They want to use it to wipe out Slum City.”
“Slum City?” Michael prompted.
“It’s a city near the sea, comprised almost entirely of the Gifted. It’s a bad place with no laws. But still…to wipe them all out…the innocent along with the guilty…that must not happen.”
“How would the rebels use the water to wipe them out?”
“My guess would be that they would use water bombers to disperse it over the entire city. Then the people would be defenseless since their giftedness is the city’s only protection.”
“That’s where we should go,” said Michael.
“What?” asked Chrissy, looking at him sharply.
“You would be safe there,” said the tall man. “The place is a haven for those Gifted seeking refuge from persecution. Whenever Black Empire or government forces come near, the whole city shifts and winks out of sight. I have seen it with my own eyes. And you would be well able to protect yourself, Chrissy, with every gift in existence at your disposal.”
Slowly, Chrissy nodded. “To Slum City, then.”
“I will provide a car and driver to take you there.” He held out his hand. Chrissy reached out and the tall man held her hand for a moment. “You are special, Aylward. Follow the One to your destiny. Do not be afraid.” He released her, stood, and left to make arrangements for the car.
Michael was scowling. How she wished to have her telepathy back!
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.” Michael avoided her gaze as he bit into a slice of watermelon.
When the car was ready, they said goodbye to the innkeeper, just outside the front gate of the resort. The tall man shook Chrissy’s hand and then Michael’s.
He held Michael’s hand longer than expected while he looked down at the youth. “Take care of her,” he said finally. “You, too, have an important role to play.”
A sleek, shiny limo rolled up to the gate.
“The driver is a friend of mine and a friend to the Gifted,” said the innkeeper. “You have nothing to fear.”
“Oh, wow!” exclaimed Chrissy.
Michael shrugged. “You’ve seen one limo, you’ve seen them all.”
The limo driver got out of the car and held the door open for them. Michael and Chrissy clambered into the back.
Once the car was in motion, Chrissy looked at Michael again.
“What is wrong, Michael?”
“Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I think you should. Sometimes talking about things helps.”
He clenched his fists, then unclenched them, and looked out the window. Silence followed. Chrissy looked out the window on her side. She watched the grass and trees streak by, as the car sped down the mountain.
“My father…he’s like that too.”
“Like what?” She turned back to look at him but Michael deliberately continued to stare out the window. “Like what?” she repeated.
“Like you.”
“He’s like me?” she asked, not comprehending.
“He likes to pretend that he has several giftings but, in reality, he can use them all, just like you. He uses the gifts of others. That’s why he started the School for the Gifted in the first place. So he could be all-powerful.”
“But…I don’t understand,” said Chrissy. “Then why would he say I needed surgery? Why would he say that I needed to be ‘fixed’?”
“I don’t know,” said Michael. “Maybe he didn’t want the competition.”
Chrissy tried to let his words process. She felt like she was slipping down into darkness. “Please don’t be angry at me, Michael.” She reached across the empty seat between them and took his hand. He held her hand but didn’t look at her.
“I’m not angry with you,” he said quietly. “It’s just that…you’re everything my father wanted me to be and…now I have to finally accept the truth. I’m not gifted. And never will be.”
Chrissy squeezed his hand and slid closer to him on the bench. “Everyone was made for a purpose, Michael. Gifted or not. You were made right.”
“Thanks,” he said quietly and gave her hand a squeeze back. “I’m glad we’re friends.”
The window dividing the front seat from the back of the limo slid down. “We’re almost at Slum City,” said the driver.
Chrissy could see it. The city was vast; she couldn’t even see the sea - only the buildings, as if the city stretched to the end of the world. She had never seen such a place. Then she felt new senses and awarenesses filling her mind. There were Gifted nearby. Many of them!
Chapter 6 - Trouble in Slum City
The limo let Chrissy and Michael out at the edge of the city.
“Let’s hold hands,” Chrissy suggested. “That way, I can wrap us both in cloak more easily. We should try to stay out of trouble.”
“No problem,” Michael said and held out his hand. “And you don’t have to make excuses. I don’t have to be telepathic to know you like me.”
Chrissy took his hand and glanced at him. He was grinning at her. And, all at once, she realized that she could hear his thoughts. I like you!
They walked that way for several hours, into the heart of Slum City. Chrissy touched the minds in the houses and shops as they walked. She was searching for the presence of good. They needed to find someone they could trust.
“Mmm…” said Michael, “I smell fresh baking. I’m starved. We still have some money. Let’s see if we can buy something.”
He led them to the source of the sweet aroma.
“A bakery!” said Michael, releasing her hand and pulling open the door. “Let’s go in.”
Chrissy quickly let them become visible. Then she entered first. Baked treasures of all kinds lined the shelves. Behind the counter stood a round, old woman. She smiled kindly.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you,” she said. “And you look like you’ve come a long way. “Here.” She opened a large glass jar and pulled out two shortbread cookies with pink frosting. “Have a cookie.”
Chrissy felt no ill will from the woman so she moved to accept. Michael followed her lead.
“I’m Anna,” said the woman, “and this is my bakery.”
Chrissy was halfway through the cookie when she realized what had struck her as odd. “You have no gift!” she blurted.
“Of course I do.” Anna smiled. “Baking is my gift.”
With the cookie finished, Chrissy wandered around the bakeshop while Michael continued to sit on the stool near the counter.
“Do you two have a place to stay?”
“No,” answered Michael.
“No folks?”
“It’s complicated…It’s like we’re refugees, I guess.”
“I have a living area above the store,” said Anna. “There’s a spare room where the two of you could sleep. My delivery boy quit three days ago, so I’m looking for new help. You could work for me in exchange for food and lodging.”
“What kind of work would we do?” asked Chrissy, returning to the counter.
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“Your main job would be delivering baked goods to different areas of the city. And you could help out around the shop on days when there aren’t many deliveries to be made.”
“That sounds fantastic!” said Michael. Chrissy nodded.
Anna showed them around upstairs and offered them a loaf of fresh white bread.
On their second day of working, they had a little trouble with a delivery. Two thugs stepped out of a shadow, on the street in front of them.
“What you got in the package?” asked the taller of them.
“It’s only bread,” said Michael, holding the package tighter to his chest.
“We like bread,” said the man, reaching for the package.
Chrissy and Michael backed away from the men.
“Oh, you don’t want to do that,” said the man. He put his hands out in front of him and conjured a large fireball. “You give that package to my friend or you’ll have this coming your way.”
Chrissy could see that Michael was not handing over the package. Clearly, what this situation needed was water, lots of it. The city around them thrummed with the powers of the gifted. She concentrated on a spot above the men.
He followed her gaze and noticed the cloud forming above him. The man hurled the fireball at them. Chrissy shielded herself and Michael with ice and water. The man flung a few more small flaming orbs before a large amount of water splashed down onto the two men. Then Chrissy flung several ice globs, freezing the mass of liquid and trapping the men to their shoulders.
“You’ll pay for this,” said the smaller one, writhing.
Chrissy shrugged as she sent water to douse the half dozen little fires that burned in the garbage on the street.
“Let’s go,” said Michael.
“Do you think they’ll be okay?” asked Chrissy.
“Sure,” said Michael. “Look, he’s using his heat to melt the ice already.”
They ran, then, and made the delivery in record time. Unfortunately, the two guys just happened to belong to the most powerful gang in Slum City: Rex’s Doom or RD for short. That same day, Rex himself paid a little visit to the bakery.
Michael and Chrissy were in the back when they heard the bakery door fling inwards with a crack! Chrissy felt for Anna. Her demeanor was calm. They moved to where they could hear what was said but Chrissy pulled Michael back so he would not be seen.
“What can I do for you, Rex?” Anna asked loudly. Confidence remained strong in her mind as the seconds ticked by and there was no answer.
“Where are the two new kids?” he growled.
“Oh, you mean my delivery kids? I expect they’re about somewhere. Why?”
“They had a run-in with two of my boys. They’re coming with me, Anna.”
“Oh, no, they’re not,” she retorted.
“Look, old woman, you don’t even have any gifts. You can’t stop me.”
“Rex, don’t you take another step,” Anna chided. “This is my shop.”
“Move out of my way!” came the deep, angry reply.
“The only way for you to get those children is to come through me first. And you know I’m the best baker in the city. What would you do without me?”
Shockingly, they heard a deep chuckle.
“Very well, Anna. Very well. But this isn’t over. Those two kids of yours had better watch out!” And then they heard the bells ring again as the front door opened and closed. They burst out, only to see Anna nonchalantly wiping the counter.
“You stood up to Rex!” Michael exclaimed.
“Of course. Couldn’t let him take you, could I?”
“But you stood up to Rex!” he said again. “And you won! And you have no gifts!”
“Oh, you and your ‘gifts’.” Anna chuckled softly. “I have all the ‘gifts’ I need.”
Two weeks later, Michael and Chrissy were coming home from making a delivery. They had been very careful since Rex’s visit to the bakery and had managed to avoid any further run-ins.
“I like it here,” Chrissy announced, as they walked down the narrow, litter-lined street.
“Me too.” Michael grinned at her. He had been doing more of that lately.
“I miss my family,” Chrissy continued, “but…I could get used to living here.”
“I don’t miss anyone,” replied Michael, kicking an empty soda can.
Then she felt it. She touched his arm and they stopped. “Trouble,” she whispered. Two of Rex’s thugs were only half a block away and gaining.
“Run!” shouted Michael. They sprinted toward the sanctuary of the bakery.
They turned the corner into the alleyway behind Anna’s Bakery. Rex’s goons were too far behind to catch them. She felt them break off the pursuit. Chrissy would have breathed a sigh of relief but all the running had left her gasping.
Suddenly, fingers as hard as steel bit into her bicep. She cried out as someone shoved something heavy onto her head and bound her hands behind her back. Her gifted powers clicked off. She was turned around roughly, and she saw four men dressed in black, ninja-like garb. Michael still struggled. It looked as though he might fight them off. Chrissy wiggled against her captor’s grip but he only held her harder. One of the men pulled an electric rod from his belt and zapped Michael in the back. He went limp for a moment, and another man snapped handcuffs onto his wrists. He was captured.
“Your father’s been looking for you, boy,” sneered the man holding her. “But you…” He gave Chrissy a shake. “No one’s ever going to find you.”
Chapter 7 - By Sea
The men placed duct tape over Michael’s and Chrissy’s mouths and threw them into the back of a black van.
“You’ll be going by way of the sea,” said the driver over his shoulder. “It really is lovely, this time of year.” The men snickered.
Chrissy wasn’t sure how long they drove but, finally, the van came to a stop. The men got out. In a few minutes, they came back and slid the van door open. There was the ocean! Chrissy had never seen so much water before. It sparkled in the sunlight. The men grabbed Chrissy and Michael and shoved them from the van onto a pebbly beach and then onto a wharf. Empty boats rocked in the waves and, other than a lone seagull, silence reigned. At the end of the wharf bobbed a large, sleek-looking inflatable craft, with a big motor on the back.
Chrissy felt a rough shove from behind and she fell into the boat. Michael lay sprawled beside her. The ninja men stepped lightly into the watercraft and took their seats. In a moment, the engine roared to life. Soon they were zipping along, skipping over the waves. Chrissy looked out over the water and smiled as the wind whipped the hair from her face. Even here…there were things to be thankful for. She felt a tug and noticed that one of the men was tying her legs together. It doesn’t matter, she told herself. But then she saw what he was tying her to - an anchor.
“She’s all set,” said the man gruffly.
“Toss her overboard,” said the driver.
“No!” cried Michael, lunging toward her.
Chrissy felt herself being hauled up and pushed over the edge of the boat. She heard Michael yelling. Splash! Ice cold water. Chrissy was sinking. As she struggled, the realization came that she would not be able to resurface. Chrissy opened her eyes and saw the sunlight dancing on the water above her. But the light was fading. Fear pulled at her like the anchor tied to her legs, dragging her down into dark panic.
Through the murky water, she saw a shape quickly approaching her. A shark? Her lungs were burning now from holding her breath. Whatever was coming was making lots of bubbles. Her oxygen starved mind finally made sense of the form. A scuba diver! Way out here? How could it be possible? Just as she was wondering if she were already unconscious and her mind was imagining hope, the diver pulled up beside her on some sort of underwater propulsion device. He grabbed her with strong arms, stopping her descent. The diver pushed something bubbling toward her mouth. She opened her mouth a little and he fit it inside. Then he filled a mask with b
ubbles and placed it over her mouth and nose so the water was pushed out. Chrissy took a deep breath through the device in her mouth. Gratefully, she filled her lungs with blessed air. Then the diver pulled a knife from a sheath in his belt. He reached down and cut the rope that tied the anchor to her legs. It fell away. She watched it sink, down, down, down into darkness. The diver looked at her hands behind her back but, seeing handcuffs there, he sheathed the knife again. Carefully, the diver maneuvered her between the water scooter and himself. He turned the device on, and they were propelled forward, pushing quickly though the ice-cold water.
Finally, they came up on a beach. The man hauled her to her feet, pulled off her diving mask, and marched her to the shore. He kicked off his flippers and gathered them up in one hand; he carried the water scooter in the other. The man directed Chrissy toward a blue van parked on the side of the road. He slid the door open.
“Get in.”
Chrissy struggled in, her fingers and toes numbed by the terrible cold and her hands still cuffed behind her back. The man got in too and slid the door closed.
Gently, he lifted the helmet from her head. She had forgotten about that. Gifts turned on in her mind again. They must still be close to the city. Telepathy settled back into its place just as the man took of his diving mask. Chrissy gasped.
“Father!”
He grinned. “Are you okay, my darling?” Then, not waiting for an answer, he flipped open a toolbox that was in the back of the van. He pulled out a slender, metal object. “Here.” He moved behind her and, a moment later, her hands were free. “Are you okay?” he asked again. This time his dark brown eyes locked with hers.
“Yes,” she said, icily.
In less than ten minutes, they were driving down the ocean road, with the van’s heater roaring full blast. Chrissy was wearing some of her father’s clothing and was under a thick blanket in the passenger’s seat.
“How did you know I would be there, in the ocean?” she asked, finally.
“I’ve been shadowing Kerberos’ men for weeks, ever since you disappeared from the boarding school, waiting for them to lead me to you.”
Chrissy wasn’t surprised that he was able to find her. She wasn’t surprised that he had access to the equipment needed to save her. He was one of the top men in the agency -the powerful, semi-secret organization supposedly working for the good of mankind.