by Rebecca Ann
“Yuck,” Lily said, making a gagging noise. “I hate him.”
“Lily!” Mr. Cooper scolded. “We don’t hate the president.”
“Why not? He hates us! He wants to kick us out of Caldwell!” Lily protested.
“Because he doesn’t understand us,” Lindsey chimed in. “And it’s our job to show him we’re not monsters.”
“Good evening, Caldwell.” The president’s deep voice rang through the living room. “I want to thank everyone for their cooperation these last few weeks regarding the rounding up of Lighters and Invisibles. I have just been informed the princess of Ada, where Lighters and Invisibles originated, is designing a program to help them. This program will provide jobs, training, and education. In the coming weeks, LIs will be sent to Ada. We only want the best for this special group of people.”
“Wait, what?” Lindsey burst out. “Yeah, I bet he does,” she mumbled.
“Don’t worry,” Mr. Cooper answered, his voice serious. “We’re not going to wait around and find out. Victoria, your father called me after you left the restaurant. “I take it you know about his role with the resistance.”
I nodded. “Yes. And I would like to do what I can to help with the resistance. My dad wants me to go to the resistance headquarters, which is where you plan on taking everyone. They’re about to be in the dark.”
“We’ll talk about it after dinner,” Mr. Cooper said.
“I’m gonna be in that mess soon,” Lindsey whispered. She stood from the couch, pacing the floor. “I’m gonna be pulling people out of their homes.” Her voice wavered, but there was also a sharpness to it I didn’t miss. “I need to eat so I can go.” Lindsey hurried out of the room. None of us followed her. Lindsey and I were a lot alike when it came to needing time to process things, especially events this serious.
“I told you!” Lily said, but the fight had left her words, replaced with a fear all too common these days. “Where will we go?” Her voice shook. “I don’t wanna go to some planet called Ada.”
“We’re going into hiding,” Mr. Cooper’s voice made me jump, but once my heartbeat slowed, I picked up on the determination in his words. “I have a plan. I’m not going to sit around and wait to be dragged to another place we’re not wanted. The queen experimented on Lighters and Invisibles years ago. She may say she wants us back, but I don’t think she does.”
I cleared my throat. “What do you think about this program Madalina is setting up? I don’t believe it.”
“Yes, well, until we have more info, I’m not taking any chances,” Mr. Cooper said as he rose from his chair.
“Where will we go?” Lily’s soft, frightened voice pulled my attention back to Mr. Cooper, who now held her in his arms. “How long will we be gone?”
“I don’t know, honey. It could be months, it could be years. Until this is over. We’ll be going somewhere very special.” He kissed her hair. “I don’t want you to worry. Now, go wash up for dinner.”
I followed Mr. Cooper into the kitchen to find Lindsey already at the table with a plate of pasta in front of her. “You’re going to choke,” I said as I got closer and noticed the movement of the fork from the plate to Lindsey’s mouth in rapid succession.
Lindsey swallowed. “I have to leave in ten minutes.” She tossed down her fork, wiped her mouth, and stood. “I’ll be back, though, okay? Stay here, and don’t try to go anywhere.”
“We won’t, honey,” Mrs. Cooper said as she came into the kitchen. “You be careful.”
“I will, Mom.”
“Stupid curfew!” Lily said from her spot at the other end of the table, her voice ripe with anger, though I didn’t miss the fear underneath it. This wasn’t fair. A kid her age shouldn’t have to deal with anything like this. “I don’t wanna go to jail!”
“No one is going to jail.” Lindsey kissed Lily’s hair. “I love you, smarty-pants. Don’t watch the news all night, okay?”
“I won’t. I have homework. Stupid History.”
“Hey!” I came around the table. “Watch who you’re talking to, young lady!” I turned to Lindsey, who was putting on her favorite leather jacket. “Will you be gone long?” I tried to keep the worry out of my voice.
“Couple of hours.” Lindsey’s fingers tightened on my shoulder. “I’ll be okay. I promise. Keep the doors locked.” She kissed her mother’s cheek and teleported out of the kitchen.
“Rick, turn that off and come eat!” Diane called from where she was putting pasta on a plate. “Victoria, here you go.”
I took the plate with a smile. They considered me part of their family, and sometimes, even after all these years, I still couldn’t wrap my head around it. If Lindsey got arrested, this could all end. A wave of dread stabbed my insides, and I stared at the plate. “You know, I’m not really hungry. I should probably go.” That wasn’t true. I was starving but exhausted from the last few hours.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Diane said in that firm yet gentle tone she always used.
I picked up my fork. Might as well enjoy what could possibly be my last night with the Coopers.
“How will we get to the hiding place, Rick?” Diane’s anxious voice filled the silence.
“Don’t worry, Diane. I’ve got it all worked out.”
“What about Sarah, Daddy?” Lily’s voice was quiet, heavy with fear, and it took all of my willpower not to wrap her in a bone-crushing hug. “Can she and Shannon come too?”
“We’re going to get as many people to come as we can. Now eat up so you can do your homework.”
“Why?” Lily tossed her fork onto her plate and stood, pushing her chair in with such force the whole table shook and the dishes rattled. “We’re just gonna have to leave anyway.”
I put down my fork as Mr. Cooper went over to Lily and led her from the room. A second later, a door closed down the hall.
“I’m sorry, Victoria. This isn’t easy on Lily.” The words were like a giant weight, heavy with the seriousness of the situation.
“It’s okay,” I answered, picking up my fork. “She’s scared. Her reaction is normal.” My stomach twisted at the word. None of this was normal.
“Sorry about that,” Mr. Cooper said as he took his seat. “Lily needs some quiet time. Victoria, Lindsey told me you’re considering helping with the resistance.”
“Yes,” I answered once I’d swallowed another bite of food. “I was planning on going down to the House of Hope tomorrow with my father. I need to do more research, but I may have an idea about how to keep the lights on. Lindsey inspired it.” I took another bite of pasta.
“Excellent. There’s a packet of information you need to read through, and then we’ll get you to sign the confidentiality agreement. I have a copy printed out. I'll read it to you after dinner.”
I put my fork down and wiped my mouth. “Great! Thanks!”
Mr. Cooper smiled and took his plate to the sink.
I stood and, after putting my plate on the counter, followed him into the living room. He grabbed something off of the coffee table and went toward the balcony door. My heart hammered as I stepped outside, the noise of the city a shock to my system. A cool breeze blew in my face, and as I sat down in one of the plastic blue chairs, the reality of what was happening punched my gut. I’d gone from being a teacher scared of her power to being a soon-to-be member of the resistance. In a few days, I’d be protecting LIs from the nightmare of going back to Ada.
Chapter Four
LINDSEY
I wiped a hand across my clammy face, my heart slamming against my ribcage as though it was a mallet striking a gong. Fifteen had to mean I’d passed, right?
Around me, my classmates high-fived each other. I ignored them and walked across the gym toward a table littered with water bottles. Before I could grab one, someone tapped me on the shoulder. When I swung around, Gary grinned.
“We made it!” He handed me a water bottle. Sweat glistened on his forehead, his t-shirt wet. “How’d you do?”
“Hey, you passed! That’s all that matters!” He held out his hand, and we bumped fists.
“Thanks.” Silence settled between us. I tossed my water bottle from one hand to the other. “So, um, not to make a big deal out of this, but I want to thank you for not detesting me. Most Normals hate LIs.”
Gary gave me a strange look, and my cheeks warmed. Yep. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. “I don’t pay attention to what anyone else says about someone. You’re all right, Cooper.” He slapped my shoulder and walked over to a couple of guys from our class.
Yeah. Until he found out I was Half-Controller. I’d be a monster to him, and from what I could tell, Gary wasn’t one for keeping secrets. I’d be booted out of the Watcher force. Not that it mattered. I’d been around these guys six months and hadn’t yet learned any useful info the resistance could use. My priority was to get as many people into hiding as possible.
“Hey, Gary!” a guy named Brad said, coming over to us. “Hey, Invie.”
I glared at him. He’d been giving me trouble from the moment I’d walked into class six months ago. “What’s the insult for today, Brad?” I folded my arms, the water bottle still in my right hand, my lip curled at his look of surprise. Mind-controlling this jerk would make my night.
“I was making sure you weren’t using those powers of yours to cheat.”
“Oh, give it up! I know you’re secretly afraid of me. I saw those nervous glances you were shooting me during the test.”
He walked away, joining the rest of the class.
“See? You have nothing to worry about,” Gary said, his arm around my shoulders. “They’re too scared of you to give you crap.”
Yeah. They’ll be scared all right. I shuffled from one foot to the other, gaze on Brad and his so-called group of friends. I could make them all do the chicken dance if I wanted to.
“Attention!” Mark’s voice echoed through the gym. “Everyone gather over here.”
I exhaled. This was it. Time to officially become a Watcher. I walked on shaky legs toward where Mark and Commander Scott stood across the gym, the water bottle tucked under my arm.
“I want to say all of you did amazingly well considering the change in location. Usually, we have a ceremony and a reception to welcome new officers, but we’re going to need every available Watcher out on the streets in the coming days.” He held up a green badge with a picture of the Caldwell flag on it. It had his badge number written in gold letters below the symbol. “When I call your name, please come up and get your badge and certificate. Then you can leave. Your sergeant will contact you with your work schedule.”
I glanced around as Mark called out names and my fellow Watchers accepted their badges. When he got to me, it took every ounce of willpower in me not to run up there. As Mark handed me the badge, sudden tears filled my eyes. I’d done it. The plan could be set in motion. As long as I didn’t do anything stupid. I waited until everyone got their badges, and once the gym emptied, leaving myself and Mark, I went over to him.
“Well, you did it,” he said with a grin. “How do you feel?”
I exhaled. “Excited. Sick to my stomach.” I patted him on the shoulder. “Thanks for all the help. We’re gonna save our people. I know it.”
“Yes, we will. Now go home. Get some rest. The next few days are gonna be hell.”
“Yeah. Don’t remind me. I’ll see you later, Mark.” I started for the door, but Mark’s hand came around my forearm. I stumbled as I spun around, glaring. “Jeez. A little warning!”
“Sorry.” He released my arm. “I want to talk to you about something.” He gestured toward a corner of the gym, away from anyone who might want to eavesdrop.
I arched a brow at the seriousness in his tone. This couldn’t be good. “Yeah?” I wrapped my fingers around his wrist. “Please tell me we’re still going forward with the plan.”
“Oh yeah. I just wanted to ask if you’d seen the news about the arrests in the Northern province.”
I nodded, pulling my hand back from his wrist. The images of people screaming as they were dragged from their homes would stay burned in my brain forever. “Yeah. I did. I—when will we have to do that? And are we taking people to Ada or what?”
Mark’s face darkened, drained of color. “Tomorrow. They’re sending out reports to LIs tomorrow. You’ll be assigned a certain neighborhood. And to answer your question, we have to take them to some abandoned hotels to await a ship to Ada.”
The ground started to sway, and I leaned against the wall. Bile rose in my throat. Tomorrow, we’d start the process of taking people into hiding. I straightened, fighting down a wave of sadness. I could cry later. Right now, I had to focus.
“You sure you still want to do this?” Mark’s voice brought me out of my reverie. “Your dad and the others would understand if you backed out. This is a huge risk for you.”
I shot him a pointed look. “Don’t even say that. I’m not going to let my other status stop me from helping my people.” I headed for the door. “I’ll see you later. I’m gonna take the train. I need time to think.”
“Want me to go with you?”
“Nah. I’ll be okay.”
I TELEPORTED TO THE station, appearing right outside of it. People swarmed the sidewalk, their faces illuminated by the lights of the nearby streetlamps. The smell of food traveled down the street and mixed with the scent of coming rain; the two together was intoxicating. My mouth watered, but I continued down the street. Eating could wait. Behind me, someone laughed, and I couldn’t comprehend it. It was as though happiness was trying to force its way into a reality that hadn’t seen color in years. Irritation prickled my insides, and I walked faster, as though the laughter was chasing me, ready to make me forget, even for a second, the ugliness unfolding.
As I stepped into a pool of light pouring from nearby stores, an automated voice announced the laws. It pushed its way into my ears, blocking out all other sounds, until everything blurred into a sea of nothingness. I hadn’t known I’d stopped walking until someone rammed into me from behind. I caught myself before I fell, turning as someone pushed a woman onto the concrete.
“Get out of here, you filthy Lighter!”
The words ripped my insides like a sword. I charged toward her but didn’t have time to help her up before she got to her feet. For a brief moment, we locked eyes, and my heart hurt at the fear in hers. Yes. This moment right here—and all the other incidents I’d seen over the last few years—this was why I had become a Watcher.
“Lighters aren’t allowed!” another woman barked. “Next time, I’ll call the Watchers!”
I couldn’t move as the woman got to her feet and disappeared into the crowd. I stared after her, my badge cold in my hands. The bridge to safety. I wouldn’t think about the other thing it would let me do. I wasn’t going arrest people. Not in the way the others would.
“Ms. Cooper?”
I whirled around at the voice, squinting into the darkness. Bethany. “Hi, Bethany. What are you doing here?” Bethany was almost eighteen, but still, I didn’t like the idea of her out here alone, especially with roundups happening.
“I was at the library studying.” Bethany pushed a strand of her wet hair out of her face. “I’m on my way home.”
“Are you walking?”
Bethany nodded with a shrug. “Yeah. I don’t mind though. By the time I get home, my mom will be there.” A pause and then, “Thank you for what you did for her.”
I managed a smile through the fatigue clouding my brain. “You’re welcome. Hopefully, I’ll be able to help a lot more people. I just became a Watcher.”
Bethany’s mouth fell open, her face illuminated by the yellow glow of the streetlamp. “Wow! That’s awesome! Congrats!” Then her smile
disappeared. “So, you’ll have to arrest people? Lindsey, I don’t want to go back to Ada. My dad died from the experiments right before I was born.”
I swallowed back another stab of anger, the fear in Bethany’s voice too much. “That’s not going to happen. Don’t you worry. I have a plan. But right now, why don’t I teleport you to your apartment. Your mom would kill me if I let you walk the streets alone this time of night.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to—”
“It’s no trouble. That’s the awesome thing about teleporting.” I held out my hand, and when Bethany took it, I said, “Ready?”
“Yep.”
I closed my eyes and imagined Bethany’s apartment. I hadn’t been there more than a few times, but I could still see the worn-out couch in the living room. Smell freshly baked cookies in the oven. Bethany loved to bake and often did it when she was stressed. The wind picked up and carried us to the apartment. As soon as it stopped, I opened my eyes to find Bethany coming back to reality.
“Whoa! That always gives me a rush.” Bethany dropped her hand from mine. “Thanks!”
“Bethany!” Footsteps came down the hall until Bethany’s mother rounded the corner, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, still dressed in the apron she wore from her shift at Sully’s. “You had me worried sick.” She took Bethany into her arms. “I thought you’d been arrested. Where were you?”
“At the library.” Bethany pulled out of her mother’s hold. “Lindsey brought me home.”
Ms. Woods looked up, and I smiled.
“Oh! Hi, Lindsey. Thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome. I wasn’t about to let her walk all the way home alone.”
Ms. Woods put both hands on Bethany’s shoulders from behind. “Bethany told me it was you who helped me this morning. I can’t thank you enough.”
I offered a soft smile. “It was nothing. I couldn’t let you go to jail because your bracelet malfunctioned.” I put a hand on her shoulder. “I also wanted to let you guys know my father is planning on going into hiding and taking as many people as he can. We’ll have a shortened last day of school tomorrow, and then I’ll start taking people to the hideout.”