“Ben! Peter! Sorry I’m late. Did the others leave?”
“Yes,” Peter said.
“That’s too bad. I have exciting news.”
“What is it?” Ben asked.
She pulled out her keys and unlocked the classroom door. “Let’s talk about it inside.”
The fluorescent lights flickered on down the length of the room with a buzzing sound. The gun range he’d used the day before was gone. Dr. Hughes went to her desk and set the package down, while Ben and Peter took two chairs nearby.
“I apologize for my tardiness,” she said. “But I think you’ll find your patience rewarded.”
Ben and Peter waited.
Dr. Hughes came over and sat down near them in one of the other chairs. “I am not the first to have explored and experimented with actuation. There are others, though I don’t know their real names, but I doubt any have come as far as I have.”
“What others?” Ben asked. “And why don’t you know their names?”
“They’re physicists like myself. Professors. Government researchers. People whose professional reputations could suffer if our interests in quantum actuation were made public. We’ve formed a loose network, using pseudonyms. Well, after yesterday’s” — Dr. Hughes looked at Ben, and then seemed to remember that Peter was sitting there — “unpredicted results, I contacted a man I’ve been in touch with for several months to get his input on portable augmentation.”
“Portable?” Peter looked back and forth between Ben and Dr. Hughes. “What do you mean, portable?”
“In a moment, Peter.” Dr. Hughes straightened in her chair. “This man … oh, what name did he go by? That’s funny, I’m normally good with names.” She tapped her lips with her index finger. “Richter! That was it. At any rate, this man got back to me, and it turns out he’s been interested in portable augmentation as well. We agreed to share some results, and he overnighted me a package with copies of his work. I’ve been glancing through it, and I believe he’ll be a useful research ally going forward.”
An ally. What had she said his name was? Ben had already forgotten. Something … Richter? Yes, Richter. That was it.
“So what did you mean by portable augmentation?” Peter asked.
Dr. Hughes folded her hands in her lap. “Well, it’s something I’ve been working on from the beginning, the end goal, actually. Yesterday, I asked Ben to stay and help me with it. But we did not get the results I was expecting, and that caused me a bit of alarm. We must make certain that at each step we take every precaution.”
Ben wondered if Peter would be bothered, knowing Dr. Hughes had picked Ben instead of him.
Peter said, “And this man who sent you the package … what was his name?”
Dr. Hughes blinked. “Um.”
“Richter,” Ben said. Richter. Something about the name felt slippery in his mind.
“Yes,” Dr. Hughes said. “Richter.”
“Right,” Peter said. “So this man might be able to help you with portable augmentation?”
“That is my hope,” Dr. Hughes said.
“Can I try it?” Peter asked.
Dr. Hughes sighed. “I don’t think so. Not yet, anyway. I have to make sure it’s working as predicted by the math.”
Peter hitched his frown to one side. “Okay.”
“So that was the exciting news?” Ben asked.
“Yes!” she said. “Don’t you find it exciting?”
“Yeah. Sure.” But the gun still didn’t quite work yet.
They spent the rest of the afternoon back at what had now become routine for Ben, with the standard equipment in the actuation rings. After wielding the augmenter gun, and creating a missile of ice, conjuring a little rain cloud just didn’t hold the same appeal. Still, the afternoon passed pretty smoothly with the other kids gone.
Ben and Peter even started playing off each other in the actuation ring. Ben would actuate snow, and Peter would actuate a little flame to melt it. Then Ben would actuate a rain cloud, and Peter would turn it into snow. It felt a bit like chess. Or a duel.
“Let’s wrap up for today, gentlemen,” Dr. Hughes finally said.
Ben and Peter nodded to each other, let go of their actuations, and went to collect their things.
“I’ll be looking through the notes from …” Dr. Hughes snapped her fingers by her ear.
Ben reached for the name, and just barely found it. Richter.
“Um … him.” Dr. Hughes flicked her hand away. “Anyway, our new ally, after which I hope to have some idea of how to proceed with the portable augmenter. With luck, you’ll be able to try it soon, Peter.”
“I look forward to that, Dr. —”
A deafening boom, and the door to the lab blew inward off its hinges. It flew across the room and slammed into several of the tripods. Sparks scattered across the floor where they fell. A swarm of men wearing black ski masks spilled through the smoking doorway.
Dr. Hughes gasped. Peter yelled something. Ben’s thoughts went to defense. To ice. To actuation. But fear scattered his thoughts before they could form, let alone reach out to make anything. And then two of the men grabbed him and held him by the arms.
“What is this?” Dr. Hughes cried out. “Who are you?”
The intruders had her, too, and Peter. Who they were didn’t matter right now. Ben had to do something. If he could somehow get into one of the actuation areas, then he might be able to.
One of the men swaggered forward. “We’re the Dread Cloaks. So best beware.” His voice came out hoarse, and as well as the ski masks, he and the others all wore the same clothing. Polished black boots, black pants, and black vests over bloodred dress shirts. “You have something we want.”
Dr. Hughes thrashed but couldn’t break free. “What could I possibly have?”
The man’s shrouded gaze roamed from one side of the room to the other. “A portable augmenter. That’s what you called it, right?”
“What? How do you —?”
He made a sweeping gesture with his arm, and one of the computers nearby leaped from its desk and smashed into pieces against a wall several yards away.
Ben knew actuation when he saw it. He could feel it. These were no simple robbers, or terrorists, or anything like that. And the man had actuated without any augmenting equipment at all. Ben looked at Peter, but his friend just stared wide-eyed at the floor. Was he in shock?
“You …” Dr. Hughes whispered. “Who do you work for? Who sent you?”
“You insult us,” the man said. “The Dread Cloaks are not for hire. Now where is it?”
Dr. Hughes looked so small, her eyes so big. She began to shake.
“How about I do to one of these boys like I just did to your computer?” The man held up his arm like he was preparing to backhand something — or someone.
Ben swallowed. Would it be him or Peter? Ben was about a foot away from one of the actuation rings. If he could just step inside it, he could summon something. But what? A little cloud? What would that do? No, he needed something powerful. An ice missile. A fireball. A lightning bolt. He tried to make eye contact with Peter, but his friend was still looking downward.
“Don’t harm them!” Dr. Hughes cried. “Let them go, and I’ll tell you where it is.”
The man brought his arm down. “Show me where it is, and I might not kill them.”
Dr. Hughes bit her lip, still shaking. “In my desk. It’s just over there in my desk.”
The man flicked his head, and one of the others crossed the room. He pulled each of the drawers open, and a moment later came back with the augmenter gun in his hand. He passed it to his leader, who brandished it in front of Dr. Hughes.
“This? This is it?”
Dr. Hughes nodded. “Now let them go.”
The man studied the device in his hand. “Show me how it works.”
“It doesn’t,” Dr. Hughes said. “Not reliably.”
“Show me!” His hoarse voice became a tortured growl.
Dr. Hughes was pointing at something on the augmenter gun in the Dread Cloak leader’s hand. Everyone in the room was looking. Now was his chance.
Ben yanked his arms free and leaped backward into the circle. He focused on the nearest Dread Cloak and, without thinking, let the actuation go with a single clap of his hands in front of him.
A searing arc of light shot forward and struck the Dread Cloak in the chest. He bolted upright onto his toes, stiff, and then collapsed to the ground. Ben closed his eyes to try to summon another, but the attackers were on him instantly.
“Get him out of there!” their leader shouted. “And make sure Riggs is still alive.”
Ben fought and kicked and wriggled, but he couldn’t break free. Two men dragged him from the circle, across the floor, and forced him to his knees next to Dr. Hughes.
The leader bent down close. Ben could see his eyes were blue through the slits in the ski mask. “Hello, hero boy. That was a devilish trick. Care to try it on me?”
“Too easy,” Ben said.
“Defiance. I like that.” The leader stood and looked back at the man Ben had struck. “Well?”
“He’s alive,” came the reply. “He’s coming around.”
The Dread Cloak leader returned his focus to Ben. “A fine little playpen you have here, with your toys. But you’ve just toddled into the grown-up world, and I think you will find it a painful place.”
“Don’t hurt him,” Dr. Hughes said. “Please. I beg you.”
“Leave him alone!” Peter shouted.
Ben looked at his friend. Something had finally roused him.
“We have two hero boys?” The leader coughed. “Bring him here.”
They hauled Peter over and threw him down next to Ben.
Dr. Hughes tried to lean toward them. “I’m sorry, boys, I —”
“Silence, Doctor.” The leader looked around the room. “Quite clever to have built all of this. But in the end, of what use is it?” He held up the augmenter gun. “But this. This I can make terrible use of.”
“I told you, it doesn’t work reliably!”
“Then I will need you to continue working on it.” The leader turned to Ben. “But devilish children must not be left to run amok. Kill the boys.”
BEN’S mind burned hot, but gave him nothing. He looked at Peter. He looked at Dr. Hughes. What could he do? He had never actuated without any equipment. He didn’t think he could do it now, but he closed his eyes to try for another lightning bolt.
“None of that, hero boy!”
Something knocked the side of his head. Hard. Ben felt a sharp pain, and the actuation broke apart in his mind with a shower of sparks.
“How should we do it?” one of the Dread Cloaks asked.
Their leader paused. “I have an idea. Take them over there.” He pointed at a spot on the ground several feet away.
The Dread Cloaks holding them shoved Ben and Peter across the floor to the spot, then let go of them and backed away.
Ben looked at the doorway. It wasn’t too far. His head throbbed, and he closed his eyes. He couldn’t think straight. He considered running, but couldn’t bring himself to leave Peter and Dr. Hughes.
“You say this device doesn’t work, Doctor.” The Dread Cloak leader aimed the augmenter gun at Ben. “So you must be perfectly comfortable with me doing this.”
“Please, don’t.” She held out both hands. “I said it was unreliable.”
Ben looked straight through the metal ring at the end of the gun.
“Well, let’s just see what it does,” the leader said. “Unreliably.”
Ben thought of his mom, not too far away, on the other side of campus. She wouldn’t know what had happened to him.
“They’re here!” A Dread Cloak ran into the lab. “The League has come!”
“Bring her!” The leader pointed at Dr. Hughes. “And make a door!” He looked back at Ben, still aiming the gun.
Ben felt a … disturbance. The beginning of an actuation coming through the ring. He knew something bad was about to happen to him. But in that moment, a troop of uniformed people charged into the lab through the broken doorway.
“Drop the weapon, Poole!” one of them shouted.
The Dread Cloak leader held up his hands. “You think you’ve caught me?”
An explosion at the far end of the lab threw Ben to the floor. The impact struck the core of his chest and blew out his hearing. It was dark now, the room filling with smoke. He rolled onto his back. Wires hung from the gaping ceiling, and the walls bloomed fire. People rushed around him. He saw Peter lying on the ground beside him.
Then he didn’t see anything at all.
When Ben woke up, he was lying on a cot in a white room. White walls, white ceiling tiles, white linoleum floor. Was he in a hospital? Peter lay on a cot next to him. He was sleeping, but he didn’t look hurt. Ben sat up, and felt a pain stab his temple. He reached his hand up to it, and found a bandage. It must be a hospital. But when he went to the door, he found it locked.
He knocked. “Hello? Is anyone there?”
“Ben?” Peter had woken up. “Where are we?”
“I don’t know,” Ben said. “You okay?”
“Yes, I think so.” Peter rubbed his hair. “My head hurts.”
“Mine, too.” But it was more than that. He felt disoriented, like he was floating, and not in a good way. More like he was getting pulled out to sea.
Something clicked in the door, and Ben stepped back as it opened. Two people walked in, a man and a woman, both wearing suits. Their faces looked familiar, and then Ben remembered seeing them back in Dr. Hughes’s lab. They were part of the second group that came in after the Dread Cloaks. Who were they? Cops? Military?
“Ben, Peter.” The man was tall and lanky, and carried a manila file in his hand. “I’m Agent Spear. This is Agent Taggart.” He spoke with a slight southern accent.
The woman nodded. She had red hair and lots of freckles. “We’re relieved you weren’t seriously injured.”
Agents? What did that mean? FBI?
“Where are we?” Ben asked. “Where is Dr. Hughes?”
“Have a seat.” Agent Spear pointed at the cot with the file he held. “Let’s talk.”
Ben and Peter both hesitated, but sat down side by side on Peter’s cot. Agent Spear sat down on the low cot across from them, his knees almost bumping his chin, while Agent Taggart stood back by the door, arms folded. Spear opened the file and began to read over whatever was in there, licking his thumb and turning pages. A few moments later, he looked up and smiled.
“Right. You boys have stepped in it now, haven’t you?”
“Stepped in what?” Peter asked.
“The battlefield. The Quantum War.”
“War?” Ben asked.
“Well, I don’t mean a war between nations,” Agent Spear said. “It’s a street war. A gang war.”
“Who are you?” Ben asked. “And where’s Dr. Hughes?”
“We belong to an agency,” Spear said. “You could think of it like other intelligence agencies you might be more familiar with, but we don’t answer to any government. We’re the Quantum League. Agent Taggart and I are Quantum Agents.”
Peter cocked his head. “What is the Quantum League? What do you do?”
“Our agency has tasked itself with —”
“Where is Dr. Hughes?” Ben raised his voice. “This is the third time we’ve asked.” It seemed like there was something this Agent Spear didn’t want to tell them.
Peter leaned back a bi
t on the cot, silenced.
Agent Spear sighed. “Okay. You demand the truth, and I’ll give it to you straight. We don’t know where Dr. Hughes is. The Dread Cloaks abducted her when they made their escape. She could be in any one of their hideouts.”
“Can you rescue her?” Ben asked.
Agent Taggart spoke up from the door. “A direct frontal assault against the Dread Cloaks would not be in our strategic interests.”
“What she means,” Agent Spear said, “is that we don’t have the firepower to take on the whole gang.”
“Whole gang?” Peter asked. “How many are there?”
“Current estimates,” Agent Taggart said, “put their membership between three and five hundred.”
The number shocked Ben, and at first he wasn’t sure he had heard it right. Between three and five hundred? And how many of those were Actuators? Would they hurt Dr. Hughes? Was she alive? Each question hit Ben’s head like a hammer strike. He felt disoriented, his world all ground up. Just weeks ago he’d learned about actuation, and then the lab was attacked by a gang, and now this skinny guy was calling himself an agent and talking about a war.
Ben still felt adrift, and the waves were starting to break over his head. “I’d like to call my mom now.”
“That’s been taken care of,” Agent Spear said. “You needn’t worry.”
“What does that mean?” Ben asked. “Let me call my mom.”
Agent Spear closed the folder. He looked over his shoulder at Agent Taggart, who checked something on a small device she pulled from her pocket. She gave him a nod back.
Agent Spear stood. “Let me show you boys something.”
“What?” Peter asked.
Ben stayed seated. “I don’t want to see anything. I’m not going anywhere. I want a phone.”
Agent Spear looked around. “You see one in here, son?”
Peter tugged on his sleeve. “Come on, Ben.”
Ben looked hard at Agent Spear. The man met his gaze with the kind of smile fathers gave their boys in commercials. “Things will make sense again real soon. I promise.” He walked to the door and grasped the handle. “Coming?”
Ben looked at Peter. His friend bounced a little as he nodded. Ben got to his feet. The two of them crossed the room, and as they approached the door, Agent Spear opened it.
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