They'd arrived at the two side by side apartments this afternoon. She knew Jeremy would come in any moment, but she'd been unable to do anything but collapse on the bed. She was going to be a mom in eight months. A tear slid down her cheek. How could she bring a child into her dangerous world?
Jeremy opened the door to their room, took one look at her face, and closed the door behind him. He stretched out beside her on the bed. Before taking the test from her hand, he glanced at the little plus sign, then set the test on the bedside table.
Camille met his serious blue eyes. "This is all my fault."
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. “I recall being a more than willing accomplice.”
Camille’s answering smile was weak. “I’m serious. If I’d taken the stupid pill when I was supposed to, this wouldn’t have happened.”
He brushed her hair back from her face. "You told me the first time I showed you our house that you'd dreamed of having a home like it and a family to raise in it." He searched her damp gaze. "Has that changed?"
"It was the dream for a normal girl, not a Shine. How can we risk bringing a child into our world?"
He smiled down at her. "Apparently, someone thinks this is the perfect time." His smile vanished. "Unless you don't want—"
Camille gasped and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I could never—" she stuttered.
He closed his eyes, the relief evident in the breath he released. "I was afraid you didn't want our baby."
"How could I destroy a part of us?” she asked him. “Yes, I wish it hadn't happened quite so soon, but I want this baby." She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. "I'm just so afraid."
"So am I," he whispered.
Knocking sounded at the door, and Jeremy reached to tuck the pregnancy test under the edge of the sheet.
"Come in," Camille called.
Sophia opened the door. "I've called my cousin and let her know we're here. She wants to visit."
Camille sat up. "When?"
"I invited her over for lunch. I only told her about the four staying in my flat. She knows nothing about you, Brenna, Rachel, Jeremy, or even this second flat."
Camille nodded. "I'll keep us hidden, but Jeremy and I will be in your flat during the meet. Did she say whether anyone would be with her?"
"Yes, she's bringing a friend."
Jeremy got to his feet and pulled Camille up next to him. "How long ago did you talk to your cousin?"
"Two minutes ago. Why?" the Russian-born Shine asked.
Jeremy frowned. "Because they'll have eyes on your place within the next eight minutes. Your cousin is Shine and she knows you and your friends are as well. The organization will keep an eye on everything you do for the rest of the time you're here. They'll probably get someone inside your place as soon as possible to get eyes and ears inside." He stared thoughtfully across the room. "I'd be surprised if they don't try to plant something while they're visiting for lunch today."
Camille shoved a hand through her hair. "Okay, warn the others about saying anything about the rest of us while in your apartment. We'll have all meetings here."
The two hours before Sophia's cousin arrived were spent making sure the second flat had nothing that could connect the four other Shines to Camille and those in her apartment. By the time the two Russians arrived, Sophia and the other three Shines had lunch ready. Camille and Jeremy stood leaning against the living room wall, hidden by Camille's Shine.
"Don't give away anything about your abilities or Ohm. We don't know for sure if this is the haven we're looking for or some type of gilded cage," Camille said.
The four Shines nodded. Someone knocked on the door. Camille leaned back into Jeremy's arms, her Shine hiding them instantly from anyone who entered.
V, Daisy, and Karen sat at the kitchen's breakfast bar when Sophia opened the door. Two women waited on the other side, in the typical non-smiling Russian fashion.
Sophia smiled at the woman with light brown hair and big blue eyes. "Agne, it's so good to finally see you again."
Sophia's cousin gave Sophia an answering smile. "Hello, cousin. It is good to see you," she said in thickly accented English. Switching to Russian, she tipped her head toward the taller, blonde woman she'd brought with her. "This is Elena."
Camille noticed Sophia's cousin didn't refer to the woman as a friend. She made a note to ask Sophia if that was normal or a purposeful oversight.
Sophia shut the door behind the two and gestured toward the other three Shines the two women could see. "These are my friends V, Kara, and Dasia. Everyone, this is my cousin, Agne."
The Americans smiled. The Russians nodded.
"Come, sit. We've prepared homemade pizza and salad for lunch. I hope you're both hungry," Sophia said in Russian.
Agne presented Sophia a tin of cookies. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Sophia took the gift with a smile. The Russians sat at the table while the American's placed the food and a pot of tea on the table.
Once everyone sat, Sophia's cousin looked around at the group. "Sophia tells me that life has become too dangerous for you to stay in your home country. While I am sorry your country does not value you, I am happy to tell you that Russia is everything you're hoping it is. My people not only embrace us, but they train and care for us as well."
Agne's eyes glowed with fervent belief in Russia's program while her companion, Elena, closely studied each of the American Shines.
Karen leaned forward, her expression so hope-filled it broke Camille's heart. "You're allowed to come and go as you please? Live normal lives?"
Agnes smiled softly at Karen. "Our lives are more like soldiers than civilians. We have training, rules, and expectations. However, we are allotted free time. I like to occasionally see a play with friends or meet for coffee. Some like to shop, while others enjoy more physical activities like hockey, soccer, or basketball."
What if you decided you didn't want to be part of their organization? Camille wondered.
Daisy glanced at her, then back at the two women. "And if we decide we want to return home and help fight for other Shines, will we be allowed to?"
Elena's indecipherable gaze focused on Daisy, her eyes narrowing. Camille wondered what the Russian woman was thinking. Daisy nodded, letting Camille know she was listening in.
Agne nodded. "You'll be required to finish the training and pass a test to show proficiency and control, but then you'll be allowed to return home, if you should so choose."
Elena spoke for the first time. "As Americans, your training will not include anything sensitive until after you've committed to staying in Russia and given up your American citizenship."
Daisy nodded. "What happens to those who don't pass the test?"
"You stay in the training program until you can pass," Elena said. "There are always a few who need extra training. Once a recruit passes, if they want to leave, they are assisted in doing so."
Daisy frowned as if she didn't like what she heard amid Elena's thoughts. Camille struggled to keep an open mind, but she found it difficult to believe that any government would let a woman with Shine abilities go after they'd spent time and money training her to be a weapon, no matter what Agne seemed to believe.
Karen continued to pepper them with questions about the Shine's activities and life in Russian. The Russians couldn't help but notice the red headed Shine's eagerness to believe in the dream of a peaceful lifestyle they fed her.
While Agne answered Karen’s questions, Elaina stood and looked around. Though Agne's eyes flickered toward her companion, the rest of the group acted like they didn't notice her. Camille glanced at Jeremy and muttered under her breath. "Are you seeing this?"
Jeremy loosened his tight hold on Camille's arm and nodded.
As if she'd heard Camille and Jeremy's thoughts, Daisy's head jerked, but continued to face Agne. The blond haired Russian Shine noticed Daisy's twitch and snapped her fingers near Daisy's face. The othe
r Shine didn't look away from Agne. When Daisy didn't move again, Elena took something from her pocket, then ran her hand over the vase of flowers in the center of the table. She quickly rifled through each of the bags hanging on the hooks by the door and took pictures of each passport and I.D.
When finished, she moved silently down the hallway. Camille followed. The Russian Shine looked over her shoulder, then went into the first bedroom. She picked up a pair of Google glasses sitting on one bedside table and stuck something to it. Then she opened each drawer and even felt each piece of clothing hanging in the bureau. She stuck another of what Camille assumed was a listening device on the bedside lamp then moved to the next room. After she'd bugged the second bedroom and the bathroom, the Russian Shine returned to her seat next to Agne. Daisy glanced at Camille then returned her attention to the conversation. Camille leaned against Jeremy.
"What kinds of missions are you sent on?" Karen asked.
Agne shrugged. "It depends on the abilities within each unit. I can control the hormones secreted by the adrenal glands allowing me to control a person's stress, blood pressure, and adrenaline so I'm assigned to a medical unit."
Karen's eyes widened. "Your government allows you to use your abilities to contribute to society?"
Agne looked away. "Of course. We are an asset to our country."
Daisy frowned and glanced toward Camille as Elena lifted her lips in a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"You will each be assigned to a unit that best matches your abilities." She nodded toward Karen. "If you'll each tell me your abilities, I'll tell you what unit you'll most likely be assigned to."
Camille pulled away from Jeremy and shook her head while thinking hard at Daisy.
The telepathic Shine placed a hand on Karen's arm as she opened her mouth to answer and shook her head. Karen's brow wrinkled in confusion.
Daisy met Elena's indecipherable gaze. "You have both given us so much to think about. Please let us talk among ourselves and get back to you with our decision."
Elena nodded her head and pulled out a business card. "We can give you a tour of the Shine training facility if it would help you make your decision." She slid the card across the table to Karen. "Just call this number when you're ready."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Camille grimaced as the bitter green tea slid down her throat and eyed Rachel's coffee with envy. This was going to be the longest nine months of her life.
Rachel put her arm protectively around her coffee. "Mine."
Camille stuck her tongue out at her friend. Rachel had come with her to see Jeremy to the train station. He'd needed to meet with a contact in Moscow and would be gone for the next four days. Eager to explore Izhevsk, they'd looked up restaurants and found this little cafe near the city center.
"What are we going to do about Karen?"
Rachel ran a hand through her hair. "Knock her over the head and stuff her in a suitcase back to the U.S.?"
Camille rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure that'll work."
"What do you want me to say? The idiot woman wants to hide from the violence so badly she's willing to ignore all the signs that Russia is even worse than the U.S.," Rachel growled.
Camille sighed. "We can't let her stay. Something is going on with the Russian Shine and I couldn't leave her here knowing whatever it is could happen to her."
"You may not have a choice," Rachel said. "She's a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions."
Camille softly slapped her hand on the table. "I have to try to make her see." She tossed some rubles on the table and stood. "Come on. Might as well go get this over with."
Rachel rolled her eyes and stood.
Camille turned to leave. A blonde woman paused on her way out the door and looked over her shoulder, meeting Camille's gaze.
"Rachel—" she gasped.
Rachel pushed her forward. "I see her. Let's go."
They hurried out of the cafe and caught a flash of white blonde hair moving toward the city center park and the lake the people of Izhevsk referred to as the Pond. They lost sight of her behind a group of tourists who'd stopped to take photos in front of St. Michael’s Cathedral.
Though the cathedral with its iconic Russian revival styled domes and tent like roof was on their destinations for the day, they hurried around the tourists to continue their chase.
At the next intersection, Camille slowed to a stop and looked around. A trolley rumbled past, the breeze ruffled the tall trees that lined the street, and tourists snapped photos of the surrounding buildings, but the blonde was nowhere in sight.
"She knows something," Camille muttered.
Rachel kicked a rock. "What now?"
Camille checked the map they’d bought, marked with the tourist attractions they’d wanted to see. “We might as well check out St. Michael’s since we’re here.”
They returned back along the tree lined sidewalk. A voice reached them from the shade of thick vegetation across from the cathedral.
"Turn and pretend to look at St. Michael’s. You're being followed."
Camille pulled her tablet from her bag and held it up to take a photo of the cathedral.
Rachel pulled their map from her own bag. "How do you know? And who are you? And how is it that you always seem to know where to find us?"
"Keeping others like us from the mafia or rear med scientists is what I do," she said dryly. "My name is Svetlana and just like the mafia and the rear meds, I took the information from the GEIV database."
"So you’re part of the Shine resistance here in Russia?"
The woman laughed. "Such as it is."
Camille showed Rachel the picture she'd taken. "Your Russian mafia hasn't messed with us since the night you helped us out. And we've seen nothing of these rear med scientists you mentioned."
"Your team let two of them into one of your flats yesterday," the woman spat.
"The rear med scientists are a government organization?" Camille asked.
"Yes. They lure our kind in with promises of food, shelter, training and security, then if we don't follow their orders, they use us for experiments and their breeding program. The normal life they give their soldiers is an illusion that vanishes if any show to have a different opinion."
Camille placed a hand on her stomach. "Breeding program?"
The woman's voice lowered. "They want to breed and brainwash the next generation of our kind to be soldiers completely under their control."
Camille put her tablet back into her bag. "One of those who visited is related to one of my team that they visited yesterday. They tried to convince them to join them. Of course, they didn't mention any of this. What are you doing to free those like us who are stuck in their labs?"
"That's none of your concern, American."
Camille shrugged. "Four of my team have been invited to tour their training facilities. Seems like that'd be a perfect opportunity to run any mission to free those being kept against their wills."
The Russian was quiet behind them. Just as Camille was trying to decide if she'd turn around and look, the woman spoke.
"We'll consider it."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Camille wished Jeremy was here for support, but she couldn't push this meeting off another day. Karen had been insisting she call and schedule the tour at the training facility since they'd returned the evening before. She'd pushed off this meeting, hoping that Svetlana would contact her about using their tour to save some of the Shines trapped inside, but no dice. She sighed.
A knock sounded at the door. Sophia flashed into the living room. Brenna opened the door and ushered the other three Shine inside. She smiled at her team as they took seats around the dining room table.
"It's time, ladies." She gestured to the covered white board sitting on the easel behind her. "I've laid out everything we've learned about the Russian Shine situation. We'll go over everything together and then decide what we do next."
She nodded at Brenna who stood and
pulled off the sheet covering the board. She studied her team's expressions. Sophia's eyebrows were raised in surprise, V nervously chewed her lip, Daisy hugged herself tight. Karen's excited expression turned into a deep scowl, her jaw jutting stubbornly the more she read. Camille caught and held her gaze, silently willing the other Shine to see reason.
When Karen pressed her lips together, Camille sighed. "Yesterday, we ran into the blonde Shine from the airport. Her group does the same that Ohm does in the U.S. She is the source for much of the information we now have." She looked at Sophia. "I believe that your cousin has bought their story hook, line, and sinker. Elena knows the truth. I wouldn't be surprised to discover she is part of a more clandestine team unquestionably loyal to the goals of the rear med scientists."
"Though it pains me to admit it, I must acknowledge the truth of what you say," Sophia said.
Karen glared around table. "How do you know you can trust this woman? For all we know, she could be working for the Russian mafia in a bid for control of Russian Shines and wants us out of the way."
The other team members shot sympathetic looks at Karen. Her cheeks flushed red and her scowl deepened.
Camille leaned forward. "If the mafia wanted control of Shines why would they simply let us go home? Why wouldn't they take us and do exactly what our enemies in the States are doing?" She slapped her hand on the table. "I wanted this place to be the haven you hoped it was, Karen. I came to make sure you were safe. I did it because I care for your well-being. I've put our entire team in danger so that you can see for certain that this place isn't what you hoped."
Karen stood. "You think my wanting to come here was an act of cowardice. I see the way you three look at those of us who want to stay?" The red faced Shine swept a hand out to encompass her, Brenna, and Rachel. "You'd make up anything so that we'd come back with you."
The rest of the team sat in stunned silence as Karen grabbed her shoulder bag and whirled to slam out the apartment's door. Camille racked her mind, trying to remember any time she'd given the impression that she thought less of those wishing to stay.
Shine: Season One (Shine Season Book 1) Page 106