The floor is constructed of thick steel and metallic railing spans the entire top floor of the space. The hangar is gargantuan and extends far back, past the line of my sight. We gawp at each other in amazement. Looking down, I count at least five levels. There are numerous people moving around on the ground floor so we squat down and tread softly as we inch around to the left. Isla nudges me and points downwards, there are two huge aircraft resting in a stationary position. Scaffolding is erected around one of them and several people in overalls and masks are working on the exterior. I tug on the sleeve of her jacket and pull her back the way we came. Agent Dale never showed me this place so I’m fairly certain it’s a restricted zone and we’re not supposed to be in here, I’m starting to feel nervous. As we reach the door, Isla takes off in the opposite direction. I silently curse her in my head but loyally follow her to the right, there’s no way I’m leaving her in here on her own. She’s a fast mover and I have to run lightly to catch up. She comes to a standstill and raises herself up to peer in through the glass panel at the top of the door. So much for discretion. “Isla,” I hiss, “get down.” She shakes her head and gestures for me to join her. Tentatively I peek in.
The room looks like a laboratory, there are a few people milling around, fully clothed from head to toe in white body suits, goggles and masks. There is a second room to the back, but we have no visibility of what’s behind that door. My senses are ringing in alarm and I waste no time in frogmarching Isla back towards the main entrance. I press a button on the right-hand side and the door automatically opens out in front of us. I push Isla through and follow her, taking one last look as the door swings shut behind us. “Wow,” Isla says, “that place is something else.”
“There are some serious investors bankrolling this operation. That’s all high-tech stuff, definitely not cheap,” I muse.
“It’s going to happen, isn’t it?” she asks excitedly.
“Looks like it,” I reply as I try to shake off the sense of dread I feel.
It takes us a while to find our way back to our normal route; several arguments later and we’re finally on the home stretch. “Ciao,” Isla whispers as she takes the left turn back to her house. I pull myself up and into my basement. I’m starving so I make a sandwich and eat it at my desk in my bedroom. I check my emails for any response from Rui – he has replied – but, unfortunately, he has no new developments to report. I power down my laptop and strip off my clothes before diving naked under the covers.
Ari is distraught at the news of her father, and her mom is falling to pieces. She has a heated argument with her friend Eve and runs off. Ben delivers another note from Cal.
Ben! I am instantly wide awake. Ben Winters! I haven’t thought of him in years. We attended the Coder Kids class together, back in the day, when my father was stationed in Philadelphia. I hadn’t seen him since we moved to Connecticut although we’d initially kept in email contact until that fizzled out. What are the odds, I think. Ben’s a good guy, if he’s a friend of Cal’s then maybe he isn’t such a doucebag after all. Besides I can afford to be generous, now that Cal is forbidden from going anywhere near Ari. It doesn’t actually make me feel good—that they’ve been separated—even though I know it should. I can’t bring myself to be pleased about something that hurts her so much. And I’d feel better if she weren’t so alone, I worry about her incessantly.
I try to go back asleep with no success so I pull on some sweat pants and a white tee, and walk barefoot over to my desk. I switch on the laptop and settle down to do some work. I’ve received a new email from Agent Dale asking me to drop in before I head to Ceut, I wonder if it’s news of Commander Skyee. No time like the present, I think, as I pull on my jacket and make my way downstairs.
Agent Dale hands me a letter. “It’s from Commander Skyee, he gave it to Commander De Luca. He said to deliver it to you in the event of anything happening to him,” he says. “We’re hoping it includes details of the whereabouts of the information he retrieved for us.”
“What information?” I ask, as this is news to me.
“I’m afraid that’s classified Zane.”
I wonder if it’s anything to do with our discovery last night and momentarily I think of asking Agent Dale about the hangar. But I think better of it so instead I say, “I would like to read this in private, I’ll let you know if he mentions anything about your information.”
“That’s fine. Also, Commander Skyee mentioned your extrasensory ability to us. I would like you to meet Raina, she works as a consultant for Clementia, I think she can help you. She’s available at twenty-one hundred hours tonight. Please meet her in the War Room,” he says.
“OK, see you later,” I tell him as I make my exit. I wonder exactly what it is that Raina does for Clementia, I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
***
I hold the envelope in my hand as I sit on my bed staring at it. I finally summon the courage to open it, I’m both anxious and curious to know what it contains. There is one page enclosed in his neat handwriting. I begin to read.
Zane, if this letter has been handed to you then it means that something untoward has happened to me. There are so few people that I can trust anymore, but I know I can count on you. Please look after my family and get them to safety. I’ve left vital information with Ari, she’ll keep it safe until Clementia has organized her rescue. Ensure she only gives this information to Agent Dale, in the wrong hands it could be very dangerous.
I love you Zane, as if you were my own son. Nothing would have made me prouder than to have officially welcomed you into our family as my son-in-law. I hope that one day you and Ari can find a path back to each other; until then, please watch out for her. I’m hugely troubled by her relationship with Cal Remus. His father is a very unpleasant man, no offspring of his can be trusted, which is why I’m concerned that Ari’s fate seems to be intertwined with his. Do everything you can to persuade her and keep them apart.
Stay strong and continue to be the man you are, never forget how much you’ve meant to me.
The feelings that overcome me are all too familiar, it’s just like losing my father all over again. My joy at Malcolm’s words of endearment is tinged with unbearable sadness at the prospect of his loss. I lie on my bed for several minutes, too heartsick to move. Malcolm’s request must be honored; I at least owe him that much, after all he’s done for me. I will get his family off Novo if it’s the last thing I do.
***
“What’s up now?” Isla asks as I pull my front door shut. I just shake my head, I can’t currently form the words to tell her, besides I’m afraid that I might break down, and if I’m going to do that, I at least want to be in the comfort and privacy of my own home.
“I’ll tell you later,” I say inauspiciously.
***
I invite Isla in for dinner after work, thankfully she accepts. I really don’t feel like being on my own, I’m scared of the intensity of my thoughts. I tell her about the letter and Malcolm’s last wish, for me to ensure his family are rescued. “That’s a lot to ask,” she says.
“I owe him so much more.”
“And what if something happens to you while you’re playing superhero?” she asks, as a sour note creeps into her tone.
“It won’t, I can handle myself. Besides I won’t be doing this alone, Clementia need Ari as badly as I do.” She goes very quiet, most uncharacteristically. “What?” I ask her.
“What will become of us? Our friendship, if Ari is back in your life?”
“Why should anything change between us? Besides, Ari may not even choose a life with me, she seems pretty hung up on Cal,” I say pitifully.
“Once she see’s what a great guy you are she won’t be able to help herself,” Isla says bitterly.
“Isla, I...” I start to say, but she interrupts me.
“Stop, I don’t want to talk about it, forget I said anything,” she says bluntly.
Isla goes home to change into her uniform and
I meet her a few minutes later in the tunnel.
Agent Leena has some new weapons for us to practise with tonight and we spend a couple of hours familiarizing ourselves with them. Then it’s time to leave for my meeting with Raina.
Raina greets me warmly, as if I’m a long lost friend, and clasps my hands in hers. “It’s so lovely to meet such a kindred spirit,” she says. “Do you mind?” she asks as she lifts her hand to my forehead. I shake my head and feel a surge of warmth from the spot where her hand rests; after a few minutes she removes it.
“What was that?” I ask.
“Did anyone explain the work I do?”
“No.”
“I have a special psychic ability, more akin to telepathy but people seem to understand the word psychic more readily. I can silently communicate with other psychics, and I have the ability to see into people’s minds and hear their thoughts and feelings if I’ve had physical contact with them.”
“That’s what you were doing then?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“So how exactly does it work?”
“I can identify the thoughts and feelings within another person’s mind, and see what’s going on in their life, at that particular time. I can’t see future outcomes or past memories, it only works in the present. I can also communicate through my mind with other psychics. Now that I’ve shared your mind I’ll be able to silently talk to you. I’ll train you how to accept my messages and how to return them.” I’m completely fascinated. I’ve never felt the need to put a name to my talent, but if what Raina tells me is true, then I have a very powerful tool that could help me communicate with Ari.
“What did Commander Skyee tell you?”
“He said you and Ari have an undiagnosed talent and that you’re both dreaming of each other, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“Can you elaborate a little? What exactly do you see in your dreams?” she asks.
“I see flashes of her life on Novo, things that happen, people she meets, how each day pans out,” I say, and I hope I’m explaining clearly enough.
“Can you hear her thoughts or sense her feelings in your dreams?” she asks.
“No, I see images and visions of her life but I’m not in her head as such; although I know her well enough to guess what she’s feeling and thinking in certain situations.”
“What about when she lived here?” she asks.
“I could see the same things. If we weren’t together I could tune in and see what she was doing, pretty much like the dreams except I could do it when I was awake. It was more of a conscious decision rather than an unconscious act of my mind.”
“Very interesting. How were you consciously tapping into her mind?”
“I focused on visualizing her in my head and blanking out all other thoughts and it would naturally happen then.”
“That’s very good, I’ll show you a similar technique for communicating with her. You’ll have to practise on expanding your mind first though, she’s hundreds of miles away and I’m not sure how far you’ll be able to project it. I’m willing to help you, if you’re willing to try,” she says.
I don’t need to think about it, “I’m willing.”
“Great, then let’s get started.”
We spend the next hour focusing on mind exercises and my homework is to convey a silent message to Raina within the next twenty-four hours. I’m totally wound up despite my tiredness; trying to develop my ability requires huge amounts of concentration and I feel drained. However, I’m very excited at the prospect that I might be able to talk to Ari!
***
Isla has already gone to Cian’s house so I just need to figure out a way of sneaking out myself. I’ve already missed the ten p.m. shift change so I have to wait patiently by my window in the hope that the Ranger will move out of sight at some point in the night. An hour later I seize my opportunity. I run quickly and hammer on Cian’s door. He peers out through the spy hole before promptly opening the door and grabbing me in. “Thanks for coming dude, didn’t think you’d make it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” I say as I hand a disc to him. “Birthday present,” I add by way of explanation. I’ve compiled recordings of his favorite songs; I remembered how distraught he was when his favorite CD decided to expire recently. We have no access to purchase music anymore so he was really devastated. I hacked into the Novo online library and covertly downloaded the songs I needed.
“This is so awesome, I’m really choked, thanks,” he says appreciatively.
Isla makes a beeline for me the minute she spots me. “You made it,” she says and there’s a distinct softness to her tone.
“Just about.”
We sink down into a seated position on the floor as Cian starts up his guitar. I don’t know at what stage I nod off, but I wake just in time. Isla has wrapped her arms around me and is kissing the side of my face, inching ever closer to my lips. “Isla, no,” I say as softly as I can, determined not to hurt her.
“Ah, come on Zane, live a little,” she says, undeterred.
“Isla, please, you know how I feel.” I’m trying to let her down gently. Her fury erupts from nowhere.
“You’re bloody pathetic Zane, pining away over a ghost, a memory. She’s your past, it’s time for you to move on, she has,” she spits out at me. There’s no point trying to argue with her when she’s in a mood, so I say nothing, but the bitterness is eating me up inside. She has no right to judge me.
She abruptly gets up and crosses over to where Cian is lying quietly. I notice that most of the others are awake, though their eyes are shut and they’re pretending to be asleep. I appreciate their discretion. I’m furious with Isla for discussing something so private in such a public way. I thought we’d put all this behind us, but I clearly underestimated the strength of her feelings. Honestly, sometimes her friendship costs too much. I shut my eyes and pray for sleep.
At 6 a.m. I bolt out the door back to the comfort of my own house, the silence is welcoming. I crawl into bed, completely exhausted. This time I fall asleep instantly.
***
Relations with Isla are distinctly chilly over the next few weeks. She still travels to and from work with me, but I can tell she is deliberately keeping her distance. My life feels even more dreary without her larger-than-life presence to break up the monotony.
I spend every night either in Clementia, or grinding away on my laptop.
There is still no word on Malcolm.
I have mastered the art of silent communication, and Raina and I spend countless hours chatting through our minds. However, I have no way of knowing whether any of my attempts to communicate with Ari have succeeded.
I continue to dream of Ari and it’s the only thing I can draw any comfort from at this bleak time though it’s hard to watch her struggling so much. I can tell from the dreams that she is in a state of severe distress, but she’s good at hiding it. I know she’s trying to be strong for Lily and Deacon. How I wish I could be there to help ease her pain.
***
I am in a deep sleep when the shocking news is delivered.
Ari goes to answer the door. She backs away as Senior Commander Vegas breaks the news. Her father is dead.
CHAPTER 19
I wake up immediately. No, no, it can’t be, he can’t be dead. I am disconsolate. I try to think back to what Senior Commander Vegas said. From what I recall they didn’t actually locate the stealth-craft or any bodies, so maybe he’s still alive out there somewhere. I know it’s wishful thinking, but it’s the only thought that’s keeping me from losing it. I need more answers so I pull on my clothes and head down into the tunnel.
Agent Dale and Raina are both waiting for me. “I knew you were coming,” Raina says by way of silent explanation.
“Zane, I neglected to ask before: what did Commander Skyee’s letter say about the missing information?” Agent Dale abruptly asks me.
“Ari has it somewhere safe,” I say sullenly.
; “That’s Malcolm’s daughter?”
“Yes.”
“Did the letter specify where?” he asks urgently.
“No, just that she has it.”
“OK, well that’s good,” he replies.
“Any news on Commander Skyee?” I say expectantly, fervently hoping that my dream is wrong. I’m sure Agent Dale is getting fed up of me asking the same question over and over again. But the lack of updates is hugely concerning to me. He pauses.
“You need to tell him Andy,” Raina says softly to Agent Dale. My heart plummets.
“We’ve just discovered that Commander Remus shot down Commander Skyee’s stealth-craft. We presume the authorities had grown suspicious of him. The only logical explanation we can deduce is that they planted a second tracker device onboard, and they knew what he was doing and exactly where he was. We’ve had no contact and we can’t detect any Vita signals. The authorities weren’t able to locate the craft or any bodies. We can only assume as they have, that they all perished. I’m very sorry Zane.”
A rage like no other engulfs me. I lash out at the nearest thing and I sweep everything off the desk. I pick up the book that has landed on my foot and hurl it across the room. Agent Dale moves to restrain me, but Raina places a cautionary hand on his, and he halts. “Where did the craft go down?” I scream as I run over to the huge screen displaying a map of the Earth and our solar system. “Show me!” I demand. Agent Dale silently points to an area just inside the Earth’s atmosphere. I plonk myself down at the nearest desk and type away quickly, connecting in seconds to their system. I don’t know what I’m searching for, I just know that someone, somewhere, has to know more. “This is all my fault!” I shout as I bury my head in my hands and sob.
True Calling Page 20