An answer appeared right away. It was like they’d read her mind. We got around the security system so we could contact you without the wrong people finding out.
So they hacked into my computer. Sarina knew such a feat wasn’t easy to accomplish.
Another message came a second later. Don’t you think you’re too special to waste away in some decommissioned army basement?
Sarina’s brows knit together. She was well aware that she shouldn’t be delving into this kind of conversation. Queenie had commanded her to inform the authorities should any strangers try to contact her. Sarina considered calling the guard station to let them know, but she didn’t move. She could do that in a couple minutes. In the meantime, she wanted to know what the heck was going on. Besides, the boredom really was getting to her.
What do you care? You don’t know me, she typed.
We know you well enough to know you could be one of us.
There was that we again. Who were these people?
Don’t you want some freedom? Go wherever you like when you like. Help people if you wanna?
This made Sarina stop and think. The idea was tempting. But considering the fact that she was talking to some random hackers, she had little reason to buy into it. Something just felt off about this. Her adoptive mother’s voice rang in her ears. Sara Bee, you’ve got to be a little more careful of who you trust. How many times had she heard those words?
Sarina grabbed her cell phone from the shelf above her desk. But before she could retrieve the number for the guards’ station stored in her list of contacts, another message blinked on the screen. Don’t do that. You’ll get DJ in trouble.
The mention of Jasper’s name turned the phone into a ten-pound brick which nearly slipped from her fingers. Her mind froze, failing to muster up the disbelief she wanted to feel. She had known something was off about Jasper today. His slow response time, his abrupt departure. Did they have him? Were they going to hurt him?
Her face must have given away her fear, because another message appeared within seconds. Don’t look so scared. Jasper’s our friend, too. He says, ‘I told you I’d see you soon, Dancing Queen.’
Sarina felt herself relax. Yeah, that sounds like him. But why hadn’t he said anything before he signed off? Unless he assumed that their chats were monitored….
She took some comfort in the fact that he had sounded okay when they had chatted a few hours ago. Not like someone under duress. The delays had been odd, but he could have been distracted by talking to someone else at the same time.
Let me talk to him, she typed.
No can do, came the response. He’s not here, but he’s on the phone with us. We have a secure connection to you.
Secure connection? That’s one way to put it, she thought. Although it was in line with what she had heard, how hackers saw their actions in shades of gray instead of a decisive right or wrong.
How do you know what I’m doing? Sarina typed, her fingers flying across the keyboard in a frenzy.
We’ll tell you if you promise not to tell anyone that we contacted you.
She weighed her options as she absentmindedly toyed with her cell phone. It did sound like Jasper was with them, and she would hate to get him in trouble with the authorities.
She took her hand off her phone, and set it on the keyboard. OK. She wasn’t sure if she was telling a white lie or not, but she could figure out how she felt about all of this once Big Brother stopped watching her.
Your webcam.
Sarina raised her head in surprise. Indeed, the small camera on top of the monitor was powered on, the small light beside it glowing green. She gasped. They’d been watching her? Had Jasper been watching her?
No, she decided. He isn’t a creep like Overdrive.
How long have you been watching me? she typed, annoyed.
Another fast response. Not long. Just since you went all Andy Warhol on your walls. Way cool.
So they saw that. She felt foolish about the dead housefly now.
Who are you? She typed.
We are a group of five people now. Names have to wait until we meet up. Rogues, I guess you’d call us, but we’re all like you. With different powers, of course.
Being rogues didn’t mean much, Sarina knew. Most Evolved were rogues by default if they didn’t join a hero group. Only a minority of Evolved were villains, setting out to use their powers for selfish reasons. Just like in the rest of the population, there were some bad apples. Not too many; the Covenant was known to swiftly deal with those the UNEOA deemed dangerous.
Why is Jasper with you? she typed next.
He’s sick of waiting around for the higher ups to tell him that he can actually do something. He says the Covenant and his government just use his music for whatever they want without his permission. Plus, they don’t even let him leave London. Sound familiar?
Sarina found herself nodding. She’d heard this from Jasper before.
Before she could respond, she received another message. So he’s getting out from under their thumb. You should come with us.
Sarina chewed on her lower lip. Something sounded too good to be true about the idea of leaving here. Too bad it’s not that easy, she typed. A part of her hoped she was wrong.
But it is that easy. If you’re with us, you can go any place, any time you want.
Sarina had her doubts. Everyone knew that Evolved had a hard time travelling around without UN say-so. Since the Pulse, borders had been reinforced, and trains and airplanes were patrolled to check for Evolved traveling without permission.
Whoever was on the other end of the webcam must have seen her skeptical expression. Trust me, we’ve got options other Evolved don’t have. We could even get you to South Africa if you wanna go there.
Sarina frowned at the screen. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how they’d pull that off, unless….
Do you have a Teleporter on your team? she asked.
Can’t say until you agree to go with us. If you’re too scared, whatever. Your loss. Jasper thinks you’re cool, but we don’t know you.
Sarina rubbed her forehead, closing her eyes for a moment. She had absolutely no clue when she’d be allowed to go home, if ever. Despite her mysterious success in redecorating, she still didn’t know how to control or activate her power. So what good was it doing her, just sitting around here? She opened her eyes to peer down at the keyboard. The picture Jasper had sent her a few hours ago crossed her mind, making her smile, his mock grimace with its underlying humor. She loved the way he held up the miniature King Kong figure against the background of London.
Dancer and DJ saving the world.
The longer she mulled over her situation, the more she wanted to believe in the idea. But there was still one important thing which weighed against it. But my family is here, she typed. They would never forgive me if I just left. I owe a lot to them. Tears welled in her eyes as she hit ENTER.
You don’t have to leave them forever. Just consider it a vacation. Besides, it’s not like you’re anywhere close to them now, are you? The messager had a point.
You guys will help me web chat with them when I want? she typed, hoping that if they could hack into her computer here, they’d be able to set up a secure connection anywhere for her to reach her family.
Definitely! So you’ll come to France with us? Ever wanted to see Paris?
Paris? There went Sarina’s eyebrows again. She couldn’t deny that being in Paris would beat being stuck here. They had some cool dance crews over there. She squinted up at the suspicious webcam, teetering on the edge. Maybe, she finally typed.
A smiley face appeared. How about we come to you so you can meet us? No one will even notice we’re there, I promise. They let you out for walks whenever you want, right?
What were they getting at? Sure the guards let her outside, but they’d definitely notice if she just walked off. Yeah, but not far, she typed.
Good! We’ll just come and have a little chat, and if you like
us, we’ll all drive to Paris together for a few days. See how it goes. No pressure.
Sarina bit down on her bottom lip. That sounded fair enough. Besides, how dangerous could it be while the guards and the Covenant kept such close tabs on her? And more importantly, it would mean she could finally meet Jasper—even if it was just to say hi to him.
Regardless of what her mother might say about her being too trusting, there was something about Jasper that just made her believe in him. No, she didn’t know him well enough to consider him a friend, but whatever connection she felt when they chatted meant something to her. Something real.
Before she had a chance to change her mind, the blinking cursor added another line of text. We’ll be there tomorrow morning. Leave your computer on.
Tomorrow? That was too soon. More practical concerns infiltrated Sarina’s mind. From what she’d heard, Paris was one of the most expensive cities in the world. She tapped her fingers across the keys. I don’t have much money with me.
Money isn’t an issue. We’ve already got a place to stay. See you tomorrow morning!
Before she had a chance to think up any more excuses, the black window closed itself.
“Yeah,” she muttered. “I guess I will.”
Sarina sat there for a few minutes, replaying the last half hour in her head. What had she agreed to? Nothing, she reminded herself. She’d only said maybe, not yes. And the agreement was that she’d only go with them if she liked them. No pressure.
She got to her feet, feeling the need to put some distance between herself and her computer. Just to be sure she wouldn’t get peeped on before she was ready to call her parents, Sarina grabbed a pair of socks from her dresser, knotted them together and draped the makeshift cover over the webcam. She still wasn’t sure what or how much she’d tell her family, but she had almost two hours to figure it out.
***
After about a half hour’s worth of fresh air under the supervision of her guards, Sarina settled back down at her computer desk. She looked at the homework emailed by her school, but lost interest when she realized her history teacher had sent her an assignment on the history of the UNEOA and the Covenant.
“As if I want to write an essay about that,” she grumbled, knowing that her classmates were studying the Napoleonic wars, and she wasn’t sure anyone would even look at her essay. She still planned to get it done today even though she knew that they had pretty much written off her high school education. That wasn’t exactly a motivation booster.
She uncovered the webcam and opened Skype, then selected her home number. After over a dozen rings, her family still hadn’t picked up.
Why aren’t they answering? she wondered with a mixture of concern and self-doubt. They knew what time she would call. What if they were hurt? Or, worse, what if they had written her off, too? Sarina wasn’t on bad terms with her new family now—not exactly—but she couldn’t deny that something had changed. She couldn’t define what that something was, but it bothered her.
On the fifteenth ring, her mother finally accepted the call. “Hello there, Sara Bee.” For some reason, the microphone was on, but the camera showed nothing but a black screen.
Despite her worry, Sarina loved hearing the sound of her mom’s voice. It was nice to hear Swiss German after all of that online chatting she had done in English, though it lacked her mother’s distinctive cheer. The words did nothing to put Sarina’s mind at ease.
“Hey, Mom,” she replied, feigning casualness.
It didn’t work. “Sara Bee, what’s going on? Is everything all right on your end?” her mother asked with concern.
“Oh, sure. Everything is cool here. Boring. Actually, it’s so boring that I’m even doing my homework.” Sarina wasn’t sure if her mom bought it. “How are you?”
Gosh, I hope you haven’t been crying.
“I’m all right,” her mother replied, sounding tired. “Everyone we see is full of questions. People on the street, the news … it’s almost like we’re famous.” There was a chuckle, but it sounded feeble.
“I’m sorry about all the trouble,” Sarina said quietly, and she meant it.
“Oh, honey, it’s not your fault.”
That was just the sort of thing a mother would have to say, so Sarina tried to believe her. “Everything else okay?”
“Well, I miss you, of course. As do your father and David.”
“I miss you all, too.” Sarina fought back tears. “Are they around?”
“They’re in the kitchen. Wait a second, I’ll go get them.”
Sarina heard a bit of bumping around, and then there was silence. As she waited for her dad and brother to come on the line, the nagging questions returned. If the whole family was home, why did it take over a dozen rings for someone to pick up her call?
After a half minute, a man’s voice echoed in the distance, and then a second one joined him. The second voice was the brighter, more cheerful David.
You’ll always be my big bro, no matter what. The thought improved her mood a little. Once the webcam was activated, she saw her dad sitting on his home office chair, leaning over to flash a hint of a smile at the camera. David’s elbow was off to the side, but her mom was nowhere in sight.
“Hello there, girl. They’re feeding you all right, I see,” her father joked.
Sarina flashed a smile. “You know it.” In fact, the food at the facility was disgusting, which only made Paris all that much more appealing.
“You’ll have superhero strength in no time if you keep that up.” Her dad had always been a big hero buff, even before the Pulse. He’d had a collection of comic books still in their plastic and everything.
“Are you doing your homework?” he asked, checking all the father boxes.
“Yeah.” She kept a straight face. She was planning on doing it, after all. “It’s all about the UNEOA and the Covenant, though, not the regular subjects.” Her voice faltered as she said the last part.
Her dad must have heard it, too. “Oh, Sarina. If you want to keep up with your regular classes, I’ll see what I can do. I’m still on good terms with your principal.”
Sarina cringed at that. She didn’t like to think about how her parents had been called in to talk with the principal when she’d just started living with them while she struggled with her drug therapy and rehab programs. She was reminded once again of how much love and commitment they’d shown her over the past couple of years, which only made her mother’s absence from the video chat that much more upsetting.
“Speaking of the Covenant.” David moved into the foreground. “Queenie paid us a visit last night.” He wiggled his eyebrows at the camera as he usually did when sharing unexpected news.
“Yes,” Dad confirmed, his tone more serious, “she did. She was here for quite a while, actually.”
Sarina swallowed, her throat dry. Was that why her mom was acting so weird today? “Oh, yeah? What did she want?”
“She just had some general questions about you. You know, your personality and interests,” her father said. “She was interested in the family album, wanted to hear about your development over the past years, those kinds of things.”
Holy moly, I hope she didn’t ask about the rehab. The thought of her personal struggles included in her official government file left a queasy feeling in Sarina’s stomach. She decided to look on the bright side. Maybe Queenie hadn’t asked about the rehab. And if she had, well, that meant they were interested in considering her for the Covenant. Right? Sarina pictured herself in a flashy form-fitting costume running alongside Radiant and Paladin to turn wrongs into rights. Maybe Radiant would even grow bored with his nerdy girlfriend and ask her out for dinner instead. What did he see in Athena, anyway? She talked like a robot and always had a stressed out look on her face.
So what if the guy was fifteen years older? He had killer looks, and was one of the world’s most powerful heroes. And besides, based on what she’d gathered from one of the rare TV features she’d watched, he h
ad an irresistible mix of confidence and charisma to boot.
I would learn to speak Russian for him, she decided.
“Sara Bee, are you listening? Sarina?”
Sarina realized she zoned out when her mother’s voice called her name. She forced herself back to reality and refocused her attention. If her mother had stepped back into the picture to use that kind of tone, something was wrong.
“If they say anything about sending you to India, you decline.” Her mother’s concerned face looked straight into the camera. “You decline. Is that clear?”
“Huh?” Sarina wasn’t sure what her mother was talking about.
Her mom gave a frustrated groan. “You need to pay more attention, hon. This is important. Do you hear me? The news is on right now, and they’re talking about something going on in India. Something dangerous. We want you to stay away from there. Okay?”
Sarina had to admit that it felt good to be reminded of how much her mother cared about her, but she was still confused about the cause for concern. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”
“The UN just confirmed that the UNEOA issued an execution order on Shanti. The Covenant carried it out.” All trace of humor was gone from David’s voice. “People everywhere are protesting. India is the worst.”
They killed Shanti? Sarina’s stomach felt like it plummeted all the way down to the floor. Why would anyone want to kill her? She’s healing people and doing so much good.
“Are you sure?” she asked in a small voice. She just couldn’t accept that her number one role model was gone. How many times over the past few days had she fantasized about working alongside Shanti, changing the world for the better? There had to be some mistake.
“It’s true, Sara,” her father confirmed in a grave voice. “And with Queenie coming around last night, showing all sorts of interest in you…” he trailed off, then cleared his throat. “Just remember that Switzerland is neutral. If the Covenant tries to get you to do anything that sounds dangerous, you can safely decline and appeal to Swiss authorities.”
“But if they want my help—”
“Then you say no,” her mom finished for her. Her voice was firm.
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