by Alana Siegel
The nerdy man next to us let out a haunted scream as the loading icon disappeared from his iPad and the same picture of me took its place. We must have regained cell service once we came aboveground.
“Look! Meta agents!” Lynn cried, nodding toward the car behind us. Pandemonium ensued. We had to get out of there fast.
* * * *
Chapter Twenty-Two: Rush of Danger
We hustled through the train cars, leaving havoc, colors, and scents in our wake. Each door we opened caused more panic among the passengers, and each door we closed couldn't keep out our pursuers.
Finally, the train stopped in the Bart station, and it couldn't have been soon enough. We had reached the last car. Chelsea and Lynn disappeared, but I could follow their trail as they pushed passengers out of the way and left the scent of vanilla and apples.
The automatic doors opened and we burst onto the platform. I gasped. What I saw was even more horrifying than on the train. The most technologically-savvy city in the world flashed my face everywhere. Warning signs were ubiquitous: as advertisements on the sides of buses, in the hands of every iPhone owner, on the storefronts of coffee shops.
Justin went into high security mode. “Come on,” he ordered and grasped me by the elbow. The rest of our crew followed as we hiked up the cement hill in front of us.
“She's here!”
“That's her!”
“The female Elste!”
Morning joggers, finance professionals, and dog walkers pointed out their worst fears. It wasn't long before three Meta agents on bikes appeared at the bottom of the hill.
“This way,” Justin commanded. We had reached a plateau halfway up. The streetlights glistened off an empty cable car's shiny maroon paint. He jumped on board and grabbed hold of the four-foot gearshift. It was wedged into the metal below.
I looked over my shoulder. The agents were swift on their bikes, closing in on the space between us. Out of breath, we all followed Justin onto the car without question. With one royal blue Gifted yank of the gearshift, the car tilted towards the edge of the plateau. There was a terrible screeching sound as the metal cables ground against each other.
“Hold on tight,” Justin told us. My knuckles were white around the pole. I looked down the hill to see the agents fast approaching.
“Let's go!” Carly screamed. Her skin was unnaturally pale.
The car hit the tipping point, and the nose dipped down. There was no looking back. The wind picked up and whipped my hair behind me.
The Meta agents jammed on their brakes. The closest one reached out as the car passed them on the hill. Chelsea kicked him in the chest, and he tumbled backward.
Justin's teeth were clenched as he pulled on the only mechanism that kept the cable car from going out of control. The car fought back, letting out an awful noise that sounded like a dying whale. I was sure the whole city would wake up.
I looked behind us, and the three agents were back on their bikes. There was a slight turn around a grassy knoll. “We gotta get off!” I yelled. “Jump!” We all leaped and rolled.
“Keep moving,” Lynn urged. I scurried to my feet and pushed forward, not sure which way was safe. A double-decker red tour bus rounded the corner.
“On here,” Luca announced and sprinted to the open bus door. A lone driver was sitting sleepily in the driver's seat. He glanced at Luca through heavy lidded eyes. A puff of purple air burst around Luca. “Take us to the Golden Gate Bridge,” Luca insisted, and we all piled on.
The agents rode their bikes across the grassy knoll, and were hot on our tail. “Get moving!” Luca commanded the driver. Under Luca's trance, he complied without saying a word.
I sat with my head turned to look out the window. The Meta agents were well trained. They managed to follow the bus, even as it ran red lights and cut through intersections.
I could see the orange red cables of the bridge glowing eerily from the moon's reflection off the fog. If we made it to the other side, I didn't know where we would go, but a bus out of the Meta-swarmed city was the best idea.
My heart vibrated in my chest as I sat. I felt so helpless. The surrounding hills closed in on the highway, and the claustrophobia made it hard to breath. It felt like it took hours when it was only minutes until we reached the bridge.
A tart smell filled our vehicle. I looked at Justin, quizzically. His face turned deep red like he was going to be sick. The bus spun out of control as the driver pulled the emergency break in the middle of the empty bridge.
“It's a mulberry elixir mist!” Justin said in horror.
“Get back here!” Luca shouted as the driver, no longer controlled by Luca's charm, sprinted out the door and away from the bus.
“Luca! You're not wearing your Gifted gear!” Lynn scolded. “Your Gift stopped working when we got on to the bridge.”
Gusts of red tinted air was released from pipes on the side of the road. No wonder the bridge was empty. The Meta had setup the mulberry elixir to catch Gifted from escaping the city. We were sitting ducks.
“The Meta agents are still following us!” Chelsea announced. We all looked out the back window. “What do we do?”
The agents pedaled with fury. There was nowhere left to run. I grabbed Justin's hand. He returned my mournful gaze as if this was the end.
Suddenly, the ground started shaking. We were thrown around, violently, inside the bus.
“Earthquake!” Luca shouted. We were shaking like popping corn over a fire. I was scared beyond my wits. We were abandoned in the middle of a bridge that was almost one hundred years old. Large metal rivets fell from the suspended cables and echoed on the roof of the bus, like hail in a storm.
“The agents are retreating,” Carly yelled in disbelief. Just as fast as it started, the rumbling came to a halt. I had survived a natural disaster, and there was nothing natural about it.
* * * *
Chapter Twenty-Three: Coit Tower
I leaned against the stone windowsill and stared into the Bay from the top of Coit Tower in San Francisco's North Beach. We had seen the famous landmark on Telegraph Hill and had made our way directly here without any other impediments. After the earthquake, the streets were abandoned. It was an odd and empty feeling, walking through the lonely city.
I must have had a grim look on my face because everyone had left me alone for most of the day. I told myself that I was thinking through a plan, but in truth, I was brooding.
Luca was right. What type of leader was I? I had let Graham get captured by the Meta. The room was so lit with Gifted colors and smells that I was surprised we didn't lead the Meta directly to us.
Justin came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and rested his chin against my head. I was happy Justin didn't bring up Luca's kiss. I felt warm and safe. I wanted to stand like that forever, but I couldn't. I let out a breath, emptying my lungs. Shying away from the trouble that lay ahead was impossible.
I turned around so Justin's arms locked behind me. “I know Graham made the decision to storm the Meta agents on his own, but I can't help feeling responsible. If I'm the most powerful Gifted in the world, how come I can't protect my friends?” I asked him.
“You will save everyone,” he said.
“How can you be so sure?”
The corners of his lips turned up. “Because you care,” he replied.
“And you don't?” I pressed.
His hands cupped my cheeks. He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. My heart skipped a beat. He leaned back to look into my eyes and said, “The amount I care for you overshadows my feelings for everyone else.”
I smiled, even though it wasn't true. “You care about others more than you let on,” I told him. “You care about Marie.” He closed his eyes, like it was a painful reminder.
“I can't believe my real grandmother is the Chancellor of the Meta, and Prometheus is my great-grandfather.” Justin’s voice was dreary.
“We'll make things right…for Marie…for A
unt Ev…and all the Gifted people the Chancellor has wronged,” I promised Justin. He held me close, like he was clutching that thought.
I leaned my cheek against his chest and looked out the window again. An eerie, colorful mist surrounded Alcatraz Island. Bill was relieved when we finally made it to Coit Tower. He told us Alcatraz was where the Chancellor housed the Meta and kept its prisoners.
While we were holed up in our makeshift fort, he felt compelled to break the tension and share some stories. He worked for the state, protecting national monuments. He told us Native Americans kept away from the island that housed Alcatraz, believing it to be cursed. The old structure that covered its shore was bland except for the lighthouse and the rusty metal bars that covered every window. Yet somehow it made me shudder.
The strong smell of vanilla harassed my senses as Chelsea came next to me and looked out the window at the spooky island. “I would have never guessed that the Chancellor of the Meta was bunking with Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly at Alcatraz,” she announced. She had just come back from spying invisibly on Meta agents throughout San Francisco, and she was pumped up.
“There are Meta agents everywhere - marching up Lombard Street, lining up along Fisherman's Wharf, even plotting in the gardens at Golden Gate Park,” Chelsea told us, her voice bright with excitement even as she paced the room.
She walked towards me again with her eyes wide. “And the agents weren't the only ones out and about. There were Gifted using their Gifts right in front of us - businessmen rushed by in colorful blurs to catch the Muni and bums smelled like garbage mixed with cinnamon sending sparks from their fingertips to light a fire. I even saw a woman disappear in a huckleberry poof when she passed an ex-boyfriend.”
“And the Meta agents don't arrest them?” Carly asked.
“They would, but the Gifted are careful not to let the Meta agents see them,” Chelsea replied.
The words flowed endlessly from her. “The agents are less discreet. Well, that's because they are dumb and don't realize we can overhear everything they say. One Meta agent was describing how the whole island of Alcatraz is protected by the mulberry elixir mist. Crazy!”
Lynn put her hand on Chelsea's shoulder to calm her. “We also heard them talking about the female Elste. The Chancellor is still spreading rumors about the havoc Olivia might create if she isn't controlled. Agents and Gifted alike are terrified,” she explained. I let out a frustrated breath.
Lynn faced me and said, “They know you are in San Francisco. There are agents looking for you, and it's not just hearsay from panicked pedestrians. The agents were given orders to find you.”
I nodded. They confirmed everything I already feared. “We're going out again,” Lynn announced.
“You can't!” Carly yelled, throwing her arms in the air in frustration. “It's too dangerous.”
Lynn raised her hands to stop her. “The agents were muttering about a Gifted uprising. If that's true, we need those Gifted on our side. We need to gather everyone we can.”
“That's nuts! You'll end up arrested, just like Graham,” Carly shouted.
“Graham did the honorable thing. He showed real valor by jumping into the fire pit,” Chelsea spat.
Carly marched forward with her hands on her hips. The room smelled like a lush green meadow from her amplified Gift. Before the room exploded in flames from her fingers, Luca went to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were pleading for his help.
“Let's ask Olivia what to do, she's our leader,” he said. I knew why he asked me to make the decision. After the fight on the train, he thought I would play it safe in order to protect the people around me. However, look where that landed us. We lost more friends each day. We needed to end the helpless act.
All eyes focused on me. The pressure to make a decision was mounting. “They should go. Like Lynn said, we need all the help we can get,” I announced. Chelsea smiled broadly, Lynn nodded her head approvingly, and they were out the door without another word. Carly stamped her foot and pulled her arms across her chest.
“Is this the new order of command?” Luca asked, coolly. “Tell people to jump off a cliff because Justin whispers the order in your ear? What happened to saving the lives of our friends? It's time you made decisions for yourself, Olivia.”
He had no idea how wrong he was, letting people jump off the cliff was my choice. I was the commander in chief. Making decisions was difficult and not everyone was going to agree with me.
“This decision was all mine.” I kept my eyes level with his. He had lost faith in me.
I caught a glimpse of the anger on his face being replaced by sadness as he crossed with Carly to the other side of the room. He brushed her hair off her face. She gave him a crooked smile in return.
I wasn't sure if I was making all the right judgments, but I knew one of them was correct. Luca and I weren't meant to be together. The fight to win my heart was over. He had lost me.
It wasn’t only because I loved Justin more. Luca and I were too similar. We were both Elstes looking to keep balance in the world. Carly's feisty attitude ensured Luca fought for things he believed in just as much as Justin's lone wolf style reminded me that sometimes it’s necessary to be selfish.
“It really is an honor to meet you,” Bill whispered, breaking the awkward silence. I looked at him, a shy man standing in the shadows of the room. He smiled warmly. “...a real female Elste. It's unbelievably exciting for me.”
I shook my head and walked closer to him. “I'm nothing special—just another girl in high school who is scared she might create the next Gifted War.”
“There are people out there who want change. They believe you can bring it. And I believe it, too,” he told me. Luca and Carly joined us on the far side of the room. Something told me that Bill was about to impart his wisdom to us, and we settled down on the cold stone floor in front of him.
“My wife's grandmother was an amazing Gifted Ikos. She told elaborate stories over family dinners about the time she saved a family from a burning building and when she won a gold medal for speed skating in the Olympics. Her incredulous and whimsical tales caused my wife and me to fall in love with the Gifted, even if we didn't have a Gift ourselves.
“Before we settled in San Francisco and had our son, we traveled the world researching the Gifted. I met lots of brilliant people and heard magical stories.” He looked past us to another time when he carried less baggage on his shoulders.
“Evelyn Forte was one of those people. She opened her doors to both Gifted and non-Gifted. We watched her transform a generation and cultivate a unique culture. It was a dream come true,” he reminisced. For the first time in awhile, I wasn't angry hearing Aunt Ev's story. It was hard to deny she was a humanitarian and a valiant fighter.
“When my wife and I were ready to settle down, about twenty-five years ago, we landed in San Francisco. It was a city that thrived on the same Gifted culture. With the birth of our own Ikos son and my wife's grandmother's Gifted jewelry, we wanted him to have room to spread his wings,” he said. For a minute, I could feel his excitement, imagining what it must have been like with a Gifted child. Then, the happiness disappeared from his eyes.
“We didn't know the Meta was going to choose this city as their new headquarters. The Chancellor wanted ultimate control and power so she moved to a densely populated Gifted community. She gets her thrills from others’ suffering, even sinking low enough to display it on TV or post it on the internet. It makes me sick,” he said and looked down at his hands. I exchanged a glance with Justin. Feeling emboldened instead of ill-fated by the fact that Prometheus had stolen the Elste necklace from the Meta and tricked me into accepting it was another first. I was happy he did it, because now I would get the chance to fight.
“Where is your son now?” Luca asked.
Bill took a deep breath and said, “We taught our son to be proud of who he is. He joined a small group of Gifted who stood up to
her. He has been in the Meta prison for months.” He held back tears as his voice cracked.
I leaned in and put my hand over his. At that moment, I realized Chelsea was right. This quest wasn't only about our friends. It was about a lost generation of Gifted who are suppressed by a terrible dictator.
“How do you suggest we get to Alcatraz?” I asked Bill. His head shot up. His eyes were hopeful for the first time since we met him.
* * * *
Chapter Twenty-Four: Whacked
A few hours later, Chelsea and Lynn still hadn't returned. There was no more time to waste. Bill secured us a fishing boat a friend lent him. We wanted to go before dawn. In fact, the more I thought about it, we needed to go. I was sick of playing defense. The longer we sat around, the sooner the Meta could sweep in and surround us. At least, what was left of us.
I stood tall on the end of the pier. My hair was a frizzy mess from the thick fog that hugged the ground. It clung to my cheeks and made it difficult to see in front of me, but I was resolved to press on. I lowered myself into the flimsy boat and tucked the cape Aunt Ev had given me around my arms.
I sat next to Justin. He grabbed hold of my hand, and I felt his Gift buzz through my blood. It gave me strength.
Luca and surly Carly sat across from us. Luca's face was determined. Carly was biting her nails, looking small as she hunched over. When she was quiet and timid like this, it was obvious she was younger than the rest of us. I tried to push the thought to the back of my mind. I couldn't afford to spend time worrying about her. I'd let Luca do that.
Bill waved good luck to us as Luca revved the teeny engine, and we bucked towards Alcatraz. The little boat cut through the water, and we were on our way to face the mighty Chancellor of the Meta, the same woman who captured hundreds of brave and intelligent Gifted who defied her. I should have had a better plan than tapping her on the shoulder and saying, “Release my friends, or else a sixteen year old Elste, your Gifted grandson, and their little buddies will get you!”