by Pam Eaton
“Is Ania down here?” I whisper.
He shakes his head no, and I motion for him to join me in the pantry. He walks inside, but still looks wary.
“I need to get out of here. We’ve been trapped like rats for weeks and I am going crazy. Gregory and Ania might be accustomed to this type of hermit lifestyle, but we aren’t. What could be the harm?” Wow, I’m probably going to jinx this whole thing…nah.
“Do you want to come with me?” I ask him.
His eyes widen, but then he leans against the wall and his lips quirk. I’ve got his interest. “Where do you plan on going? We’re in the middle of nowhere. How do you even plan on getting there?”
“Wait here,” I say.
I race up the stairs to my room. I grab the bag on the window seat and race back down to him.
I pull out a map of the area. His eyebrows shoot to his hairline. “Yeah, I know. I found it inside the window seat in my room.”
We’re only about five miles from a town. I pull out the keys to a dirt bike I found in the shed out back. I’ve definitely been planning for days. “There’s a bar, and granted, I’m not old enough to drink or anything, but maybe they have pool, music, a soda. I’ll take anything right now.”
He rubs his jaw for a moment. “All right, I’ll go, but you do realize that we’re probably going to get caught?”
I jump up and hug him, almost knocking him to the ground.
“Where did you get those keys from?”
“Out in the shed. There’s a dirt bike there for emergencies. I figure we can push it until we’re far enough away so it won’t be too loud. I don’t care if we get caught. I’m tired of being trapped here. I had more freedom at my prep school. We better hurry up and go before we can’t.”
We slip out the front door and head out back. I take the keys from my pocket and unlock the shed. We grab the bike and start pushing it down the dirt road we originally came in on. After about fifteen minutes, I stop, panting, and turn toward him. “I think you should drive since you’ve got the super eyes,” I say, still whispering.
He puffs his chest out. “Hop on and hold on tight.”
We speed down the road, making my legs and arms grip him tighter. The wind whips fiercely at my face and hair. We really should have considered helmets, but it’s too late for that now. Luckily he can see where we’re going, because I’m completely blind. Ahead of us is darkness and behind is a faint sight of the cabin. I rest my face on his back to block the wind.
We hit pavement, and street lights illuminate our path. It’s only about another twenty minutes before we pull into the parking lot of the bar.
The bar is totally run down. It reminds me of the cabin, old and wooden, but the sound coming from inside tells me that it’s a full house. I really could care less at this point what it looks like; it’s civilization. Tony hops off and frowns at the sight of it. “Are you sure you want to go in there?” he asks.
I throw a teasing smile over my shoulder as I saunter in. “Yes. Stop being a pansy and let’s go.”
When we open the door, I’m pretty sure everyone in the bar stares at us. I’ll just pretend not to notice. To my surprise, there are pool tables and even a jukebox in the corner playing tunes. I love this song. “What do you want to do first? Because I want to dance.” I point to the crowded dance floor.
Tony just stares at me like I’ve asked him to punch some guy in the face. I know I totally don’t look like someone who would want to dance. “Are you serious?” he asks.
“Yes! I guess I can dance by myself, but come on, this is a great song.”
He reluctantly gives in, but I suspect it’s only because we’re not the only ones. As the music flows, I’m surprised that he actually dances. I laugh, not at him, but from the pure enjoyment of feeling normal for once. He laughs along with me.
Before we know it, a couple of guys get uncomfortably close to me. Tony notices and leads me away. I mouth the words thank you and he smiles. We don’t need any problems tonight. This is the first time we’ve really let loose around one another. Everything back at the cabin revolves around training and secrecy.
After a couple more songs, he excuses himself to go to the restroom and I take the chance to grab a Coke from the bar. When I sit down on a stool, the vacant one next to me is immediately filled by a man in his late twenties. He’s got a scruffy face, a little ragged in the clothes department, but otherwise cute. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asks.
“Oh, I was just getting a Coke.”
“Well then, let me get you one.” He winks. I didn’t think people still winked.
He walks to the end of the bar where the bartender is and orders.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” he asks when he gets back with our drinks.
Really, he’s using one of the corniest pick-up lines ever, but maybe he’s nervous. I can let it slide. “No, just passing through.”
I take a sip of my drink and it’s extremely sweet. “In college?” he asks.
“No, uh, just taking a break from school.” It’s not really a lie, but what am I going to tell him, that I work for a covert government agency and I have powers? That wouldn’t go over well, plus it’s a little fun to pretend to be someone else.
The guy—apparently his name is Zack and he’s a local—is chatty. Several minutes go by of him talking about his job, his truck, his dog. Every. Freaking. Thing. I know more about this guy than my best friend from elementary school.
I turn from him for a moment, searching for Tony. He’s playing pool, not bothering to watch me. His gaze is planted firmly on the beautiful blonde playing at his table. For some reason I’m not surprised.
I’m finishing my Coke and still talking with the stranger, but I’m starting to feel weird. Like fuzzy and light. “Is there something wrong with this soda?” I ask.
Zack smiles and a troubled feeling goes through me. I don’t like his smile; there’s something wrong with it. “It’s just a Coke, sweetheart,” he says with a thick drawl.
I blink my eyes to get them to focus, but it just causes me to stumble off the stool. The room starts to spin and things seem to be teetering like a seesaw. He puts my arms around him and I can’t quite make out what he’s saying, but we’re heading for the door. “No,” I try to say, but actually slur the word.
He laughs at someone and says, “She just had too much. I’m going get my girl home.”
His girl? What?
We reach the parking lot and I’m panicking, but the spinning won’t stop. “I’ve got to get back inside to my friend Tony,” I manage to say.
His grip around my waist tightens. He leans in and sneers at me. “No, you don’t. I’m going to take care of you.”
Awful thoughts begin running through my mind. I need to get away. I want to run, but my legs won’t work. Did he put something in my drink? I try pushing myself off of him, but he has a tight grip on me. Now would be an awesome time for me to transport. But whatever is affecting my body isn’t even allowing me to flicker.
He pushes me up against a truck and a sharp pain rushes up my back. His face hovers right above mine and I can smell the rankness coming off of him. He forces his lips to mine, and I manage to shove him in the shoulders. He slaps me hard across the face, making me fall to the ground. He bends down and grabs me by my arm, forcing me up against the truck. Just as he opens the door and tries to get me inside, Tony finally comes running out. Zack shoves me hard into the driver’s seat. “Hey, where do you think you’re going with her?” Tony shouts.
“Sorry, man, she’s coming home with me,” Zack answers.
“I don’t think so. She’s seventeen. I came with her and I’m leaving with her.” Tony gets right up in his face.
Suddenly I hear a car horn honking close by. I crawl over to the passenger side and manage to get the other door open and fall out onto the pavement. From the ground, I see Gregory coming over to me. He scoops me up and carries me to the car. Before he puts me in the back se
at, I see Ania getting in between Tony and Zack. When Zack goes to throw a punch at Tony, she blocks it and knocks him on the back of the head. He slumps to the ground, unconscious. She picks him up and tosses him into the truck like he’s nothing more than a sack of groceries. Then she takes his keys and chucks them far into the woods. Gregory lays me in the back seat, climbing in beside me as Ania gets in behind the wheel. “What were you thinking?” Ania screeches.
“I just wanted a soda and maybe dance. Where’s Tony?” I mumble.
“He’s driving the dirt bike. But honestly, what was going through that head of yours?” Huh, she sounds mad.
“I wanted to…why is there water coming out of my face?” I swipe at my cheeks.
“You’re crying,” Gregory tells me.
“But why?”
“Probably because you’re drunk. And I think he slipped you something.”
Oooooh, he’s pissed.
“Of course I am,” Gregory says. Guess I said that out loud.
“Hey, can you tell whoever is whining to shut up?” I ask. It’s freaking annoying.
A bark of laughter slips out of Gregory’s mouth.
“I’ll try,” he tells me.
“Good, because they’re being super dramatic.”
“Maybe she just wanted to dance too,” he says.
“Ania?” I ask.
“No, not Ania. Just close your eyes. You’re going to be feeling really bad in a couple of hours. But I need you to sleep. You’re flickering.” The last part is barely a whisper.
Before I pass out, all I’m able to get out is a mumbled laugh as I say “Flicker.” Such a fun word.
The tile of the bathroom floor is freezing, but it feels great against my skin and head. If only the room would stop spinning and my stomach would decide it’s already emptied itself. Four times seems plenty enough to me.
There’s a knock at the door and Gregory lets himself in. He grabs a washcloth and towel from the linen closet and then soaks the washcloth in the sink. He places the towel on the ground. “Here, lay your head down on the towel.”
I do as he says, then watch as he wrings out the excess water from the washcloth and sits beside me on the floor. He brushes the hair back from my forehead and lays the cold, damp cloth on my head. “Still happy that you got to dance?” he asks.
I do my best to smile, but it quickly turns into a grimace. Facial movement is making this headache worse. “That part was at least fun,” I reply.
He frowns at my answer. “Tonight could have ended differently. It could have been a lot worse, and I’m sure you know that. But why sneak out?” His disappointment is like a living thing, filling the space between us.
I lie there, completely ashamed. I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal, but I was wrong. “I’m not usually the rebellious type.” My stomach lurches and I close my mouth.
False alarm.
“I had a lot of freedom by my grandparents. It’s just that I was going crazy here. I needed to get out.”
He flips the cloth over so the cooler side is now on my forehead. “Do you trust me?”
I manage to sit up and stare at him straight in the eyes. Do I trust him? Why wouldn’t I trust him? He’s never given me any reason not to, except I still don’t know what his power is. I wish I knew how he felt about me. Sometimes he seems to care for me, more than just being my mentor, but other times he pulls back.
His gaze seems more intense. “What would have happened if you’d revealed yourself at the bar tonight? What if your emotions had gotten the best of you and you began to flicker?”
I hadn’t really given it that much thought.
“Sometimes the decisions we have to make aren’t always what we want, but it’s important to look at the bigger picture. It’s like chess; you need to look a couple of moves ahead before you make that first move.”
I laugh at the chess reference. My laugh is quickly stopped as my stomach begins to gurgle. His facial expression seems to relax a little bit. “Okay, I know the chess reference is a little nerdy, but it makes my point.”
It did make his point clear, and just because I’m seventeen doesn’t mean I’m dumb. “I trust you, Gregory, but you’re already hiding things from me. That makes it hard to completely trust you.”
His eyes look toward the floor. “I am hiding things from you, but only because I have to right now.”
His honesty is refreshing, but at the same time I feel so unsure. He gets up and walks over to the medicine cabinet. He pulls out a bottle of aspirin and a bottle of Tums. “Here, you’re going to need these,” he says and tosses me the bottles.
“I’m sorry for disappointing you,” I say with my eyes downcast.
He stops at the door before leaving, but doesn’t turn back to face me. “I was disappointed in the situation, but not you. Never you.” My heart beats wildly at his words.
I smile at the door, even after he’s closed it. I lie back down on the cold floor with the towel as my pillow and drift off to sleep.
Nineteen
Waking up on a bathroom floor sucks. As I try and pull myself together, I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Not only do I have the octagonal imprint of tile on my face, but my hair looks like a rat’s nest, and my eyeliner has smudged, giving me that lovely raccoon look. I wonder if I looked this awful last night when Gregory came in. I can only guess that I smell just as pleasant.
After a long, hot shower, I make my way downstairs to the kitchen. I need something to keep this queasy feeling in my stomach at bay. I stumble down the stairs and grab on to the railing for support. Tony peeks his head around the corner from the kitchen. “Morning, sunshine!” he says, sounding way too chipper.
I try to smile, but all I can get out is a pained grimace. The kitchen table is filled with pancakes, bacon, and some fresh fruit. “What’s with the spread?” I ask.
Tony goes back over to the stove to finish cooking some eggs. “Thought you might want some pancakes to help sop up whatever is still left in your stomach.”
“Oh…well, thank you.” He shoots me a corny smile in response. “Hey, Tony, I’m sorry about last night.” My voice catches, but only slightly. “Never in a million years did I think anything would happen. I’m sorry if I put you in a rough spot.”
His whole body changes and that carefree expression is gone as his eyes roam my face. “Don’t worry about it.” His eyes study me.
“You’re safe. You’re safe.” He says it twice like he needs to remind himself as well as me.
He shakes himself, and his body goes back to his usual relaxed posture. “I got to watch Ania knock some guy out, and at least you got to have some fun. Not to mention, you got to experience my awesome dance moves.”
I give him a small smile. We did have fun before that creep Zack crashed our party. The memory of his cracked lips sends a wave of deep revulsion through me. I let out a slow, steady breath. Nothing else happened. I’m okay. Maybe if I tell myself that ten more times, I’ll believe it.
We shouldn’t have been there in the first place. “Yeah, but it was a bad move on my part to have you sneak out with me.”
He gives a little shrug. “You gotta live a little. Life would be boring if we didn’t.”
Gregory comes around the corner, stopping next to me. “And that’s why you’re not going to be a mentor for a long time. Good morning to both of you.”
Gregory’s entrance catches both of us by surprise, but Tony’s eyes flash in annoyance. “I don’t want to be a mentor, because then I’d have to become boring, lame, and basically worthless.”
The tension in the room skyrockets along with their over-inflated egos. This could get out of hand real quick. “Now, boys, play nice,” I say, trying to defuse the bomb.
Gregory keeps his eyes locked on Tony’s for a moment longer, but then he nudges me. “Are you feeling any better?”
“Well, my stomach is a bit more settled, but I feel like an idiot.”
Tony puts a plate i
n my hands and then pushes me toward the table. Ania joins us in the kitchen. “Well, how is our little damsel in distress doing this morning?” she asks.
I plop my head on top of the table. “I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
Everyone laughs.
Gregory’s cell rings inside his pocket, and the smile on his face quickly disappears. He leaves the table and answers it. He nods his head to whatever is being said. “We’ll be there by tonight,” he says, then hangs up the phone.
We all stare at him, waiting for some type of explanation. He rubs his temples and then says, “Becca, finish your food and then go get a bag. Pack enough for a week. That was Mr. Smith. We need to return to headquarters immediately.”
“Should I go pack a bag too?” Tony asks.
“No, just Becca and I will be going. You’re going to stay here with Ania and work more on your combat skills.”
Tony crosses his arms over his chest and glares at Gregory, but there’s nothing he can really do about it. I stuff some food into my mouth and then head upstairs to grab my things. Why do I need to go? Could Mr. Smith know about last night? There’s no way, though; it just happened, and I doubt anyone here told him.
I race down the stairs and Gregory’s waiting for me at the door. Ania and Tony are still sitting at the kitchen table. “Hopefully we’ll see you guys soon,” Ania says. “Be good and don’t get into any more trouble.” I wave goodbye and walk out the door.
The car ride back is a lot longer than I remember, probably because last time I slept for most of it. It also doesn’t help that Gregory hasn’t said a word since we left. He just keeps tapping the steering wheel. “So…can you tell me why we’re going back to headquarters suddenly?”
I can see him debating with himself before he finally answers. “Mr. Smith knows about last night and he’s pissed.”
“How is that even possible? It happened less than twenty-four hours ago. Did you call him?”
“No. He’s been having the police scanner monitored. The bar owner called the cops after he realized you left with Zack. Apparently this isn’t the first time he’s walked out with a drunk girl. But it wasn’t just the bar owner.”