Shaking with fear, he almost announced that they were both awake. XJ tried to soothe him. She made deliberate, hand gestures towards the door so that he’d pick up on her escape idea.
Ziggy’s floppy Afro shook, as horror spread across his face like a yellow streak. XJ couldn’t calm him down. She knew that his ADD GEP condition could become erratic at times—even uncontrollable—but this was intense.
She placed her finger to her lips and tried to calm him. Anxious tears strolled down his butterscotch colored face. He gave a terror-filled scream, as Ms. Hughes crushed the brakes to a screeching halt and turned around.
“I knew you two were awake.” XJ saw Ms. Hughes’ mouth move in slow motion. She turned her head and heard a mad frenzy on Highway-78. Tires screeched, squealed and screamed. She realized this might be her only chance to get away.
She felt the social worker’s ability lulling her back into a deep trance. But she resisted. She felt a wall begin to erect within her mind. XJ pulled out her audio gun.
“Ziggy!” XJ yelled. “We’ve got to get out of here!”
Ziggy appeared to be buried between terror and deep trance. He didn’t speak. He shook his head back and forth, until it looked like it would explode. XJ lifted her audio gun to shoot the social worker but the shot went wild.
“Damn!” She yelled.
With all the commotion she couldn’t get off another shot and the gun fell from her hands. She used her telekinetic ability to push the door open, and pull Ziggy forward. But he ground in his heels and fell back into the SUV, as XJ spilled out onto Highway-78 … into oncoming traffic.
Her life flashed before her eyes in a barrage of headlights and more tire screeches. Her heart sucked inside her soul, as she hopped over stopped cars and bolted for the tree line.
Ziggy must have caused a distraction. The SUV appeared to give up the chase. XJ watched the black SUV speed off towards the facility entrance.
It was hard to catch her breath. What would she do now? How would she get out of the trees and back home? Worse yet, how would she save Ziggy?
She found a quiet place to sit and think. My life is so far from normal it’s pitiful. I always have these impossible situations to deal with. And now I’m crying again!
Wiping her eyes, she felt her pocket buzzing. Brandon had sent her a text. She texted him back. She took a deep breath and her body went limp. At least she’d have a way home until she could figure out her next step.
Chapter 13
Of all the discoveries that GEPs need to make, the most important is to learn to trust one another, implicitly.
—John Brockman
Brandon skidded his Mustang onto the median. His tires crackled over the debris and stopped. He jumped out of the car and squinted. The spring air was cool and it was beginning to get dark. He left the car running with the high beam lights on.
His stomach clenched when he saw the heavy, oncoming traffic. But he couldn’t spot XJ.
How did she end up out here? He sprinted to the tree in the underbrush. “XJ!” He called out. “XJ where are you?”
Brandon pushed through the fallen trees and weeds. A flash of light caught his attention. He turned around and refocused his eyes. It was a black SUV. The vehicle was further down the road but he knew it held CAGE officers. His heart beat faster. He had to find her quick.
“XJ!” He allowed his panic to be heard.
“Here, I am…” a voice called faintly. He spotted her in a nearby bush, and looked into her eyes. “We’ve got to get out of here.” He raced over to her and grabbed her arm to help her move faster.
“I’m okay … I can walk.” She sounded like she’d been crying, and his heart went out to her.
“Hey … are you sure you’re alright?” Brandon asked, wiping a tear from her soft cheek. He wanted to take her into his arms right there. But he saw the headlights from the CAGE vehicle moving closer to his Mustang.
“We need to hurry. That looks like CAGE officers.” The two of them took off towards his car.
“Halt.” A male, computerized voice ordered over a loud speaker. “Your vehicle must submit to a CAGE search.” .
“C’mon! I can lose them!” He raced to the passenger side door and opened it for her. The CAGE vehicle moved up. It would be on top of them in a minute! Brandon slid across the hood of his Mustang to the other side and hopped into the driver’s seat.
“It’s time to roll!” He touched the console and the Mustang roared to life.
Two CAGE officers were barreling towards his Mustang, when he sped from zero to sixty onto the highway. Horns blared, but he didn’t care. He closed his eyes and tapped into the computer controls.
He opened his eyes and turned towards XJ. She seemed a little shaken, but her eyes looked thoughtful.
“No worries. I got this.” He smiled and mashed the gas.
“That’s what I’m afraid of….” XJ smiled at her own joke. “I might’ve been safer with those CAGE officers.” To Brandon she looked tired … but beautiful.
He allowed his Mustang to pick up a little more speed. He wanted distance between them and the enemy. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any more pursuits. That’s when he saw flashing lights coming up from behind.
“Crap! There’s more of them!” He tapped the console of his Mustang’s computer again. This time he allowed his ability to go deeper. He needed maps and a plan to lose CAGE.
“Brandon, watch out!” XJ screamed as he used his ability to bypass cars blocking them.
He drove in the bike lane and on the sidewalk to get away. His adrenaline was pumping, but no way was he going to allow CAGE to catch them.
“OMG!” XJ sounded like she was blowing a gasket.
“Just close your eyes. We’re fine … I have a plan.” Brandon found what he needed. He made a sharp turn on Highway-124 and into more traffic. CAGE was close, yet still far enough away that his plan would work.
He glanced at XJ again. She was mouthing a prayer. Brandon reached over and squeezed her hand—racing down 124, ducking, dodging and rolling at lightning speed.
Finally, they made it to the mall. “We’ll ditch them here.” He looked over at her and smiled. She didn’t look amused.
He whipped into the parking deck and turned off his car. “Made it!” He winked at her.
“WTF! Brandon you almost killed us!” XJ shouted hysterically. “I can’t believe you drive like that! Have you lost your mind?”
“C’mon…. We better go.” Brandon hopped out, opened his trunk and pulled his car cover out, while XJ slid out. He put the cover over his ride and put his Letterman’s jacket over her shoulders.
“In order for my plan to work, we need to pretend that we’re a couple. Can you handle that?” He pulled the jacket up over her and pulled a few twigs from her hair.
XJ looked up at him with venom. “I could kill you!”
“I know, but can you be my girlfriend?” He kissed her on the forehead and she made a disgusted huffing noise.
Setting the alarm on his car, they walked through the crowded, parking deck. He heard sirens but the CAGE vehicles were on a lower level.
They walked through the doors and were instantly hit with fluorescent lights. He pulled XJ closer into a lover’s embrace, and she stiffened up. “Don’t look so uncomfortable. Act natural … like we’ve been together for a while.”
“You aggravate me!”
“Are you hungry?” He put his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.
XJ gritted her teeth. “I want to claw your eyes out!”
They rounded the corner, saw five mall cops and CAGE officers headed towards them. Brandon stopped and pulled XJ into a corner area.
“Shh … don’t freak.” He look deep into her eyes and touched his mouth to hers.
He knew the kiss wasn’t real but he couldn’t help it. The soft touch of her lips ignited something in him. He wanted more … so he opened his mouth and kissed her for real. He thought XJ wouldn’t kiss him back, but she re
ciprocated hot and heavy.
Her arms encircled his neck. His manhood rose and he pulled her closer into his embrace. She broke the kiss and stared deeply into his eyes.
Then, XJ broke her gaze and looked around. “They’re gone … and everybody’s staring at us.”
The other mall customers turned their heads away. One of them, an elderly woman retorted, “You two should be ashamed!”
Brandon smiled and grabbed her hand. God, I want her bad! “Come on … let’s get something to eat.” They walked over to a Chilly’s and asked for a booth.
XJ looked sheepish. “I don’t have any money.”
“I got this.” Brandon puffed out his chest. It’s the least I can do. She looks tired and hungry … but she’s still gorgeous.
The waitress seated them. He studied her face as she read the menu. I like seeing her in my jacket. He thought about what happened the previous summer. I wish I could take it all back. I made a bad choice. I really wanted XJ, but I picked Heather.
But not this time. He’d made his choice. Now he just needed to figure out how to get her to choose him. They made small talk until the food came. He watched her eat her burger. And then he realized she still needed help.
Brandon leaned closer. “What are you going to do about Fitch and your story?”
“Do you ever stop?” She let out an exasperated sigh and sat back. “I just want to free my mom! I think Fitch can help me.”
“You can’t trust him.” He smashed his fist on the table, realized he was coming on a little strong and calmed down. “Look, I don’t exactly have proof, but I visited his office. I sort of hacked into his computer and got a bad biomechanical virus.”
“You hacked into the man’s computer?” XJ looked horrified.
Brandon squared his shoulders and sat erect. “Well … how else would I find the stuff that he’s doing that’s not right?”
XJ shook her head in disgust, shifting her body away from him. “If you hacked my computer, I’d give you a virus, too! That doesn’t prove anything!”
“He’s hiding something.” His voice cracked a little. “Revolutionaries need to get to the truth, otherwise we’ll be looking like fools.” Brandon could see the anger mounting but he had to get through to her.
She drummed her fingers on the edge of the table. “I’m so sick of this revolutionary bull! You sound just like my mom! You’re no better than CAGE!”
An awkward silence passed between them. Suddenly, they were surrounded by the Chilly’s crew. “Happy Birthday!” They sung a funny tune. The young couple couldn’t help but laugh.
Finally, one of the waiters asked, “Who’s the birthday person?”
Brandon and XJ said together, “Neither.”
The waiter looked embarrassed. “We’re so sorry!” One of the other waiters pointed to a guy signaling them to come over.
“It’s okay.” Brandon gave an easy laugh. “Just add it to our bill. You made my girlfriend smile.” He winked at XJ.
The waiter ran into the back to get another cake and, within minutes, they heard the birthday song again. Eating the cake, they relaxed a little.
I enjoy spending time with XJ, he thought; smiling at her. She really holds her ground and I can appreciate that. Out the corner of his eye, he saw the mall cops and CAGE officers heading their way.
“Let’s get out of here!” Pulling out more than enough cash to cover the bill and tip, he escorted XJ out the side door. The fire alarm went off and they ignored it. They needed the distraction.
They walked quickly back to his Mustang, and he whipped the cover off, stashing it back in the trunk and smoothing his hand over his ride. He used his ability to tap into the car’s computer and change the paint color to black; along with the license plate. Now they were riding in REVOLUTION 1 instead of GEPFREE. He hustled her into the car and they took off.
On the way out of the deck, they passed the CAGE officers and mall cops. Brandon smiled. CAGE wouldn’t get them today.
Chapter 14
“You’ll never get anywhere playing CAGE’s game the way CAGE says. Sometimes you’ve got to take matters into your own hands to find out the truth. “
—Dorothy Kates-Patterson, News Conference
The ride to her house went smooth and easy. He couldn’t believe how much he’d enjoyed dinner with her. Underneath it all, he knew that they had differences, but he liked the fact that she tested his ideas.
He pulled around to the back road entrance to her home. If they went in the front door, they were both afraid that CAGE might see them and take her away. Brandon followed XJ through red clay, downed trees, and brush.
He thought about his own home. It was perfectly manicured with the mansion as the center piece. Not one tree or bush stood in the way of the view. It stood out like a true plantation mansion. He realized that the two of them were from two different worlds. But they could still share laughter and tragedy.
Brandon tried to focus on making it to her home, and how he could convince her to give him the exclusive for Revolution TV. But his mind kept wandering to her coca-cola bottle shape. He wanted to reach out and touch her. Before he knew it, he’d slammed into her rear-end.
“Ouch!” XJ toppled over. “Can you watch it?”
“I’m sorry.” He mumbled. “My mind was somewhere else….”
They continued until they reached the path to her house. XJ visually scouted the area. “Everything looks clear.”
She moved toward her house, but Brandon held her back. He used the power line to tap into her home’s computerized network. Using his ability, he searched for any electronic booby traps. He mentally bumped into a trip wire on the front door, but the windows were clear.
He also stumbled into a firewall. It seemed odd because he sensed it wasn’t set-up by CAGE.
XJ pursed her lips. “Did you use your hacking ability?”
“I had to make sure you were safe. You can’t go through the front door but the windows are fine.” He rubbed his forehead. He forgot that he was still recovering from that virus.
“Next time, ask before you hack into my home.” XJ sashayed to the back window.
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Brandon fired back sarcastically, following the flow of her hips with his eyes.
XJ let out a short, “Humph!”
It was dark, but she found a window that was unlatched, pushed it up and slid into her kitchen. Brandon followed. As he entered, the two collided. Her backside slide across his groin and he had to catch himself.
“Excuse me,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to be so close.” He blew a little breath on the back of her neck and she elbowed him in the stomach.
Her brown eyes glistened in the moonlight. She’s so beautiful…. The urge to pull her close and kiss her overwhelmed him. If I try to kiss her again, she might take it the wrong way. But that kiss at the mall was good….
“You don’t have to stay. I’ll be safe.”
“I’ll stay, just in case you want to talk some more—I mean, about Fitch or your story. I’d be willing to listen.” He moved nearer to her. God, her lips are cute, brown, and kissable.
XJ turned her head. “Um, let me see if we have anything in the frig. Would you like a drink or something?”
Brandon peered into the refrigerator. “Is this all you have?” He was used to having several pantries full of snacks.
“I’m sorry, rich boy. We only have the bare essentials. You can have bottled water or bottled water. Which one do you want?”
He realized that he’d offended her. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant….”
“Save it!” XJ snapped. “Look you can leave anytime you get ready. I’m used to making it by myself.” She slammed the refrigerator and folded her arms.
Brandon knew that he’d shown himself to be a snob. Embarrassed he gazed deeply into her eyes. “I … I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m really thirsty. I’d love to have some bottled water.”
XJ shrugged, opened t
he refrigerator back up and tossed the bottle of water at him as she moved into the living room.
Pulling out her cell phone, and using her finger to check her messages, she said. “Look, you don’t have to stay, I’ll be fine.”
Even in the low light of the moon, he could tell that the living room was a mess. “I guess you can’t turn on any lights or that might signal CAGE. I can stop by after school tomorrow and try to help you straighten up.”
“That won’t be necessary.” XJ crossed her legs and flopped down on the couch.
Her voice squeaked … she began to softly cry. He didn’t know how to react. Inside he wanted to hold her and make it better. He wanted to take away her pain. She seemed so fragile. She reminded him of his mother, strong but delicate.
Trying not to make any sudden moves, he eased his way next to her and positioned himself so that her head could rest on his shoulder. He had a strong urge to kiss her again, but he held back and stroked her braids while she cried. He understood her feelings on some level.
The moonlight streaked her pecan-colored face and his body began to react to her. It seemed natural. And yet he’d never felt like this about a girl before. In fact the only girl that he’d gone all the way with was Heather and it didn’t feel like this.
Something about XJ was special. He rubbed his chin across her forehead and took in a deep breath. He enjoyed the way she smelled and wanted to….
“Thanks Brandon. I appreciate the fact that you’re here. Since Ziggy’s gone I don’t have any friends to support me.”
Friends! He certainly did not want to be her friend. Ugh! “You’re welcome. You know, I could support you more if you let me get the exclusive on your story.”
XJ recoiled. Cold air shot between them. “Is that what this is? You want to get the exclusive.”
“No, of course not! But it would be nice if….” Brandon tried to get her to calm down but she moved further from his touch.
“Oh, I know.” XJ leaped off of the couch and moved as far away from him as possible. “Just get out!”
Breaking Free Page 6