The Stranger Trilogy Box Set

by Isadora Brown

  From their position across the street at the park, Will was on the phone with Ethan, and Depogare and Jane were keeping an eye out for Michael and Sophie. Jane was huddled behind a row of bushes, with Depogare crouched over her shoulder. She could feel the soft material that made up his suit caress her bare shoulder, and every muscle inside of her clenched up with tension. Her breathing was shaky, and she put all of her effort into making sure that when she exhaled, it was controlled and didn’t reveal just how he affected her.

  It was at that moment when Depogare’s words, his confession, truly sank in. The words she had longed to hear for months now seeped into her skin and flowed through her body until they reached her heart. He loved her. He wanted to be with her. And, the only reason why they weren’t together now was because he wanted to be with her completely, not halfheartedly. She could respect that. She could even understand it. But that didn’t mean she liked it.

  “Do you think she’s in there?” Jane whispered softly, tilting her head to the side so he would be able to hear her. “Can you feel her?”

  Depogare tilted his head down so his lips grazed her ear. Neither pulled away, not even when he responded and his lips continued to move against her ear. “No,” he murmured. “Not yet.”

  “Are you ever going to teach me how to reach out and find someone using my mind?” she asked.

  “Would you like to learn now?”

  Jane nodded, swallowing the tension, the fear of being so close to the man she loved. Her body prickled with goose bumps, but it wasn’t because of the bitter cold winter evening. The park was filled with heavy silence, and though it was small, with palm trees, a compact garden filled with indigenous plants and flowers, and a playground for children, it was too dark to make the three out from the distance of the hotel. And because they were dressed for the event, it would most likely be assumed that they were taking a break and getting some fresh air. No one would know who they were or why they were here, unless Michael himself saw them. Humans couldn’t detect peculiars to save their life.

  “Close your eyes,” he instructed. Jane wasn’t certain, but she could swear his voice dropped an octave, which was saying a lot because his voice was already incredibly low. “Focus on one person. It is much easier to search for one person rather than do a broad sweep of the area. Doing a broad sweep is possible, but takes a lot of your energy. Even someone as skilled and as mastered as I am still needs time to prepare for a broad sweep.”

  “What does a broad sweep do?” she asked, her eyes still closed. She was vibrating with anticipation, but she had no idea what she was waiting for.

  “You reach out with your mind for familiar minds,” he explained. “Instead of looking for one person, you are searching for anyone you may know. A broad sweep would be helpful now, but since we’re only looking for one of two people, it’s much easier and more rational to do a target sweep.”

  Jane nodded, trusting his words.

  “You know Sophie better than I do. Perhaps it will work better with you.” He rested his palms on her shoulders, and Jane instantly relaxed. It was like he had this superpower that only worked on her. “Envision Sophie in your mind. The way she looks. Anything and everything that makes her, her. Hear her laughter. Notice the color of her eyes. The sounds she makes. The way she smells. Anything that helps paint your picture of who Sophie Harper is.”

  Jane took a moment to form an image of Sophie in her mind based on Depogare’s instruction. When she had it, she nodded her head once. “Okay,” she murmured.

  “From here, imagine a string of light coming from your mind, searching for Sophie. Don’t rush. Feel it as it makes its way from your head, reaching out to find her. It might be quick or it might take a while. Either way, be patient and really feel it.”

  Jane did as he told her to do. His voice was perfect for putting her in a trance, and before she knew it, she envisioned a flexible rod come out of her head in search for any clue if Sophie was there. It went through people who did not matter—she could feel their minds, but because they weren’t the target, Jane moved on—passing over individuals on the first floor.

  “Ethan can’t get us in,” Will growled, sliding his phone in the left pocket on the inside of his jacket. “We’re going to have to sneak in.”

  Jane could barely hear him. She was still searching for Sophie.

  “How are we supposed to sneak into a military gala?” Depogare asked, though his hold on Jane was still calm and relaxed. “They’re known for being secure.”

  “I can’t find her,” Jane said, opening her eyes. She shook her head, feeling a bit dizzy. “She’s not there, at least not yet. And if she is, she’s somewhere I can’t get to.”

  “I’ll do a target, just to be sure,” Depogare said.

  Before he could even close his eyes, a twig snapped. Will didn’t even think; he lunged forward and grabbed whomever it was sneaking around this late in the park. Jane wondered why he hadn’t been able to smell the guy, but maybe Will was too distracted to give it much thought. He brought the guy over, standing behind him with his strong arms wrapped underneath the guy’s skinny ones. In the darkness, Jane couldn’t even tell where Will ended and the guy began, up until the two were almost directly in front of Jane.

  “Oh my God,” Jane murmured. She blinked once, twice, just to be sure that she wasn’t seeing things.

  No. It was really him.

  “Calvin?” she questioned, tilting her head to the side. “What are you doing here?”

  Calvin grunted and struggled against Will, but he was no match for the shifter. “Well, if this brute would let me go,” he replied, his voice strained, “perhaps I can explain.”

  “I think you can explain just fine from where you’re at,” Will said. His eyes were narrowed, and it was clear he didn’t trust the kid, even though Calvin was a student, same as Jane.

  “Mr. Johnson,” Depogare greeted, the same surprise in his tone that Jane had when she saw him.

  Now that Jane could see him more clearly, she noticed he wore a tuxedo as well, his hair combed to the side, making his big, cerulean eyes look even bigger. He might have looked handsome, if she didn’t know who he was.

  “I’m a doctor, remember?” Calvin said. “I have a doctorate. I work for the military running experiments on live technology in order to provide them with the best resources in combat zones.” He continued to struggle, but wasn’t making any headway. “I was personally invited to this gala. I’m a guest. I’m a guest.”

  Jane and Depogare turned heads and looked at each other. Jane remembered he was a doctorate; Calvin talked nonstop about how much smarter he was than every student at AckPec. The guy was some obnoxious kid genius. As improbable as it was that Calvin had been invited, it wasn’t impossible.

  “What do you think?” Will asked, directing his question to both Jane and Depogare.

  “Well,” Jane said. “He’s invited, right? Maybe he can get us in.”

  31

  The car pulled up to the hotel driveway. They arrived late, so they had to wait for the valet to finish with the cars in front of the line before it was their turn. Sophie’s spine straightened when she realized they were here, that this was real. She swallowed and craned her neck, trying to make out the hotel name or check the surroundings to see if she could at least pinpoint her location. She hadn’t been on the island for long, but maybe she would recognize something. However, from her position behind the driver’s seat, it was hard to make anything out besides a park across the street. Even then, she couldn’t make out the park’s features, and she was almost certain there was more than one park on Catalina.

  “We’re late,” Michael stated, looking out his window with hard, green eyes. “I don’t like being late.”

  Nobody responded; nobody knew what to say. Instead, they sat in a rather uncomfortable silence waiting for their turn for valet.

  Finally, the doors opened and a man in a suit escorted the two women out as Michael stepped out of the vehic
le. A ticket was handed to Dianna, who placed it in her purse. Without realizing it, Sophie’s arm was tucked underneath Michael’s, and the three began to walk in the bright entranceway together. Somewhere along the line, Dianna disappeared, but Sophie didn’t care. Her eyes were wide as she took everything in, trying to memorize it, trying to recognize it. But she couldn’t. If she had been here or heard of this place before, she most certainly would never forget it.

  The lobby was filled with bright lights, the color scheme golds and reds. The biggest chandelier Sophie had ever seen hung on the ceiling, and she had to suppress a smirk and refrain from pointing it out to Michael. It was then that she wondered how Michael fared after being crushed by the chandelier at the club. How did he recover so quickly? Did he hesitate every time he had to walk underneath one?

  People were everywhere; couples were in their fanciest clothes, drinking wine or a mixed drink, and socializing with other likeminded people. They looked at ease, relaxed, as though they didn’t have a care in the world. Their ages ranged from young adults—no one younger than eighteen or nineteen—to people in their sixties. They were all conversing together, though; age didn’t prevent people from socializing in some way. Which, to Sophie, meant that there was a purpose as to why they were here. They shared an agreed upon goal. And since this was the government and the military, it had to be some kind of technological thing.

  Waiters made their way around the room with trays of high-end finger food that Sophie had never heard before. Either way, each time she was offered something, she grabbed it. Just because she was here against her will didn’t mean she wasn’t hungry.

  Her eyes took in doors, possible escape routes. There was no dancing, no music besides a soft piano recording that was projected throughout. There was a stage set up so perhaps whoever threw this event could make some kind of speech if need be. Just off to the side of the stage was a long table filled with different baskets. Each basket had a piece of paper taped to the table in front of it, and pens were scattered out in front. It looked like an auction of sorts. Sophie furrowed her brow. Was this a fundraiser? Or was it all an act, so the hotel wouldn’t realize what this really was?

  In front of the stage, large circular tables had ten places set up, with napkins, silverware, bowls, and plates. Wine glasses were empty, but skinner chutes were filled with what appeared to be water at every place setting. The center of the table held a rather large flower piece, dark in color.

  “Come,” Michael instructed, tugging her toward the tables, “let’s find our seats.”

  They walked up to a long table with a pristine, eggshell-white tablecloth—the only rectangular shaped table in the lobby. Four women of varying race, size, and demeanor sat on chairs in front of clipboards and black dog tags on matching chains. The couple stepped into line, and because it moved fast, they didn’t have to wait for long.

  “Michael,” Michael said to the young woman. She had black hair chopped bluntly to her chin, making her naturally angled features even more so. She had dark, almond-shaped eyes—big, with long lashes—and a small chin. Sophie thought she was missing a French beret and a long cigarette. “This is Sophie Harper, my plus one.”

  The woman’s eyes shot to Sophie with wonder and a little bit of excitement. “So you’re the girl everyone’s talking about,” she murmured. She had an accent, but Sophie couldn’t tell where it was from. Possibly French. She handed Michael two pairs of dog tags. “Table two, seats seven and eight. Best seats in the place. Wear the dog tags. They let everyone know that you’ve already checked in.” She paused, still studying Sophie. “Can’t wait to see what you can do.”

  Sophie’s brow furrowed even deeper as Michael put Sophie’s tags around her neck. She barely noticed as his hands lingered on her shoulders a tad too long. “How does she know me?” she asked as he began to lead her to table two. “Does everyone know me?”

  “Everyone here knows of your capabilities,” Michael responded nonchalantly. “To say they are impressed would be an understatement.”

  “Why would you tell them who I am and what I can do?” Sophie seethed through gritted teeth, narrowing her sapphire blue eyes to ice cold crystals. “My parents abandoned me once they realized what I am. And you want to tell the US government? Are you insane?”

  “Sophie, my dear, you’re overreacting,” he sing-songed as he pulled out a chair for her. “The US Government will never abandon you. They want to know you … better than you know yourself.”

  “They don’t have that right.”

  Sophie clenched her jaw and looked away. The girl who signed them in was right, they really did have the best seats at the event. They faced the stage close up so they would see and hear everyone and everything. They weren’t too close where they only saw a portion of the stage, either. They had a view of the entire thing. She shook her head, not pleased. This was only because of what she was, what she could do for these people, not because of who she was as a person.

  “I disagree,” Michael said, leaning toward her so only Sophie could hear. To anyone else, they looked like lovers. Except for the part where Michael made Sophie gag inwardly. “As peculiars—especially we, as physicals—have a responsibility to our species to provide answers to science. They have a right to study us, to figure out our DNA structure, our chemistry, our biology, in order to figure out why we’re born and how we’re made.”

  “You’re crazy,” Sophie muttered, shaking her head. “I don’t owe anyone anything.”

  “You’re telling me you have absolutely no questions about being a physical?” he asked, his voice doubtful, his gaze unflinching. “You, born to two human parents who would rather get rid of their only child than accept their daughter is different. You wouldn’t want to know why you were born with your ability, and why you were born a physical? You wouldn’t want to know the odds of you being physical versus a mental or a shifter? You wouldn’t want to know the most common peculiar?”

  “Of course that sounds fascinating,” Sophie replied, “but not at the expense of my personal choice.”

  Michael looked like he was about to respond, to continue his lecture, but the lights dimmed. A man in a general’s uniform walked out on stage to the podium and gripped the sides with both hands. He did not yet speak; instead, he waited for everyone to get to their seats and quiet down. As they did so, Sophie took the time to study the man. He was an older gentleman, probably in his fifties, with greying hair buzzed short and tan skin. She couldn’t quite make out the color of his eyes due to the dim lighting and where he stood. He was bulky—it appeared that at one point in his career he had been fit, but not anymore, though he wasn’t fat, either—and everything about him looked as though it had its place. Meaning, there was nothing on his person that didn’t serve some sort of purpose. Sophie felt herself straighten at the sight of him, which was probably common. He had perfect posture and an unwavering gaze; he commanded attention and expected nothing less.

  Once the room had quieted, he stepped back to the podium. From Sophie’s seat, she couldn’t make out if he had cards or not, but even if he did, his eyes were focused outwards, on the attendees rather than the notecards.

  “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “My name is General Titus William Arbuckle, of the United States Army. I’m a three-star general, recipient of the purple heart and many other accolades. I’ve fought in the Cold War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and, most recently, in Afghanistan. I hate fighting, but I love my country, and I’ll keep fighting for as long as they’ll have me.”

  The general’s voice was low and raw, and Sophie felt herself clap along with everyone else at his introduction. She couldn’t help it, she was intrigued.

  “Today, I want to talk to you about peculiars,” he began, and Sophie was surprised that he had no problem jumping right into it. No small talk or beating around the bush for this guy. “You’ve probably never heard of ’em. That’s just fine. They don’t want you to know about ’em. They’re a secret species,
evolved from our very own human DNA. They look like me and you, humans, which makes them even deadlier than they already are. It’s why I like ’em so much; they hide in plain sight.” His eyes—they were blue, Sophie realized, a crystal blue, like the sky—seemed to linger on both she and Michael a second longer than was necessary.

  He started off telling every single person in the room about peculiars—what they were, who they were, what powers they had. There were certain powers Sophie didn’t even know about, like healing and being able to both read minds and move object with her thoughts, on top of the powers she learned at the academy. The general went on about peculiars and their education, how there were only two schools that specialized in training them in the entire world, and one of them was on this island. He spoke about Ethan and what an intelligent and potentially dangerous peculiar he was. Apparently, he had no idea what power Ethan possessed—Sophie wasn’t sure if anyone did, to be honest—but he knew that Ethan was someone watch.

  Apparently, the guy wasn’t a fighter. He was a thinker.

  “Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how I know this and, more importantly, if this stuff is even true,” he said. “There are a select few peculiars who recognize just how important their DNA is to the human race. Not only do they want to research it, but they want to see how they, too, can help their country. They want to step out of the shadows and into the light. They want to be scientists, patriots, and friends. Hell, one of ’em is a doctor!” The crowd chuckled politely, but not Sophie. “I’d like to introduce them all to you. My words won’t help you realize the gravity of what they can do. I want them to show you.”

  He looked back over at Michael and curled his index and middle fingers, beckoning him forward. Without hesitation, Michael stood and before Sophie could even protest, he grabbed her arm and yanked her up with him. From the crowd, Dianna appeared, and the guy who brought in her tray of cucumber sandwiches.