Crossing Nexis

by Barbara Hartzler

  “Thanks, Tony.” I just shook my head at him.

  Shanda reached into her purse and shoved a piece of plastic in my hand.

  “Just in case,” she hissed, eyes flashing at Will.

  I opened my palm to a fake ID that read, Maria Hernandez. Not bad, for a fake.

  Will mumbled something under his breath and tugged me along. We scurried past the party-goers glommed up in line, dodging evils stares and taunts of “Cutters.” Will just ignored them and kept on walking to the front of the line. He shook hands with the bouncer, who lifted the rope for us.

  Shanda glanced at me, eyebrows raised. “Impressive.”

  Canned music blared from giant black speakers in the dark room full of writhing bodies. Green laser lights swept across the dance floor in time to the music. Will never let go of my hand as we waded through the dance floor at a snails’ pace. Finally, the crowd thinned, and we reached a roped off area in the back.

  Suddenly, Will pulled me close, pressing his lips into my temple.

  I looked up at him. “Everything okay?”

  “Happy birthday, sweetheart.” He stared down at me, neon green swimming in his eyes. “This is as far as you should go. Tony will stay here with you girls while I get what we need.”

  “Yeah, right.” Shanda’s hand flew to her hip. “I don’t think so.”

  Will glanced at Tony. “Help me out here.”

  Tony shook his head. “This here is a New York girl with a taser in her purse. If anyone messes with her, they’ll regret it. Big time.”

  Will pursed his lips, looking entirely unconvinced. “I’ll be right back,” he whispered in my ear as he planted a soft kiss on my lips.

  Taking two steps forward, he lifted the rope. Then Tony grabbed his arm.

  “Not so fast. Wait up.” Tony took the rope from Will and snapped it shut behind him. “You’re not going anywhere by yourself. Not on my watch. I won’t stand for any double crossing. You hear?”

  Will cocked his head. “Who are you worried about more, me or my contact?”

  Tony held up his hands in surrender. “This is Nexis we’re talking about here. God only knows what kind of nefarious things you guys do in the back room of clubs like this. It’s always best to have a third-party.”

  “Ugh, fine.” Will grumbled. “Let’s just get this over with.”

  “Don’t worry.” Shanda waggled her finger at the boys. “We’ll be right here when you get back. Unless you take too long and some Prince Charming sweeps us off our feet.”

  “That’s my girl,” Tony muttered, shaking his head.

  As soon as the boys were out of sight behind the velvet rope, Shanda turned to me, eyes glowing in the dark. “Girl, dish. You aren’t telling me what’s going on. I’ve never seen you like this.”

  “What’re you talking about?” I asked, squinting in the almost non-existent light to make out her dark silhouette.

  She leaned closer. “You and Will. Duh. You guys have been going out for what, like, a month? And yet you were never this lovey-dovey with Bryan.”

  I squirmed in my chair, jangling my bracelets against my jeans. “I could say the same thing about you and Tony.”

  “Puh-lease.” She swiped her hand in front of her face. “You know what’s going on there. We’re totally in love. And it’s amazing. Now don’t change the subject.”

  “Grr…” I ground my teeth together. Busted. “What subject?”

  “Are you in love with Will?” Her question floated in the air above me, dancing in time to the beat.

  Beams of light strobed around us in perfect rhythm with the thumping of my pulse. And it hit me. Maybe I’d already fallen for Will and forgot to admit it to myself. Not because he said it first, like Bryan did. But because he was the exact opposite of Bryan. Will was totally into me above any secret society. And that felt good, amazing even. Was I really in love with Will?

  “I knew it!” She shouted over the pumping bass. “Who called it?”

  My mouth hinged open, and I tilted my head at her. “How on earth do you do that?”

  “Please, girl.” She cocked her head right back at me. “It’s written all over your face. His too, I might add.”

  “Really?” In a flash, my insides ignited, until my whole body buzzed. For the first time in months, I had something to look forward to. Something just for me.

  “That’s great.” The biggest grin crept across her face. “You two are made for each other.”

  “After what I went through with Jake and Bryan ...” My throat tightened as the grip of fear itself clamped around my windpipe.

  “Don’t even go there,” she tisked, waving away a cloud of dry ice fog that escaped from the dance floor. “Jake was a terrible guy. Bryan wasn’t ready to give up his precious Guardians for you. But Will’s different. He’s been waiting for you for a long time.”

  “True that.” My mouth curled up at the thought, even as an uneasy feeling slithered around in my stomach. “But being with me might put him in too much danger.”

  The house lights faded, and the music died down to a dull roar.

  Suddenly, shadows screeched through the air above me. Icy tendrils of smoke reached down, surrounding me. My lungs constricted as dark fingers wrapped their tentacles around my ribcage. My breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps. Ungodly whispers screamed through my ears. Piercing cries that hissed, You don’t deserve him. He’ll just betray you like everyone else. You’ll only get him killed.

  “You can’t live in fear.” Shanda’s strong voice rose above the shadows she’d just named.

  Fear.

  For a moment, the shadow grip loosened. I inhaled a much-needed breath.

  “It’s hard to put yourself out there. Believe me, I know.” She stared right at me, as if she knew the shadows that plagued me. “Sometimes it’s worth it, though. Even if it’s dangerous. If you wanna know my two cents, I think Will’s worth it.”

  Will was worth it. Shanda’s word resonated somewhere deep inside me. With those words, I pictured the look on his face when we first met. Our almost first kiss in the kitchen over Dr. Pepper. Our first fight at the bonfire when he tried to tell me the truth about my family but I wouldn’t let him. No matter how hard I tried to push him away, he’d stuck around. Worrying about me. Caring about me. Shanda was right. It was so obvious. Maybe he hadn’t said the words yet, but I knew the truth. He loved me. It didn’t matter that he was the Interpreter and I was the Seer. Maybe we were “destined” to be together. Maybe we weren’t. But I didn’t care about stupid legends or prophecies any more. Because I knew the truth. I wanted to be with him. Because I loved him.

  Hope surged through me. Slivers of light filtered among the wispy tendrils of darkness. I lifted my eyes to the ceiling, as four words beat a steady rhythm in my heart. A silent prayer. I’m not afraid anymore.

  In four seconds, the shadows fled. My throat opened again. My lungs breathed easy.

  “Thanks for that.” I keeled over, heaving for air. “I needed a truth bomb.”

  “Anytime.” She squeezed my hand. “I went through the same thing with Tony. The fear, the doubt, with all this secret society garbage that tries to bring us down.” Her eyes glazed over as she dropped my hand, her gaze far off.

  “How’d you do it?” I asked, as soon as I’d regained my breath. “How’d you know you guys even had a shot to make it work?”

  She turned to me. “Because he’s a fighter. In that way, Tony and Will are totally alike. Will has already fought for you. So many times, just like Tony fought for me.” The music swelled, and she raised her voice. “We just have to keep fighting for what we want. And that’s how we get exactly what we need.”

  “I like that.” I couldn’t keep my lips from curving at the thought. A great idea in theory. One that still scared me. “But it’s not just on them.”

  “Amen to that. Fight for your man.” She raised one fist in the air. “How exactly are you going to do that?”

  “Argh,” I huffed
under my breath. “I’m the girl. Why do I have to make the first move?”

  Her arm fell to her side as she stared me down. “Don’t give me that. It’s hardly the first move. You two have too much stacked against you. Even more than me and Tony did. You have to go for it, even if you’re scared.”

  “You make it sound so easy.” I managed a weak smile.

  “Oh, let me tell you, it’s definitely not easy. Not at Montrose.” She scooted closer and bumped my shoulder. “If I can do it, you can, too.”

  We grinned at each other as dark figures appeared from behind the velvet rope. At last, the boys were back. Will had some wires peeking out from his jacket pocket. His eyes were shadowed, darting with laser focus around the room.

  As soon as he was close enough, I wrapped my arm around his neck and kissed his stubbled cheek. “It’s gonna be okay,” I whispered in his ear. “We’re together now. We’re gonna be just fine.”

  “I hope you’re right.” His arms flew around my waist, pulling me tight against him, crushing bits of the contents in his pocket between us. But he didn’t seem to care.

  My heart was as light as it’d been in a long time. So what if the future ahead seemed scary and uncertain. Tonight, I had gotten more than I bargained for. A new realization. And some great friends to lift me up.

  Chapter 24

  The next week at Montrose passed by in a blur. Everything went back to normal, at least spring-semester normal. Bryan and the Guardians stared me down in the cafeteria. Colleen and Monica whispered whenever Will and I sat at the Nexis table. But it didn’t have the same effect on me. Will and I were a team now—and nothing could come between us. Not this time.

  Will and I had started training together in the gym after classes. He showed me how to block punches and kick a body where it hurt—much like the Guardian training I’d had four months ago. The athletic practice helped tone my body, made me feel strong. Being around Will made me feel strong, too.

  Once we were alone in our room, Shanda and I whispered about our top-secret spring break plans. We told Miss Sherry and my parents that we were staying with Shanda’s dad for the week. They totally bought it. Of course, Tony had to do a little Dad-like phone acting to make the whole thing convincing enough.

  Tony and Will told everyone they were going home to see their families, but they really planned to meet us at the condo for a prep night tonight to plan tomorrow’s mission. A mix of excited fear bubbles gurgled in my stomach on the drive to the Jones’ condo.

  ***

  Briiiiing. Shanda’s doorbell rang, and she rushed to the door. “What took you so long?” She wrapped her arms around Tony’s neck and ushered him inside. In return, he gave her a peck on the lips. A glorious sunset lit the sky outside her condo window with swaths of pink and orange. If I snapped a picture right now, they’d make the most romantic postcard.

  My heart did a somersault. “You guys are so cute.”

  She smiled at me and reached for Tony’s hand. “After this mission, there will be no more hiding.”

  “Yeah, only because we’ll be one of two places. On the run from Nexis, or safely in some Guardian bunker. That is the plan, right?” Tony looked at me, a goofy grin plastered all over his face.

  “Ugh, sometimes you remind me of my brother. Stop it.” On the outside, I flashed a smile. But inside my heart clenched.

  “I’m sure you miss him.” Shanda’s eyes sparkled as dusk settled over the city behind her.

  “Aren’t you so sweet?” Tony wrapped both arms around Shanda and pulled her in tight. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to me,” Shanda mumbled against his neck.

  My shoulders slumped. None of us knew what would happen next. At least I wasn’t the only one feeling the pressure.

  Diiing. The elevator dinged in the distance.

  “That’ll be Will.” I rushed through the foyer and straight to the elevator door.

  Will’s tan face greeted me when I opened the door. I smushed my lips into his before he got a chance to walk through the front door. “Missed you.”

  “I missed you, too, gorgeous.” He kissed me back, harder this time. Then he pulled me into the corner of the foyer and pressed me up against the wall. Running his thumb along my jawline, he cupped my face and pressed his mouth into mine. I threaded my fingers behind his neck, melting into his kiss. His lips tasted sweet and a little tangy.

  “Mmm … Dr. Pepper,” I murmured into his mouth. “Brings back memories.”

  “Good memories,” he whispered, pulling away to kiss my cheek, my neck, before returning to my lips. “Our first kiss.”

  “First of many.” I ran my hands down his chiseled back. Electricity coursed through every nerve ending as I got lost in his kiss, his arms, the way his stubble scratched my face.

  Finally, after who-knows-how-long, Shanda called through the open door. “Are you guys going to be out there all night? Because we’ve got work to do.”

  Will shoulders deflated in an instant. He rested his forehead on mine. “I’d rather stay out here all night. Wouldn’t you?”

  Immediately my lips curled up. “Absolutely. Who knows? We might get another vision.” I clamping my hands around his neck, pulling him in close again. His body felt good against mine. Anything else could wait.

  He groaned in my ear. “Not fair, Lucy.” He backed up a fraction of an inch, those silvery eyes on fire.

  “I know,” I whispered, staring up at him through my lashes. “I’ll be good. I promise.” Slowly, I placed my right hand on my chest, over my heart.

  He sucked in a breath. “Dang girl. Sometimes I think you know exactly what you’re doing to me.”

  Butterflies pinged-ponged through my middle. I pursed my lips together. Busted.

  Leaning down, he kissed my temple. “If we play our cards right, we’ll have plenty of time for us. Later.”

  “Now you’re talking.” I grabbed his hand and led him toward the door.

  “There you guys are.” Shanda glanced up from her snuggle session with Tony on the couch. Glorious colors painted the sky across the wall of windows behind them. They were the picture of the perfect, normal couple. If only our lives were really this ordinary.

  Will scooted the coffee table closer, then copped a squat on the sofa beside Tony, motioning for me to sit beside him. I plopped down next to him, my eyes widening at all the gear he laid out on the table.

  “What is all this stuff?” I gulped, trying to figure out the two black square thingies, one with wires protruding out of it.

  “This is the digital combo safe cracker.” Will pointed at the wire thingy first, then the white scanner bar I was familiar with. “This is the portable scanner I’ll use to scan the pages. And this is a hotspot that will keep the internet connection between the chamber and the office open.”

  Shanda pulled out a notepad and eyed Will expectantly. “I’m guessing that’s where I come in?”

  “You and Tony both. I need you to hack the system and keep Nexis off our trail. Tony will man the security cameras and make sure no one comes snooping around.” Will held up his fingers and ticked the items off one by one, then pulled a business card from his pocket. “Plus, I scored tomorrow’s security passwords.”

  “Got it. Just like last time. I’ll take that.” Shanda plucked the card from Will’s grasp and tucked it into her bra. Then she went back to writing furiously on her notepad.

  “What will I be doing?” My gaze flitted to the tech gear on the table. “’Cause that’s really not my thing.”

  “Just like Tony is Shanda’s backup, you’ll be my eyes and ears in the chamber.” Reaching for my knee, he squeezed.

  A lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it back. “I wish I could do more.”

  Exhaling the biggest sigh in the history of the world, Will slid his arm around my shoulder. “What we’re doing is dangerous enough.”

  Tony grimaced as he glanced at Shan
da, then at me. “I wish you girls didn’t have to be involved at all. But Will is right. Both teams need a backup. No one should go in alone.”

  Will cocked his head at Tony. “If this goes south, I don’t care what you guys see. You run. You hear me? Run.”

  Tony’s eyes went wide. “But what about you guys? You’d be stuck in the chamber facing God-knows what.”

  Will’s jaw tensed, and he gripped my hand for dear life. “I’m a Stanton, and she’s the Seer. They can’t do too much to us. Nexis needs us.”

  A hush fell over the room and as the last rays of sunlight faded into darkness outside. Shanda broke the silence by flicking on a lamp, illuminating three grim faces. Mine was surely no different.

  “We have our plan. I think that’s enough for tonight.” Shanda shoved her chair back from the table with a screech and walked into the kitchen.

  “Is she okay?” Tony mouthed at me, eyes trailing his girlfriend.

  “I’ll go check.” I chased Shanda into the kitchen nook.

  I stopped in the doorway. Shanda paced back and forth across her marble kitchen tiles, running her hand through her hair.

  “Shanda?” My voice wobbled all over the place. “You okay?”

  She exhaled a deep breath, glancing up at me. “This is starting to feel real. What if we get caught? Or worse?”

  A chill slithered down my spine. She had a point. “You’re right. This is a big deal. But you’re the one who’s so big on backup plans. Why don’t we think of a backup plan in case we get caught?”

  “Okay.” Slowly, she nodded. “Whatcha thinking?”

  My forehead scrunched into bulldog mode, but I said it anyway. “I’m thinking if we don’t come back, your dad will notice. So maybe we send him a message to contact the Guardians if we don’t get back by a certain time.”

  “Eeek.” Shanda cringed. “Then I’ll be in big trouble.”

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared her down. “I’d rather be in trouble with our parents than Nexis.”

  “Good point.” She nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line. “But why stop there? I’ve got a contact at the local news station. I’m sure they’d love to know if two teenage girls go missing on spring break.”