The Hidden Code

by P. J. Hoover

  I don’t know much about Uncle Randall’s personal life. What little I do know is that Uncle Randall has never been married, but from what I’ve gathered from gossip around town, he was in love once. Some visiting professor who worked with him in linguistics for a year. One day she left and never came back. I never asked him about it. But I can’t help but wonder if he’s talking to her on the phone. Maybe she knows about the Code of Enoch. I’m tempted to ask, but I don’t.

  Finally, after dinner, he’s off the phone.

  “Where do we start?” I ask.

  He lets out a long sigh. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”

  “Why you’ve been on the phone the entire day?”

  He nods.

  “And do you have any leads?”

  “Possibly,” he says. “I’m going to fly to Turkey tomorrow.”

  My stomach drops. He can’t possibly be considering going without me.

  “Then I’m flying to Turkey also,” I say. I don’t know what’s in Turkey, but if it gets me one step closer to my parents, then there is no way I’m being left behind.

  Uncle Randall shakes his head. “You’ll stay here. It’s too dan—”

  “No,” I say, before he can finish. “No way. Do not even say it. I’m coming along no matter what. And if you even try to leave me here, then I swear I will follow you. You won’t be able to stop me.”

  Uncle Randall purses his lips and studies me. “I would be able to stop you.”

  I fill my eyes with determination. “Are you sure?” I will find a way to Turkey no matter what I have to do.

  Finally he shakes his head. “How do I always forget how stubborn you are?”

  I shrug. “My charming personality deceives you?”

  Uncle Randall laughs. “Yeah, something like that. Okay, tomorrow we’ll go to Turkey.”

  Relief flows through me, but then I remember the added complication.

  “Oh, yeah, there is one more thing,” I say, and I tell him about Ethan.

  “Absolutely not,” Uncle Randall says. “Even if we thought we could trust Ethan—which we can’t—his dad works at Amino Corp. He could feed back every bit of information he gets to his father who could in turn be giving it to Amino Corp. If they think anyone is looking for the Code, if they even get wind of it, they could start their own search.”

  A sick feeling fills my stomach. What if they already have? Doctor Bingham had seemed way too interested in the Deluge Segment. And then there’s the whole thing with Ethan’s dad taking up a new interest in it. That can’t be coincidence. I know for sure they have access to two pieces. What if somehow they have the third? If they set out to find the Code now and my parents are still alive, it only increases the danger they’re in.

  This is so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. It makes my head spin.

  “Doctor Bingham asked me about it,” I say. “When I was at Amino Corp.”

  Uncle Randall’s eyes widen. “What did he say?”

  I tell him what I remember.

  “And you told him nothing?” Uncle Randall says. “Not about the rubbing you found?”

  I shake my head. “No way.”

  Uncle Randall slowly shakes his head. “I have a really bad feeling about this, Hannah. Why now? Why would he care?”

  “I don’t know,” I say. “But Amino Corp has been in the news a lot recently. The last article I saw said that the Board of Directors was thinking about firing Doctor Bingham.”

  He puts a finger to his lip. “I’ve seen those articles also. And I think that somehow, this must be related.”

  Panic fills me. If someone like Doctor Bingham found the artifact, it would be horrible.

  “Did you ever tell the authorities about any of this?” I ask. “The FBI? The CIA?” I had no clue who else you’d tell about an artifact with the power to destroy the world.

  “Never,” Uncle Randall says. “The fewer people that know about the Code the better.”

  “Yeah, I know. And that’s why we have to take Ethan along. We can’t risk him going to the news.”

  Uncle Randall frowns. “There must be another way.”

  I’ve gone over it in my head a million times, and if there is another way, I can’t think of it.

  “Fine, we take Ethan,” Uncle Randall finally says. “We’ll leave in two days. That’ll give me time to figure out a way to bring him along.”

  That at least eliminates the threat of the news finding out. But that still leaves Doctor Bingham and Ethan’s dad both being interested in it.

  “The timing of all this …,” I start.

  “I know. It really leaves us with no other choice. We have to go after it before someone else does.”

  We are going to find my parents.

  “My parents went to destroy it, right?” That’s what the letter Mom had written to Uncle Randall said.

  “That seems to have been their plan,” Uncle Randall says. “But we tried to destroy their piece of the map here and weren’t able to. That’s why they hid it. I have every reason to believe they wouldn’t have been able to destroy the Code itself. And if it still can’t be destroyed when we find it—when we find them—then we must ensure that it remains hidden forever.”

  I nod my agreement, still bubbling over that this is actually going to happen. We are actually going. “When we find it, we have a solid agreement. Our goal is to find my parents, but no matter what, we have to protect the Code.”

  “Agreed,” Uncle Randall says. “Protect the Code. It can never fall into the wrong hands. No matter what the cost.”

  CHAPTER 13

  LUCAS FINISHES HIS GIGS EARLY THE NEXT DAY AND COMES OVER. CHEF Lilly comes through and makes exactly what he requested.

  “I think someone asked for cheesecake drizzled with caramel,” Chef Lilly says, placing a giant slice in front of Lucas.

  A huge grin pops onto his face. “Did I ever tell you how much I like you?” he asks.

  Chef Lilly smiles and hands him a fork. “Only every time I make you dessert for lunch.”

  “Just don’t tell my parents, okay? My mom gets really upset if I don’t get enough vegetables.”

  “Deal,” Chef Lilly says, then leaves the room.

  Ethan shows up when Lucas is cutting his second piece. Uncle Randall has been at Harvard all morning, clearing his schedule. When Ethan walks in, I fill him in on what’s happening.

  “So tomorrow—” I start.

  He sits at the table across from Lucas, next to me. “Don’t I get a piece of cheesecake?”

  I roll my eyes. “Do you want a piece of cheesecake?”

  “Are you kidding? I always want cheesecake. Every time I come over. It’s my favorite dessert in the entire world.”

  “Dude, me too,” Lucas says, and he stops eating long enough to fist bump Ethan. I can’t believe they’re bonding over cheesecake.

  I cut Ethan a huge slice because otherwise Lucas will eat the entire thing. Then I break down and cut myself a second slice, too.

  “Anyway, about tomorrow …,” I say. And I fill him in on our plans.

  “Turkey?” Ethan mumbles with a mouthful of cheesecake. “You’re leaving tomorrow?”

  I finish chewing before I answer. “It was going to be today, but Uncle Randall had to take care of a few things.”

  He runs a hand through his blond hair, and I realize that maybe this is the perfect excuse. There is no way he’ll actually be able to go. He may not even have a passport.

  “Can we wait?” he finally says. I guess he’s having the same doubts.

  I’m about to give him the fifty reasons why we can’t wait when Uncle Randall walks in.

  “I took care of everything,” he says, handing Ethan a folder. On the front of it is written LIBRARIES OF LOVE. “You’ve been signed up to build libraries in Uganda for the next month.”

  Ethan stares at the folder then looks to Uncle Randall.

  “For real?” he says.

  “For real for you
r parents,” Uncle Randall says. “And for the record, I do not like lying to them at all. But in this situation, I don’t see any other way around it.”

  So much for hopes of leaving Ethan behind.

  “We leave tomorrow. Meet us at the airport.” Then Uncle Randall cuts himself a slice of cheesecake and leaves the room.

  Lucas leans back and pats his stomach, which isn’t sticking out even the smallest amount. I don’t know how he can eat so many desserts and never gain weight. “It’s pretty amazing when you think about it,” he says. “You might actually find your parents. That’s like the coolest thing ever.”

  The lump in my throat is there before I can stop it, and I don’t trust myself to speak. My parents might actually still be alive. Out there waiting for me. I imagine seeing Mom, running up to her, letting her hug me the way she used to do when I was only a child. It’s a dream I’ve had forever, even though I knew it would never come true. Now, with the sliver of hope that it might happen, I feel like an avalanche of emotion could come toppling down on me if only I give it the tiniest of nudges.

  “What would be cool would be if somehow my brother could come back to life,” Ethan says, knocking me back to reality. “Now that would be cool.”

  A weird wave of guilt rolls over me. My parents are missing. Maybe dead. His twin brother did die. He probably has the same dreams about Caden, but the only difference now is that his dreams will never come true. And even though logically I know I shouldn’t feel any guilt about this, I can’t help it.

  “I’m sorry,” I say.

  Ethan shrugs but doesn’t say anything in response.

  “Okay, Hannah,” Lucas says. “I may not be able to physically be there, but you keep me up to date on everything. I can help, even if I’m not there. I don’t care what time of day or night. You let me know if you need anything.”

  “You’re not going?” Ethan says. I can’t tell if he’s surprised or if he’s pushing Lucas’s buttons. If the latter, then he totally succeeds.

  “I have to work,” Lucas says. “But I swear, if I hear one thing about you not being cool, I will find a way to fly to Turkey and kick your ass myself.”

  Ethan puts his hands up and leans back. “No worries, man. I swear.”

  “I mean it,” Lucas says. “I already don’t like this.”

  I rest a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. Everything is going to be perfect.”

  I say this as much for myself as for Lucas. If he thinks he’s nervous about what’s ahead, he knows nothing. The butterflies in my stomach are having a full-on dance party. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my entire life.

  CHAPTER 14

  ETHAN MEETS US AT THE AIRPORT THE NEXT MORNING. INSTEAD OF THE WORN work boots he’s had on every other time I’ve seen him, today he has on gym shoes. I almost comment on it, but stop myself. I don’t want him to think that I’m studying his appearance.

  “You guys own a plane?” he asks once we meet up and Uncle Randall gets Devin to take us to the private terminal.

  “We lease it,” I say quickly. For some weird reason, I don’t want Ethan thinking I’m some spoiled brat that jet sets around the world anytime I want to.

  “Same thing,” he says.

  It’s completely not the same thing. But I’m sure no matter what I say, it won’t change his impression of me.

  “Leasing is much more cost-effective,” Uncle Randall says, and I kind of want to hug him.

  Ethan shrugs. “Yeah, well, still, it must be nice to go anywhere you want anytime you want.”

  I will not react to his comments and start this trip off on the wrong foot. “Yeah, it is.” I don’t say another word. Maybe he gets the hint. Maybe he doesn’t.

  In the private terminal, Uncle Randall makes a detour for the coffee shop and returns five minutes later carrying three cups of coffee, a sight that pleases me beyond imagination.

  “What did you tell your parents about the trip?” Uncle Randall asks Ethan as he hands him a coffee.

  It’s good to know that he’s still suspicious of Ethan.

  “That I was excited to build libraries,” Ethan says, then hesitates for a second. “But I did set up a scheduled email for my parents. If I’m not back in a month, they’ll get it. Otherwise, I’ll cancel it once I get home.”

  Uncle Randall seems to consider this. “That’s fine. They are your parents. If something does happen to us, they have a right to know.”

  What does Uncle Randall think will happen? Like the three of us will die?

  Wait … he must think that’s a possibility. But no way am I going to believe that. We are going to find my parents and the Code of Enoch and keep it safe. That’s how this whole adventure will end.

  “Nothing is going to happen,” I say. “Ethan should cancel the email.”

  “It’s a month away,” Ethan says.

  “What if that’s not long enough?” I say.

  “It’ll be fine, Hannah,” Uncle Randall says. “Just let it go.”

  I wish Lucas was a hacker instead of an artist. Then he’d be able to break into Ethan’s email and cancel it.

  “Just make sure you remember to cancel it,” I say to Ethan.

  “Don’t worry so much, Hannah,” he says.

  I wouldn’t worry so much if he weren’t along, but I bite my tongue and keep that thought to myself. Still, having him here sets my nerves on end.

  We pass through private security and head to our gate. The coffee warms me and also helps give my hands something to do. I am beyond excited. I am going to find my parents. Bring them home. Reunite our family. But as we’re walking, Ethan keeps looking back, almost like he’s expecting to see someone.

  “What are you looking for?” I ask after the third time he’s done this. It’s more than obvious.

  “What do you mean?” he says.

  “You keep looking over your shoulder, like this,” I say, mimicking the motion. “Why?”

  “I don’t.”

  “You do.”

  “If I am,” he says, “then maybe it’s because I’m worried that you dropped something. Seriously, can’t you do the buckle on your bag?”

  The flap on my messenger bag bounces back and forth with each step I take.

  “The buckle is a pain,” I say. “And nothing’s falling out.”

  “I don’t need you losing the map,” Ethan says.

  “Uncle Randall has it,” I say.

  Lucas had printed the only copy and Uncle Randall insisted on being the one to hold it. Even Ethan agreed this would be okay. Then we’d deleted the file from my computer. As for the rubbing I’d found, I’d given it to Lucas who promised he would keep it with him at all times. Uncle Randall and I had talked about it and decided that we couldn’t destroy it yet.

  “Well, you might lose something else,” Ethan says. “Like your passport. Or do rich people not need passports?”

  “Everyone needs a passport,” I snap. “And can we stop with the rich comments?”

  “Enough,” Uncle Randall says. “Look, I know this isn’t the most ideal thing ever, but you two have to stop the squabbling. I feel like I’m with two small school children. Like he dumped his pears into your spaghetti, and now you’re trying to steal his ice cream.”

  I stop walking. “Are you kidding? He’s totally been the one who’s instigated everything.”

  “I have not,” Ethan says.

  “See, that’s what I’m talking about,” Uncle Randall says. “This bickering can’t go on. We have a ten hour flight ahead of us, and if you two can’t get along, it will drive me crazy.”

  “But—” I start.

  Uncle Randall puts up his hand.

  It’s infuriating how wrong he is. But I decide to ignore Ethan and see how that goes.

  How that goes is unsuccessful. No sooner do we buckle in, Ethan turns to me and says, “I can’t sleep on flights.” He’s sitting across the aisle from me. Uncle Randall is in back, working at a built-in desk.

  “Sure
you can,” I say because I specifically didn’t get a lot of sleep last night since I knew I had this flight today.

  He shakes his head. “Nope. Never been able to.”

  “You could try again,” I say. “Because this is a long flight. I’m going to be sleeping.”

  “Lucky you,” Ethan says. And he starts in on a Sudoku puzzle.

  I close my eyes, but he keeps tapping the end of his pencil on the table in front of him.

  “Could you stop that?” I say after fifteen minutes, opening one eye.

  He looks over at me. “Stop what?”

  “Tapping your pencil. You haven’t stopped since we took off.”

  Ethan looks at the pencil, like he’s surprised to see it in his hand. “Oh, was I tapping it?”

  “Yeah, you were.”

  He sets the pencil down. “How about we talk?”

  “I’m tired.” I close my eyes.

  Next thing I know, I hear him unbuckling and coming over to sit next to me.

  He taps me on the arm. “Hey.”

  I try to ignore him.

  “Hey, Hannah,” he says.

  I pop one eye open. “What?”

  He holds up his phone. “What’s your favorite game?”

  “I don’t play games. They’re a waste of time.” I close my eye again.

  He taps my arm. “Sure you do. I saw you playing something yesterday on your phone.”

  I open the eye again. “That wasn’t a game.”

  “It looked like a game. What was it?”

  “It was an evolution challenge,” I say. “You pick which two species to breed to get specific DNA results. The closer you get and the fewer number of matings you need to make, the higher your score.”

  “So it is a game,” Ethan says.

  “It’s not a game.”

  “Sounds like a game to me,” he says. “What’s it called?”

  “Evolution,” I say. “You can download it.”

  He finds the app and downloads it. “I bet I can get a higher score than you.”

  I close my eyes again, happy he’s now occupied, but Evolution must not be his thing because no sooner are we out over the Atlantic, he’s pestering me again.