“And she was nineteen when the English burned her at the stake.”
“Maybe not the best example.”
“One of the last things your father said to me before he died was to keep you safe. I haven’t done a very good job at that.” She looked me in the eyes. “I wonder if he would be disappointed in me.”
“Is it better to be safe and worthless, or valuable and in danger?”
“Now you sound like your father.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
She slowly shook her head. “No. It’s not. But what do you want?”
“It doesn’t matter what I want.”
“It always matters,” she said. “Do you want to go to Taiwan?”
“And face the Elgen? No. But I have to.”
“No, you don’t. You’ve already risked enough. Let someone else do it.”
“Who?”
She looked at me for a moment, then put her arms around me. “When did you become so strong?”
“When they took you,” I said.
“Just promise me that you’ll always come back.”
“I promise,” I said. We both knew it was a promise I couldn’t make.
After a moment she kissed my forehead and stepped back. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“There’s one thing,” I said. I hesitated. “It’s a little complicated.”
“Whatever you want,” she said.
“It’s not for me. It’s for Taylor.”
She smiled. “Just tell me what to do.”
The next morning we gathered again for class. For the first time Gervaso was late. When he arrived there was something different about him. Not the way he dressed or anything, but the way he looked at us. There was a gravity to his demeanor.
“Good morning,” he said. “Excuse me for being late. I’ve been in a meeting with the council. Operation Jade Dragon is a go.”
While this wasn’t a surprise to any of us, hearing Gervaso’s pronouncement made it real in a way it hadn’t been before.
Ostin was the first to speak. “When do we leave?”
“The day after tomorrow. That will give you time in Taiwan to prepare for the Volta’s arrival.” He looked around at all of us. “There’s no class today. I want you to have down time before you go. In the meantime, if I can do anything for you, just let me know.”
“Will we meet again before we leave?” Ian asked.
“Tomorrow,” he said.
As everyone walked out I approached Gervaso.
“I’d like to try the bullet thing again.”
“Of course. When would you like to go?”
“Right now,” I said. “If you have the time.”
“I have the time.”
We drove back out to the shooting range. As Gervaso loaded the gun, I stepped in front of the target so the bull’s-eye was directly behind my stomach.
Gervaso looked up from behind the gun’s scope. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to find out I can’t do this while they’re shooting at me.”
For the first time since I’d met him he looked truly worried. “Are you sure about this?”
“Just don’t shoot before I’m ready.”
“I’ll guarantee that. We’ll count down. Three, two, one, fire, okay?”
“Okay,” I said.
He got behind the gun again. I took a deep breath and pulsed slightly, enough that electricity started sparking between my fingers.
“Ready?” he asked.
I was ticking like crazy. “Let’s do this.”
He put his finger on the trigger. “Here we go. Three, two”—I pulsed—“one, fire.”
A single round exploded from the gun. It smashed into the cinder-block wall beside me. Gervaso stood and I could see relief on his face. He walked quickly toward me. “You did it.”
We walked over and examined where the bullet had hit. It was nearly twelve feet off the mark.
“I think you overcompensated,” he said.
“I was nervous.”
He laughed. “Nervous.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “You may be the bravest person I’ve ever met.”
We met again the next morning, but only for a few minutes. Gervaso briefed us on what he knew of the Taiwan Starxource plant, concluding with, “Your Taiwanese operative will fill you in on the rest.” Then, as he looked us over, he did something that surprised us all. He stood at attention and saluted us. Then he said, “It’s been an honor knowing all of you.”
Taylor whispered to me, “He’s acting like he’s never going to see us again.”
As we got up to leave, Gervaso stopped me. “Michael.”
“Yes, sir.”
“May I talk to you a moment?”
“Of course.” I looked at Taylor. “Where are you going?”
“I told my mother I’d go horseback riding with her,” she said.
“Let me know when you’re back,” I said.
As she walked off I turned to Gervaso. “Yes, sir.”
“I want to personally thank you for your leadership and bravery.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“I joined the military when I was just eighteen. I have served under many leaders. You are not only brave, you are also a very good leader, which is why your friends follow you into danger.” He reached into his pocket and brought out something wrapped in a white handkerchief. He peeled back the cloth to reveal a bronze medal in the shape of a cross with an eagle with outspread wings in its center. A banner beneath the eagle read,
FOR VALOR
“Have you ever seen one of these before?”
I looked back up at him. “No.”
“This is the Distinguished Service Cross. It is the United States Army’s second-highest military award. It is given for extreme gallantry in battle.”
“Is it yours?”
“It was,” he said. “I received it during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq.” Then he handed it to me. “I’m giving it to you.”
I made no move to take it. “I can’t take that.”
“It would be an insult for you to refuse.”
“It’s too much. I don’t deserve it.”
“I know what you have done, Michael. I have studied the reports. You deserve this award more than I do. Please, don’t refuse my offering.”
For a moment we looked into each other’s eyes. I reached out and took the medal. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Your actions have said enough.” He saluted me again. This time I saluted back.
“I want a full report when you return with Jade Dragon.”
“Yes, sir.”
He stepped forward and hugged me. “Good luck.” Then he turned and walked away. I looked back down at the medal. It was the greatest honor of my life.
“Dude,” Ostin said. “I can’t believe he gave that to you. That’s like the coolest thing ever. The only medal higher is the Medal of Honor.”
“I can’t believe it either.”
Ostin reached out his hand. “Let me see it again.”
I handed him the medal. “That’s epic.” He looked at it for a moment, then handed it back to me. “Gervaso gave me something too.” He lifted a small burgundy book from his bed. The Art of War. “He thought it might come in handy if we face the Lung Li.”
“Have you started reading it yet?”
“I’m not reading it; I’m memorizing it.”
“Sorry.” I put the medal in my pocket. “Have you seen my mom?”
“She was just here,” he said. “She left that for you.” He pointed to a large rectangular box on my bed. “Is that your . . .”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Then you’re still doing it tonight?”
“Of course.”
He looked concerned.
“Why? Don’t you approve?”
“I mean, it’s great and all, but why tonight? We leave in the morning.”
“I’m doing it because we leave in the morn
ing.”
He thought for a moment, then said, “That makes sense.”
Someone knocked on our door.
“Come in,” I said, turning around.
Joel stepped inside. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said. “Michael, could you come with me for a moment? The council would like to speak with you again.”
“Right now?”
He nodded. “Yes, please.”
I turned to Ostin. “If Taylor comes by, don’t let her see the box.”
“You got it,” he said.
I followed Joel down to the council room. He opened the door for me and followed me in. There were only eight members around the table. Simon stepped forward to greet me. “Michael, thank you for coming.”
“No problem,” I said, wondering what this was about.
“Have a seat. Please.”
I sat in the chair closest to the door.
Simon waited until I was settled, then said, “I imagine you must feel some apprehension as you prepare to go.”
“Yes, sir.”
“As do we,” he said. “The reason we wanted to talk to you is because we’ve just received a report that Hatch has assigned his electric youth to oversee the transporting of Jade Dragon to the Volta. That means you may be facing Quentin, Bryan, Kylee, Torstyn, and Tara.”
“I’ve faced them before,” I said.
“But this time there will also be the Elgen guards and the Lung Li. Any one of those alone is dangerous. Together, we fear it is too much. We thought you might need some help.”
“What kind of help?” I asked.
Simon looked over the table, then said, “We think you should take Nichelle with you to Taiwan.”
I thought I must not have heard him correctly. “You mean Hatch’s Nichelle? The one who tortured us?”
“Yes.”
“Are you kidding?”
The council member sitting next to Simon, who had been introduced as Thomas, spoke up. “I know this must come as a surprise. We expect that it will to the Elgen as well. You’re the only one of the electric youth who has been able to stop her, so she’s still a viable threat to the others. She could be a powerful asset to the Electroclan.”
“Have you ever met her?” I asked.
“No,” Simon said. “And certainly not the way you have.”
“We can’t trust her.”
“We believe we can,” Thomas said. “We’ve been following her for some time now. She’s very angry at Hatch for abandoning her.”
“You know what they say,” the woman sitting next to Thomas said. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
Thomas nodded in agreement. “She’s very bitter.”
“Nichelle is always bitter,” I said. “She’s psychotic.” I looked around the table. Everyone was looking at me with concern.
Thomas lifted a folder and slid it across the table to me. “This is her dossier. After the Elgen abandoned her she lived on the streets around Pasadena for about a week until she met some men we believe are former gang members. She’s living with them in a West Pasadena apartment. We don’t know if she’s been involved in any illegal activity but she has a job at a taco stand, so we think she’s at least trying to make good.”
Simon said, “We assume that these men she’s with are dangerous. But not nearly as dangerous as you.”
I looked around the table, then said, “I need to think this over.”
“It’s your decision, Michael,” Simon said. “You’re the leader of this mission. But we are unanimously for it. For your sake.”
I scratched the back of my head as I thought. As crazy as it sounded, they were right about one thing: battling the Elgen, the Lung Li, and the Glows might be too much. “I could have Taylor read her mind,” I said. “See where she’s at.” I took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. “If I decide to do this, how would we get her?”
“You would have to pick her up on your way to Taiwan,” Thomas said. “Pasadena is only three hours from here. We’ve had an operative keep track of her, so we have an idea of her schedule. The safest place to approach her would be at work.”
“Just give me the night to think about it.”
“Of course,” Simon said, standing. “Again, it is your decision.”
“Just remember that war and politics make strange bedfellows,” Thomas said.
Whatever that means, I thought. “I’ll get back to you.”
“We’ll need to inform the pilots of your decision before you leave the ranch,” Joel said, “so they can file a flight plan.”
As I walked out I thought about what Ostin liked to say: “My enemy’s enemy is my friend.” Still, it seemed impossible to imagine Nichelle working with us. Almost as impossible as talking the rest of the Electroclan into it.
When I got back to the room Ostin was packing what few things he possessed. “What did they want?”
“Nothing,” I said.
“You mean nothing you want to tell me.”
“Right,” I said.
“Great,” he said. “Now I’m going to spend the rest of the night trying to figure out what it is.”
I grinned. “Did Taylor come by?”
“Oh yeah. I gave her the box.”
“What?”
“I’m just kidding,” he said. “I told her you’d be back in a few minutes.”
“Thanks,” I said. I picked up the box, then walked over to Taylor’s room and knocked on the door.
Tessa opened. “Let me guess, you’re looking for Taylor.”
“You’re a genius,” I said.
“You can call me Ostin. No, don’t. That’s kind of creepy.” She turned around. “Taylor, it’s lover boy.”
Taylor came to the door shaking her head. She stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. “She makes me crazy.”
“Tessa is crazy,” I said. “I think it’s from eating all those mashed Amazon jungle slugs.”
“I just threw up in my mouth,” Taylor said. She looked down at the box I was carrying. “What’s that?”
“It’s a present.”
“For me?”
“Of course.” I handed her the box. “Open it.”
She tore the paper from the box, then lifted its lid. “Oh, wow.” She pulled a dark grape-colored chiffon dress from the box, then handed me the box and held the dress out in front of her. “Michael.”
“Sydney Lynn and my mom took care it.”
“It’s beautiful.” She looked into my eyes. “What’s it for?”
“Tonight.”
Her forehead furrowed. “What’s tonight?”
“That’s a surprise. I’ll be back at seven to get you.”
Taylor tilted her head. “What are you up to, Vey?”
“I’m not telling you.”
She reached out to take my hand. “You can tell me.”
I stepped back. “Don’t read my mind, you’ll ruin the surprise.”
“You’re finally on to me.”
“I’ll be back at seven.” I smiled as I walked to my room.
* * *
Later that evening Ostin and my mother watched as I put on a suit coat and tie. The coat was a little large, but under the circumstances it was the best we could come up with.
“You look so handsome,” my mother said. “Here’s your corsage.” She handed me a white glossy box containing a cluster of white roses. Considering where we were, I didn’t know how she had managed the box, let alone the flowers.
“What time is it?”
“It’s almost seven.”
“Is everything ready?” I asked.
My mother smiled. “Yes.”
“All right,” I said. “So am I.”
My mother and I walked to Taylor’s room. I knocked, and her mother immediately answered.
“Hi, Michael. Come on in.” As she stepped back, she opened the door all the way, revealing Taylor in her new dress. It fit perfectly. It was an elegant floor-length, sleeveless dress that wrapped tightly around her middle
, accenting her slim waist. For the first time in months she was wearing makeup and her hair was pulled back in an updo. She looked Photoshopped beautiful—beautiful enough to make me tic.
I stepped inside her room. “You look . . . amazing.”
Taylor looked at me dreamily. “And you look very handsome.”
“I brought you this.” I handed her the corsage.
She opened the box and took out the corsage. “Where did you get this?”
I looked at my mother and she just winked.
“I have connections,” I said.
“Will you put it on?” she asked.
“I’ll try.” I fumbled awhile with the needle, but eventually pinned the flower to her dress without drawing blood. I took her hand. “Shall we go?”
“If you’ll tell me where we’re going.”
“I’m taking you to the prom.”
Her face was a mixed expression of surprise and gratitude. “The prom?”
“You said you wanted to go to one.”
“Before you go,” Mrs. Ridley said, “we need pictures.”
“Mom,” Taylor said.
“We are definitely taking pictures,” she said. “And don’t even think about rebooting me.”
Between my mother and Mrs. Ridley, they took what seemed like a hundred pictures before Taylor finally said in exasperation, “Okay, we’re good.”
“It’s just so exciting,” Mrs. Ridley said.
Our mothers followed us out to the front of the Ranch House, where a horse-drawn carriage was waiting. Abigail and Jack were sitting on the front porch and Abi screamed when she saw Taylor. She ran over to us. “Omigosh! You look so beautiful!”
Taylor beamed. “Thank you.”
“No really, you look like a princess.” She looked at me. “You’re a lucky guy.”
“I know,” I said.
Jack gave me a thumbs-up.
“Your carriage awaits,” I said to Taylor.
The driver was standing to the side of the carriage wearing a cowboy hat, a Western-cut suit, and a bolo tie. He opened the door for us and I helped Taylor up.
“Have fun,” my mother said. Jack and Abigail waved to us, and Taylor’s mother began crying.
Our driver flicked the reins and the carriage started off.
When we were a little way off, Taylor asked, “Where are we going for prom?”
Hunt for Jade Dragon Page 9