Saven Deception

by Siobhan Davis

  “Thank you.” A tormented sob escapes my mouth. “Don’t go back to him, Jen. Stay. I’ll cancel my plans. Please don’t leave.”

  “I have to go back. You can’t help me. No one can.” With those ominous parting words, she walks out of the apartment leaving me alone with my troubled mind.

  ***

  A couple of hours later, it’s nearly time for my rendezvous with Jarod. I change into a pair of black cargo pants and a long-sleeved form-fitting black utility top. Shoving my feet into my worn black sneakers, I tease my hair into a tight ponytail. A flashing icon on my D-pad alerts me to a waiting message, but there’s no time to check it out now.

  I exit the apartment, closing the door quietly behind me.

  “You look like a miniature hot ninja” is Jarod’s greeting. He’s similarly attired with the addition of a black ball cap pulled down tight over his head and a bulky utility belt wrapped around his waistband.

  “The best things come in small packages.” I mock punch him in the arm.

  “Ow.” He rubs his upper arm. “You pack a mean punch for such a little thing.”

  “Call me miniature or little again and you’ll find out how mean a punch I pack.”

  “Bad ass,” Jarod mutters, grinning.

  “So, what’re we up to?” I ask as we walk away from the apartment complex.

  He glances briefly over his shoulder before lowering his voice. “I’ve confirmed that they are building other cities underwater already even though ‘The Experimento’ hasn’t concluded. Not only that”—He leans in conspiratorially—“They’ve ramped up construction in the last few weeks, and there’s been a crap ton of visitors coming and going. I discovered there’s a convoy leaving here tonight for a tour of the new cities, so we’re going to stow on board and see for ourselves what they’re up to.”

  My eyes are out on stalks. “Jesus.”

  “You want out?” He peers at me from under the lip of his black cap.

  “No way. I’m all in.”

  He raises his fist for a knuckle touch. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.” He smiles confidently.

  That sounds familiar, and it reminds me. “What about the stuff you were saying about Logan? Did you discover something about him?”

  His smile disappears. “I know stuff, yeah. You’re not gonna like it.”

  That’s basically another version of what Logan said to me. “You need to tell me.”

  “I will. But let’s get on board the Subvee first. Once we’re settled, I’ll share what I know.”

  We hop on the RT and journey to the last stop. I haven’t been to the main terminal since the day we first arrived in Thalassic City. “Here,” Jarod says, as we alight from the train, placing a black woolly hat in my palm. “We need to stay inconspicuous and your hair is too identifiable.”

  Twisting my hair into a messy bun, I stuff it under the hat. Jarod reaches over and secures a few stray strands that I missed. “Keep your head low and if anyone stops us, let me do the talking.”

  I balk at the insinuation that I can’t handle myself but I let it go. The terminal is like a graveyard at this hour and we already stick out like a sore thumb.

  When we reach the ground floor, Jarod takes my hand and strides purposefully ahead. We zigzag back and forth, and his head rotates every so often. After a little while, I realize he’s ensuring we stay out of camera range. Jarod stops in front of a narrow blue door. Extracting a small square device from his waistband, he secures it to the door. I glance anxiously around me. A low click echoes in the silent hallway and the door opens inward.

  He pulls me into a brightly lit stairwell with stairs that run in both directions. We descend two steps at a time, and though I struggle to keep up, I don’t complain.

  When our feet hit the lowest level, he withdraws another metallic gadget from his indispensable waistband. A red flashing light streams out of a hole in the side when he presses it. The thin beam of light guides the way.

  The closer we get, the faster my pulse pounds.

  We step into a low-ceilinged basement that looks like an engineering room. Blasts of hot air billow all around us, the force of it knocking me over. Jarod hauls me up to his side. Wide, steel, rectangular block-like structures surround the space on both sides, and a myriad of different sized buttons emit a multitude of flashing strobe lights that crisscross in front of us. Several separate stations housing the base of different shuttles and craft fill the center space. Jarod drops his shoulders and secures his hand in mine. His head skims the ceiling as he leads me off to the side. Ducking beneath the underbelly of a vast craft, we race toward the next docking station.

  A man dressed in khaki overalls rounds the far side of the shuttle, and I clamp a hand over my mouth to stop my startled gasp from betraying us. Jarod reacts assertively, pushing me into a small crevice in the wall. His large body swamps mine, and my face is pressed into the throbbing pulse in his neck. He’s as anxious as I am even if he doesn’t outwardly show it.

  Mercifully, the man doesn’t spot us, and after a few vomit-inducing seconds, he walks away. Jarod collapses into me for a fleeting moment, and then we’re on the move again.

  The choking swirl of air is tumultuous and Jarod’s cap whips off his head. I clamp a hand on my hat as we make a mad dash forward. Jarod stops underneath the mammoth underbelly of the now vibrating Subvee and swings an arm around my torso, heaving me into his side.

  He presses a button on his waistband, and a tiny clip shoots upward, hooking the inner ledge of the square opening that’s slowly drawing closed. My feet leave the ground as we’re towed upward into the swaying craft. The opening is narrowing as we ascend, and I squeeze my eyes shut. If I’m going to be crushed, I’d rather not witness it in advance.

  Jarod flings us forward, and we crash land on a cold, hard surface. Something pops in my wrist and I cry out. Jarod slams his hand over my mouth. I glance sideways. This looks like the storage part of the craft. Row upon row of boxes and crates are uniformly stacked along the side wall, and numerous thick steel planks and shutters are neatly lined up in front of them.

  After a few minutes, Jarod relaxes his hold. “Stay here for a second. Don’t move.”

  I prop myself up into a seated position. My hat has fallen off, my bun’s come loose, and my hair tumbles in messy waves over my face. With my good hand, I inspect my injured wrist. Gently prodding it with the tips of my fingers, I bite down hard on my lip as an intense burst of pain shoots from my hand to my elbow.

  Jarod crawls over beside me, grinning wildly. “We did it!” He punches the air and I roll my eyes. Noticing me cradling my hand, he frowns. “Are you hurt?”

  “I think it’s sprained.” It’s already starting to swell on one side and there’s an accelerating heat building underneath the skin.

  “I’m sorry, Sadie.” Jarod looks contrite.

  “It’s not that bad,” I lie. “I’m sure the doc can fix it. Forget about it. Will anyone come in here?” Subconsciously, I look around.

  “Nah. The only people on board are the pilots and the passengers. We’re safe here.” He pats my hand. “Don’t worry.”

  “How are we going to see anything from here?” I inquire, wondering if we’ve risked ourselves for nothing.

  “I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve.” He winks. Removing a silver sphere-like object from his waistband, he scoots forward and fixes the disc to the outer wall. Nothing happens at first, but then the sphere starts to change shape, expanding outward in uniform proportions, until it’s the size of a circular glass window. The silvery color starts to change, growing lighter and lighter, until it’s fully transparent.

  At first, I can’t make sense of what I’m witnessing, but as my eyesight adjusts, I let out a low whistle. The device has transformed into a window, and we can see the flowing waves of the ocean as we zip through the water.

  As the craft veers a sharp left, I spot the transparent off-white material of another dome in the distance. I shimmy
over beside Jarod. “You promised to tell me what you know.”

  “Of course. Here, I found this,” he says, handing me a red and gray patterned scarf. “We can use it to support your wrist.” He wraps it around my wrist and over my shoulder, securing it on the other side. It’s not throbbing as much now the pressure is somewhat relieved.

  “Okay.” He fixes me with an earnest look. “I haven’t been one hundred percent honest about everything.”

  My spine goes rigid and my lips purse.

  “What I haven’t told you is that I’m a member of the underground resistance movement opposed to the government’s controlling methods of governance.”

  “There’s a resistance movement?” My eyes widen in surprise.

  “Yeah. My dad’s been involved in the organization for years. When he realized the depth of my tech skills, I was recruited to help out. They provided technical equipment, and I spent years spying on the government and relaying intelligence to the rebel leaders. Until I was caught and imprisoned.”

  A muscle pops in his jaw as painful memories resurface. I reach over with my uninjured hand and squeeze his. I can’t believe his father placed him in harm’s way like that, especially when he was only a kid. Our world is sorely lacking in good parental role models.

  “Anyway, the rebels helped coordinate my escape from the penitentiary, and the minute I reconnected with them I was brought up to speed—How Commissioner Williams has been trawling the streets of the Outer Circle every night for young girls, all the significant goings-on in the power plant and at the space station, and the ongoing construction happening underwater. They placed me in here to identify exactly what the government is planning to do with these new cities. But Sadie, what I’ve discovered is way, way bigger than that.”

  His eyes light up like two golden orbs. When a minute or two passes and he hasn’t said anything else, I lean into him. “Dying of curiosity here.”

  “I’m trying to find the right words to explain this, but honestly, I don’t think there are any.” He gazes off into space. “I’m still blown away by it.” He refocuses on me. “Our government has formed an alliance with an alien race, Sadie, and they are already here among us.”

  I stare at him, expecting a big grin, but he looks deadly serious. I bust out laughing. He doesn’t join in and my chuckling gives way to the worst form of anxiety. I gape at him, convinced he’s high on crazy juice. “You’re joking, right?”

  “Nope. I’ve discovered communications between the alien representatives and our president. It appears they’ve orchestrated some deal, which will give Earth access to an unlimited supply of natural fuel they have on the alien’s home planet, Saven. That’s why there’s been such a flurry of activity at the power plant and an increase in space travel.”

  “This isn’t real,” I mutter.

  “Sadie, I’m telling you it is. I understand it’s a lot to take in but it’s real all right.”

  “What did we agree to give them in exchange?” I figure if I focus my brain on the practical stuff I can avoid a full on freak-out.

  “I haven’t been able to determine that yet. But I’m wondering if it’s something to do with these cities. When I saw there was a tour tonight, I figured it’d be a good opportunity to try and find out.”

  “Who else knows about this?” I tap my foot anxiously off the floor.

  “I’ve relayed the intel to the rebel leaders and my contacts in Thalassic City.” He bends his knees. “It’s nuts, right?”

  “You could say that.”

  We are both silent for another few minutes until a sudden thought bounces into my mind. A cold icy hand reaches out and squeezes my heart. “Jarod,” I whisper. “What does this have to do with Logan?”

  His expression darkens. “I’ve had my suspicions for a while, but I’ve only confirmed it recently. His father is part of the negotiation team, Sadie.”

  I knew his father had a connection to the president, so I can’t say I’m overly surprised. But link Jarod’s revelation to my earlier musings and the picture is starting to clearly form in my mind’s eye. “And?” I prompt.

  His eyes flare. “His father is part of the Saven negotiation team, Sadie. His father isn’t human. Meaning—”

  “Meaning Logan isn’t human,” I finish for him.

  CHAPTER 22

  “You don’t seem overly surprised,” Jarod acknowledges. He’s probably expecting lots of shrieking, and screaming, and freaking out.

  “I think I’m in shock,” I mumble. “I’m sure there’ll be plenty of time to freak out later.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” He takes my hand in his. My fingers are like icicles enclosed in his warm hand. “I assumed you’d deny it, but you’ve accepted it rather calmly.”

  “I’d come to the conclusion that there was definitely something different about him,” I admit. “Haydn and Neve too.” It’s only as I express this opinion that I realize the truth of it. Perhaps I just didn’t want to face the facts.

  “And the asshat,” Jarod says. “I’m pretty sure he’s an alien too, and I’d like to know what the hell he’s done to Jenna.”

  Cold prickles of fear crawl over my skin. Dante has done something to Jenna, and I’ve sat back and let it happen. Immense guilt wars with tremendous fear.

  I cling to the one shred of hope I have left. “Logan is going to tell me the truth, and I’ll find out what Dante has done to Jen and if there’s anything we can do to help her.”

  “What makes you think he’ll help? Hasn’t he sat around and watched while all this happened?” Jarod’s tone is cold.

  Not that I can blame him. He raises a valid point, but until I hear Logan’s version of events, I don’t want to jump to any ill-conceived conclusions.

  “I don’t know, Jarod. But I at least need to talk to Logan before I start pointing the finger of blame. He … he isn’t bad. I just know he isn’t.”

  Jarod shoots a disbelieving look my way, but he wisely stays quiet.

  The Subvee slows down and gently lowers. “We must be approaching the station.” He squeezes my hand. “Look, I know you want to trust Logan, and I hope for your sake that you’re right about him. But he’s an alien, Sadie, secretly here on Earth with an agenda we don’t know anything about. You have to be careful. Don’t tell him you know anything, or that I know anything, and you certainly can’t discuss the things we’ve just talked about. You need to promise me.” His face is solemn.

  “You don’t trust me?” I’m insulted.

  “I wouldn’t have asked you here if I didn’t trust you. But I’m also aware of how infatuated you are with him, and I need to know that my trust hasn’t been misplaced.”

  Now I’m definitely insulted. Suppressing my anger, I speak calmly. “I didn’t betray you the first time we met when I didn’t know you from Adam. And I’m hurt that you’d think I’d betray you now. And for the record,” I say, grinding my teeth, “Logan and I have a real connection. It’s not some infatuation.”

  “I’ve upset you. I’m sorry, Sadie. But this is bigger than both of us—than all of us—and until we’ve gathered all the facts, we need to act smart. It would be remiss of me not to mention this. It isn’t about me not trusting you. I do trust you.”

  That goes some way toward placating me. The Subvee shudders before coming to a complete standstill. “Fine.” It’s important we remain a team if we’re to accomplish anything now. Forcing aside the distressed thoughts tearing through my mind, I focus solely on the present. Jarod flips around, staring out the temporary window.

  “Won’t they see us?”

  “Nope. One-way glass.” He taps a finger against the window.

  “Were did you get all this stuff anyway?”

  “Having rebel connections pays off.” He winks.

  The doors glide open and a few officers clad in full police attire step out onto the platform first. Two men in dark suits rush forward to confer with them. A couple of minutes later, the rest of the arrivals step out on
to the platform. Jarod and I share weary expressions as Commissioner Williams shakes hands with one of the suited men. Next, I spot VP Horace Tonnard engaged in conversation with the tall handsome man from the event in City Hall.

  Another pair of well-known faces appears and I gasp. Logan and Haydn wear somber expressions as they wait on the platform behind the VP. Jarod looks at me with pity in his eyes.

  The last person off the Subvee is Dante. My entire being recoils at the sight of him. With the newfound knowledge I’ve gleaned, I summon every negative thought I’ve had about him and mentally thrust it at him, wishing it had formative power, that I had the ability to unleash a silent weapon in his direction.

  “I despise him,” Jarod says with real meaning.

  “I disliked him on sight.” I curl my hands in my lap. I’m all keyed up and as jittery as an actor on opening night.

  Logan’s head whips around, and his razor-sharp eyes settle on the exact spot where Jarod and I sit. Jarod notices too, and we both rear back in unison.

  “He can’t see us, right?” I whisper.

  “Definitely not.” Jarod is insistent.

  We both hold our breath until Logan looks away. Something has him rattled. He talks discreetly in Haydn’s ear.

  Then the group moves away from the platform and round the bend, out of our line of sight. “Let’s give it a few minutes and then we’ll sneak out.”

  I nod distractedly.

  “Sadie,” Jarod says, tugging on my arm. “Do you think Logan knew you were here?”

  “How could he? It was a coincidence.”

  We stare at each other, unspoken words lying between us. “He’s an alien. Who knows what he can do.”

  That sends chills of the worst kind zinging all over my body. “I can’t contemplate that now.” I take a stabilizing breath. “I’m trying to compartmentalize, Jarod. So, I don’t, you know, freak out?”

  “Sure. If he does know, it doesn’t look like he’s going to tell anyone anyway.”

  “Of course, he won’t tell anyone!” I’m indignant. “He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. Come on, I think enough time has passed. Let’s go.”