I’ve spent the last two hours blanking my mind, calming my emotions, and focusing on the future, and I’ve come up with nada. Zip. Zilch. I’m totally empty-handed.
I feel like a big giant fraud.
Calista is naturally disappointed when I tell her, but she tries to mask it. However, she doesn’t realize that I’ve totally mastered the ability to read emotions. Annoyance and frustration leak out of every cell and I feel like a fat failure. Slouching over to the IT room, I plop down beside Ben, hoping my afternoon will be more fruitful than my morning.
Ben hugs me quickly before we settle into work, telling me how delighted he is for Cal and me. How I wish Ben were Cal’s brother so I could claim him as my brother-in-law. I’d happily trade Jaden for him any day. I tap Zane to ensure he is ready and we get down to the business at hand.
I drag myself out of the room four hours later, body and mind shattered. I had no idea what messages I was relaying between the two boys. IT is about as intriguing as watching paint dry. Nonetheless, they are all set for tomorrow and at least I was able to add some value today.
Cal and I have dinner together in our room before it’s time for him to pack up and ship out. My senses are sending off all kinds of warning signals, and I desperately want him to stay. But I have to force my selfishness aside. There is too much at stake now.
“Promise me you will be extra vigilant,” I say, running my hands up and down his chest. “I don’t have a good feeling about this so you need to be really careful. No heroics. Do what you have to. No more.” I pin him with a serious look.
“I promise, gorgeous.” He kisses me and I melt into his arms.
“I miss you already,” I whisper, arms clinging to his waist.
“I know, baby. Me too. But I’ll be back tomorrow night.” He kisses the top of my head.
“You have your comm-clip, yes?” I ask for like the tenth time.
“I have it,” he says, patting the top pocket on his jacket. “Stop worrying. All this stress isn’t good for you or the babies.” Bending down, he presses his cheek to my stomach and kisses my bare skin. “Mind Mom,” he whispers and my heartstrings twang.
I walk with him to the Velo station, and we stay wrapped in each other’s arms until the Velo arrives and he needs to leave. I can feel the tears building behind my eyes, but I focus on keeping my emotions under control. The last thing Cal needs is for me to make a scene. But I have a bad case of the heebie-jeebies, and I can’t shake the worry that this could be the last time I ever see him.
“I love you. Stay safe,” I say, my voice cracking at the last second.
“I love you too. I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t worry.” He tweaks my nose.
Irrespective of the crowd lining the insides of the carriage, he swoops down and hauls me to his chest, my feet lifting off the ground. He kisses me with abandon and urgency, pouring everything of himself into every touch and caress of his mouth. My resolve weakens as a sob builds in the pit of my stomach and gains momentum. When we break apart, he slides a thumb over the moisture under my eyes. “Don’t cry, baby. It’s all going to be over in a couple of days and then we can get on with the rest of our lives.”
I nod, my hands splayed against his face as I kiss him one last time.
I wait until the Velo glides into the enclosed tunnel before dropping to the ground. My breath is uneven, hitching noisily in my throat. Keep your cool, Ariana. If Aggie were here, she would waggle her finger in my face and ‘tut,tut’. He knows how to look after himself and he’s like a giant Rottweiler once he gets going. He will be totally fine.
I can’t be alone in the apartment or I’ll drive myself insane with worry. So I go on visiting rounds, calling into my family first, and afterward, knocking on Ruby’s door. There is no reply and I wonder where she could be. I haven’t seen her since I’ve been back, and I desperately need to speak to her, to ensure she’s okay.
Deciding to check out the garden, I take the elevator to the ground floor. The sounds of soft crying immediately greet me as soon as I step into the space. The scenery is programmed to the nighttime sky and it’s dark in the room. Squinting, I can just make out the side of Ruby’s head lying against the back of the tree. Taking off my shoes, I weave a path through the grass. I slink down beside her and wordlessly take her hand. She rests her head on my shoulder and I hold her close while she cries.
How alone she must feel with no siblings and both her parents gone. I’m sure Jaden is totally out of his comfort zone with all this, and I doubt he’s providing much support to her. Hopefully, I’m wrong, but somehow I don’t think I am.
“Sorry,” she mumbles, in between sniffles.
Pulling a paper towel out of my cardigan pocket, I hand it to her. “Oh, Ruby, I’m so sorry about your dad. I can’t believe this has happened to you.”
Lifting her head, she reaches into her bag and pulls out a juice carton. “I keep hoping that I’m going to wake up and find out that the last year was all a dream,” she admits, sucking juice through the straw.
“I know what you mean.” Especially considering my penchant for dreams. I remember clutching at similar straws myself when I thought Dad was gone. “Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask, though I know there is nothing that anyone can do except hold her through the rough times.
“You already are,” she says, reaching out and patting my hand.
By some miracle, I actually fall asleep almost immediately once I crawl into my lonely bed.
Cal is lying flat on his back, a large, dark-red pool smearing his chest. Damp hair plasters his forehead as sweat beads cluster in little balls on his skin. His eyes roil wildly in his head before his eyelids slowly close and his body slumps lifeless against the ground.
I wake up screaming and crying and my heart is beating furiously in my chest. I stagger to the bathroom and hurl into the toilet bowl. Big, fat teardrops slide down my face and my whole body trembles in fear. Forcing my body into motion, I rip open my bag and fling the contents all over the room until I locate my comm-clip. With trembling hands, I dial Cal’s code and wait for what seems like eternity, until a sleepy voice answers.
I cry over the connection and I can’t calm myself enough to speak. “Baby, you’re scaring me,” he says, “What’s wrong?”
I calm myself enough to blurt out the contents of my horrific nightmare. “You need to come home, now. Please,” I plead.
“Ariana, even if I wanted to, there is no way I can make it back to HQ. All Velo stations are on lockdown ‘til after the battle. Nothing is going to happen to me, I promise. If it makes you feel better, I’ll notify the Command Sergeant in the morning and see if any extra precautions can be taken. And you’ve said yourself before, you can’t always make sense of your dreams. You’ve been under a lot of stress lately. It’s probably just manifestation of your fear. I promise you that I’ll be extra careful. No harm is going to come to me. Okay?”
I nod my head like an idiot until I realize he can’t see me. “Yes,” I sniffle. “Can you call me the minute it’s all over tomorrow so I know you’re all right?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Now go back to sleep. We both need to be in top form tomorrow.”
Clicking off the call is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’d happily stay on the line all night listening to his voice. But Cal is right. He needs to have his wits about him tomorrow and sleep deprivation would not help matters.
Eventually I drift off and I oversleep the next morning. Still, I’ve a couple of hours to kill before I’m needed for official duty, so, I wander off in search of some other lonely souls.
Dad summons me at four p.m., and I make my way to Command Center. Lily is helping Erin watch the kids and everyone else is battle-station ready. Tension is palpable in the air as I step into the room. Every workstation is manned; men and women in pristine white uniforms sit alert, ready to play their part.
The digital screens on the glass wall display a variety of scenes: Saoirse stealth-craft h
idden in the skies outside Novo, teams huddled on the ground waiting for the green-light to attack the Ranger Towns, aerial views of the skies monitoring the government air fleet, and images of allied forces throughout Europe poised to act once they receive word.
I tap Zane and make sure he’s on standby. I know his isolation must be killing him, but in typical Zane fashion, he takes it on the chin.
A digital clock on the wall counts down the minutes.
The Inner Council talks in hushed whispers behind me.
A large hand clamps down on my shoulder and I look up. “Everything okay?” my father-in-law asks. I nod even though I’m biting the inside of my mouth red-raw and my knuckles are clenched tight, stretching the skin to breaking point. “He’ll be fine,” he adds in my ear, patting my shoulder before returning to his desk. Dad watches the interaction surreptitiously, attempting to mask his distaste.
Twisting my head from side to side, I try to loosen up and keep calm. I close my eyes, blank my mind, and reach out for an image, any clue to predict what’s ahead.
The vision that lands in my mind attacks my self-control and I audibly gasp out loud. My knees go out from under me and I sink to the floor. Dad and Calista rush to my side as my startled eyes fly open.
“What did you see?” Dad asks in a low voice. All the while, I’m hyper-ventilating.
“Oh my God!” I repeat over and over again, still struggling to breathe. Clutching my arms around my body, I rock back and forth, a deep trembling pummeling my insides.
“Ariana,” Dad says, gripping me by the arms. “Calm down and concentrate.”
Full-blown panic settles on my chest. His eyes plead with me to pull it together so I focus on steadying my breathing and slowing down my heart rate. Once I’m somewhat composed, I turn to face them. “Government stealth-craft are on the way here. They intend to take us out before we can push the button on our plan.”
Calista looks visibly relieved. “It’s okay, Ariana”, she says, laying a hand on my arm. “The Invincia will protect us.”
“But that’s …” I taper off as she stands, turning to address the group watching from the sidelines.
“It’s okay. False alarm.” She runs a slim hand through her hair.
“Calista,” I say in a firmer voice, extending an arm as I push off the floor. Dad wraps a strong arm across my back and helps me stand. “You don’t understand. They know how to take the Invincia out.”
“What?” she says, whirling around.
“There is no way they could know how to disable it,” she says, and then her eyes widen in sheer terror. “Unless,” she says, clamping a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God.” Her eyes dart to Dad’s. “Zane was at that meeting. They know about the server.”
Dad steps in front of me until we’re nose to nose. “What exactly did you see, Ari?”
Intense pressure like I’ve never felt before sits on my chest. My whole body shakes uncontrollably. Several pairs of eyes bore into mine and beads of sweat cluster under my clothes.
“I just witnessed our complete annihilation.”
CHAPTER 25
Horrified expressions meet mine. “Are you very sure, Ariana?” Calista asks, a furrow deepening in her brow.
“I …” Of course, I’m not sure. I still don’t have a clue how my visions work. But I know what I’ve just seen, and I can’t take the risk that it wasn’t a vision of the future, because if we ignore it, then we could all be doomed. “Yes,” I say. “I saw ten stealth-craft surround the front of our compound and bombard us with targeted missiles. One of the craft hit the server dead on and the Invincia shield folded. We didn’t react in time and,” I pause to collect my breath, “I saw us go up in flames. Please,” I beseech, moving closer until we are nose to nose. “We need to take immediate action.”
Calista pins Dad with a look and they stare at each other, some unspoken discussion being shared. “Okay, team,” Calista says, in a loud clear voice. She peers at the clock, which still shows twenty minutes lead-in time. “We are mission ready in ninety seconds.” Everyone scrambles to attention. Calista makes a formal announcement to the entire compound. Commander Remus sends hurried instruction to the ground crews to prepare themselves, and Dad runs into Ben to ensure he is primed to deactivate the Vita program. I don’t need to convey anything to Zane. He’s been listening this whole time, and as I tap into his mind, I spot his fingers whizzing over the keyboard.
“The Magna shield is down, Ari. Our troops can enter Novo airspace now.”
“Shield is down,” I advise Calista.
“Mission, Go!” Calista shouts out and my eyes are glued to the screen as our fleet rockets toward Novo.
“Incoming hostile stealth-craft,” a man bellows from below. The screen zeros in on a row of government jets cresting through the water, making a steady line for the compound. This is it.
“Tell Zane anytime now,” Calista says.
“I’m trying, Ari, but I need at least five minutes to hack in and take control of their cockpits.”
“We don’t have that much time, Zane!”
“Enemy approaching!” one of our pilots calls out over the comm channel, and I watch in despair as a swarm of government stealth-craft line up in the sky over Novo, clearly lying in wait for our forces.
“Zane …”
“I see them, Ari, but I can’t do anything while I’m working to shut down the fleet heading this way. Tell Ben to get on it ASAP.”
I rush into the IT room and instruct Ben to focus on shutting down the Novo air fleet. The floor shakes underneath me as I run back out and I wobble from side to side. A secondary impact rumbles through the compound as another missile bounces off the shield, which is still fully functional, for now. “Are we going to deploy craft to fend them off?” I ask Calista.
“All our fleet is deployed. There wasn’t any reason to keep them here.” Goddamnit, we’re like sitting ducks. “Ask Zane for a progress update.”
“I’m working as fast as I can, Ari, but I’m encountering some resistance. I’ll get around it, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take me.”
I relay the message and Calista raises fingertips to her temples. “If Zane can’t hack into their fleet and turn them around …” Her words hang ominously in the air. Diverting my attention back to the screen, I watch our fleet locked in a vicious battle over the skies of Novo. Ben hasn’t made any traction either. Row upon row of armed Rangers marches out of the Ranger towns and open fire on our ground troops.
Everything is falling apart.
The government was primed for our attack, and unless we can disable their technology, we are no match for their superior strength or numbers.
Chewing on my fingernails, I start pacing the floor. A massive jolt rocks the compound, and warning signals blare loudly as flashing red beacons sound the alarm. The compound shakes from side to side, and I lose my footing, tumbling to the ground.
“The server’s taken a direct hit!” a panicked voice screams, and I watch the digital grid as the Invincia line gradually retracts.
We’re toast.
“Γλυκιά μία,” Aggie calls out to my mind. “You can do this.”
Gulping loudly, I push my fear aside as stealth-craft line up in a row outside the glass window, readying themselves to deliver the death blow.
“I can’t do anything, Aggie. I’ve already seen it. We’re done for.”
“The future can always change. You have the power to do this. Remember what I’ve taught you. Now focus your mind.”
Steely determination sweeps through me. I grip the railing as an after-shock rocks through the compound. Urgent instructions are shouted around the room, and panicked screams and shouts echo all around me. I shut them out, zoning into my inner calm, breathing deeply as I close my eyes. Visualizing the scene outside, my arms sweep out in front of me as I summon the water to do my bidding. I imagine it surging up from the ocean floor, swirling and groaning as it accelerates, building momentum, and like
a tornado, sweeping everything out of its path. In my mind’s eye, I see the stealth-craft hurled back up out of the water and thrust skyward, folding and tumbling over themselves, hurtling out of control and out of range of our facility.
An eerie calmness settles over me as I concentrate on the deep inhale and exhale of my lungs. Squeezing my eyelids shut, I’m afraid to confront reality because if I’ve failed and we’re all about to die, I’d rather not witness it head-on.
“Ariana,” Dad whispers, “open your eyes.”
His arm holds me at the waist and his steadying strength encourages me to be brave. I blink my eyes open. Every head is turned in my direction, every set of eyes focused on me. A deep blush blooms in my cheeks and I inwardly cringe.
I’m still not fond of being the center of attention.
Someone whoops and then a loud chorus of cheers and air pumping spreads around the room like wildfire. Only then do I look outside and notice the tumultuous tumbling of waves rocking the sea. But there’s nothing else out there.
Our enemy is gone.
My eyes flit to Dad’s as a surge of relief courses through my veins. “You did it, sweetheart,” he says, snatching me into his arms. “You saved us.”
“That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen,” Calista says, appearing in front of me. “Thank you.”
“Man down!” The screams ring out from the screen. All eyes whip around and the room becomes a hive of activity in a nanosecond. Now is not the time for early celebrations.
Focusing my gaze, I watch as the bloody battle continues above Novo and on the ground.
The real battle is only commencing.
I carry messages back and forth between Ben and Zane, and eventually they hack into the aircraft systems and take control of the government air fleet. Another bout of rousing cheers break out in the room as we watch the fleet being grounded. Our troops land on Novo, aided by an enlarged team of sympathizers, and in next to no time, we have taken NSAF and captured President Calavero.
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