Reid broke into a small robotic break dance move to lighten the moment. I was not laughing. I couldn’t even bear to look at Reid. I was afraid I would lose it—what if he didn’t make it out alive?
“That’s a pretty big gamble, Dr. West. This is all theoretical and if you are wrong Reid could die of radiation poisoning. I guess we both could.”
“I know that, Whitney. But we are out of options. You and Reid either agree to take the risk or we gamble the lives of everyone in that cathedral today. We are not taking this lightly. You won’t be as close to reactor four as Reid and we aren’t sending you alone. Helga and Yoshi will be with you,” Dr. West said with quiet firmness. He had stopped tapping the spoon. Now the sound of silence was painful. Dr. West had nothing else to tell us. We now had all the answers but faced a catastrophic problem. I was thinking of the burning red Time magazine cover with the frightening image of the Soviet nuclear power plant and headline MELTDOWN. My brain felt like it had been blown to smithereens.
Chapter Twenty: 24 Hours
My dad had ordered Chinese food for dinner and Reid politely declined to stay. I knew that was not something he could eat with his peanut allergy. Reid gave me a discreet nod and disappeared. I knew he was right that he should let my dad have me to himself, but I wished he would have stayed to buffer the impending onslaught of questions.
The minute the front door closed and Reid walked out of the house, my dad asked if Dr. West was actually alive. I nodded and he sighed with relief.
“I knew you were with Yoshi and Helga, of course, but I was not absolutely sure about Reginald. That funeral was very convincing,” my dad said with a pained smile.
“Of course, as you know by now, I had to keep my distance. I don’t want to highlight the family connection to you to those who don’t know it already. It would only serve to make things more dangerous…if that is possible.”
“So you are going to lose your job? Vlad Dune will replace you?” I asked my dad. He sat at the table and his shoulders slumped a bit. He was tired. I thought about how he had been fighting against this moment for ten years but it had arrived.
“Yes. I am sure Noir will ‘reassign’ me to a tediously boring position as soon as she can manage it. Don’t worry about me, Whitney. The important thing is she can’t take away my government clearance. As long as I’m on the inside of the CIA, I can protect those on the outside. My career path changed years ago and I’ve adjusted to it. What I can’t seem to adjust to are people with such blind ambition they destroy everything around them. Noir and Vlad are man-eating predators.”
I thought about Carson Noir wearing red under her dark charcoal suit. Red was the power color of Washington and it was interesting she used every opportunity to proclaim it. Nothing was off limits, even a funeral.
“I got the Queen of Evil vibe right off the bat. Don’t worry, I’m paying careful attention,” I said, noting the Asian silkscreen paintings in the dining room that previously had faded into the decor background. Had I been living my life with blinders on? Evidence of my parents’ time in Asia was all around me, but it was like I was seeing it for the first time.
The fatigue of the day was catching up to me and I wanted some time to decompress. I wanted a bath and to be by myself. I had not been alone for days.
“Wait. Before you go. I wanted to give you something for your birthday. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, Wink. I hope Helga’s strawberry cake was good. She wanted to know your favorite.” I nodded and decided not to mention any further details of my birthday dinner.
My dad gave me a white box with a pink bow on top. I lifted the lid and saw a set of car keys. I smiled at the acknowledgment of my sixteenth birthday.
“Thanks. Hopefully, I can get the license to go with it at some point in the near future.” I held up the silver key ring with the Mercedes emblem. It was my dad’s spare set. In the rush of the past couple of days, my birthday was the least of my concerns. A week ago, I would not have imagined myself thinking this thought. Then again, I would not have imagined any of this.
“I’m giving you my old car but I haven’t had a chance to buy a new one yet. I wasn’t expecting to be in Costa Rica last week. Let me know when you want to go to the DMV. I don’t want you missing any more school time this week, though. I know this was not the birthday you were expecting. It caught me by surprise as well,” my dad said. I appreciatively hugged my dad and then left to change clothes and start my school work.
Once again, I felt strange. A week ago, I would have raced to the phone to call Blair about the car. We would have whooped with excitement at the prospect of more freedom. Now I only wanted to take off my boots and soak my aching feet, legs, and back. I hadn’t even thought about how Helga had bought all this stuff. I needed to remember to ask her if I could repay her. I didn’t want to take anything for granted.
It was comforting to walk into my bedroom. Everything was exactly as I left it but it felt like it didn’t belong to me anymore. What a strange feeling. It reminded me of returning to my old elementary school—sedately familiar but from a time that I could not repeat. What had happened to me? Maybe I was overtired and would feel better after a bath.
I turned on my stereo and walked into my bathroom. The soothing smell of my lavender bath salts hung in the air. I dumped a generous amount of scented rocks into the tub and let it fill up. I unzipped and took off my Sundial wardrobe. I expected to feel better but I didn’t. The magnitude of my new role was really sinking in. This wasn’t a costume.
I kept the lights off and climbed into the steaming tub. I didn’t want to be reminded of the image of myself I had used to fight Reid. The image that I had seen stuck in his mind. Why had I done that? I could feel the embarrassment twisting in the pit of my stomach. Stop. It is too late and you can’t take it back, I told myself. I did what I thought I needed to do in the moment. I couldn’t second-guess my every move; it would drive me crazy. I need to move forward and prioritize.
First, I needed to take care of my aching body. I sank deeper into the hot water. Always take care of yourself, Whitney. Put the oxygen mask on you first, I chanted like the airline flight attendant told me. Then you will be better able to serve those relying on you. My muscles relaxed as my mind started working for me rather than against me.
The faces I memorized from Helga’s photographs played like a slide show in my mind. The faces reminded me that I wanted to call Blair and ask her some questions about the people on the list from the computer disk. I would be paying much better attention to the names and abilities this time. These people were counting on me. I couldn’t let them down. I needed to know them thoroughly.
My ears tuned to the synthesized introduction to the song “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” playing on my stereo. I knew the lyrics but now their meaning had a new weight. I sighed. Even the songs on the radio had changed for me. It was if I had been asleep and I just woke up. I followed that thought with splashing hot water on my face to melt my make-up away. I had to get on with it. My new reality demanded my attention and I couldn’t forget I would be going to school tomorrow. I had to face the contents of my backpack. Homework had to come before my call to Blair.
I reviewed my list and started to drain the tub. Next up was homework and then calls to Blair and Reid. I felt Reid’s absence more keenly than I would have liked. It was distracting, and loneliness was an indulgence. I grabbed my blue and red plaid robe from the hook. I wrapped my hair in a towel and went into my room to put on some sweats.
My backpack was on my desk chair. I groaned to myself when I saw it. I didn’t remember having so many books stuffed inside it. I pulled out the thickest textbook first. The bag looked less daunting after that and I plowed my way through my assignments. Finished, I went downstairs in search of a snack.
My dad was sitting at the kitchen table munching on a cookie and watching television. How incredibly normal, I thought. Finally, something that had not changed.
“There’s a cookie b
asket over there from your field hockey team. I didn’t think you’d mind.” My dad smiled since it was too late if I did.
“No, go ahead. I think I’m going to have some vegetable lo mein instead. I’ll get a cookie later. Blair must have laid it on thick if they sent a gift basket. Hopefully, that doesn’t mean too many extra laps. Dad, one thing that I seem to be unable to get out of my head is Chen Parks. Why did she hang herself?” I couldn’t stop thinking about it. How did Mr. Parks not see Chen’s intentions? How did Dr. West not see Carson Noir’s evil? Are those we love blind spots? Would I be blinded by Reid? I had to figure this out before I faced something similar.
My dad nodded slowly as he finished his cookie. “She was a political prisoner. I don’t even know under what pretense the Viet Cong were holding her, except they knew she had American friends. At the end of April 1975, the end loomed near for southern Vietnam. Chen made sure Neil Bennett agreed that Yoshi had a seat on a helicopter flight out of Saigon, no matter what. Neil agreed, not fully understanding what Chen was saying. He told Chen he would have a seat for her as well and he was working on getting her out of prison.
“Inevitably, chaos and panic broke out in Saigon. Martial law was declared. Still, Neil and Yoshi managed to get Chen diplomatic immunity and they drove to the prison to get her out. They had all of their belongings packed—they were flying out immediately. Reginald was meeting them at the helicopter.
“They were escorted to Chen’s cell only to find they were a minute too late. Chen’s feet were still twitching but she had hung herself. Yoshi went mad trying to get to her. He broke his hand trying to get through the thick metal bars. It was a living nightmare. Saigon fell the next day.”
“That is simply beyond words. It was even worse than I imagined,” I said in barely a whisper. Mr. Parks always told me timing was everything. The difference between life and death. My dad looked wearily out the window. There was a lot more gray hair around his temples than I remembered. “Where were you and Mom? In London?” I guessed, picking the city I was born.
“Yes. We were living in London. Your mom and Chen were close friends. She was very depressed after that and questioned the value of a career that took everything from you. It was a really difficult time.” My dad sighed. “Of course, Yoshi believes Vlad Dune told Chen her diplomatic immunity was denied. He said that Vlad told Chen that Neil and Yoshi were coming to try and break her out of jail illegally and if they did, they would be arrested. Chen may have thought she was protecting Yoshi from that as well as his last chance to evacuate the city.”
The news slapped me across the face. Chen’s death was a horrible turn of events, but to think she was goaded into the decision made it so much more despicable. In my mind, it changed from a tragedy to manslaughter.
“That’s awful! That’s like pushing her off a cliff,” I said in utter disbelief. I wish I could doubt the validity of what my dad told me but Mr. Parks was skilled in connecting to others’ minds. He knew this to be true. Sadly, he also knew it wouldn’t bring Chen back.
“These are the kind of people behind the Clarion takeover, Whitney. They are smart, manipulative, and extremely dangerous. You will have to listen to your intuition and stay vigilant. Carson Noir already blames you for the breakup of her engagement. Once she discovers you have a bigger role, she will do anything she can to get to you. You will have to consider the validity of everything—even a cry for help from your friends or I. Don’t do anything that puts yourself in danger. It could be a trap. Your life has changed. Everything you do needs to be evaluated for risk.
“I wish there was another way that didn’t involve you, Whit. Over time, it became clear that option was not possible so Neil and I teamed up to create the Poseidon Program. It is a classified naval military operation of highly trained, special operations warfare forces. We knew we couldn’t leave the Clarion psychics unprotected. I have a better understanding of the unpredictability of the mind after running the program all these years. I know you all have blind spots and cannot always see the ways to protect yourself. People assume you can see everything. I know it doesn’t work like that.”
I nodded, thinking that my instincts about Reid would be true. It would be harder for me to protect myself with him. “Wait a second. Why didn’t Dr. West know about the Poseidon Program if you and Admiral Bennett were behind it?” I interrupted, confused. Dr. West had seemed to know nothing about Reid when we arrived in Charlottesville.
“He did. He fully supported it. You mean, why didn’t he know about Reid? Probably for the same reason Neil told me Reid was ugly,” my dad scoffed. “Neil thought Reid was the best he had to team you up with and he didn’t want me or Reg messing it up by being overprotective. Once I found out he was practically raised by Helga and trained by Yoshi, I had to concede that those qualifications were hard to beat. Reg wasn’t so sure but finally said you convinced him.
“That was the last conversation we had with him. He told us that he knew you were with a good guardian and that it was time for him to take a backseat role. Next thing we knew, Helga called me to tell me he was dead.”
“Right. So let me get this straight. Admiral Bennett assigned Reid? Reid told me he requested the assignment.” I tried shifting for clues. My dad shrugged. The look on his face conveyed to me that I was splitting hairs. It was a minor point to question, but to me, it made a big difference. Was I a job requirement or a girl Reid saw in a picture on Admiral Bennett’s desk? I wondered about Mr. Parks mentioning I spar against his crane student over a year ago. Had this all been a setup from the start?
“I don’t know all the details surrounding Reid coming to Gramercy. I’m sure he will do everything he can to keep you safe. His entire career is riding on it. From my perspective, he is way better looking than I would have liked—that’s why Yoshi and Helga are going with you whenever you leave for the USSR,” my dad laughed. He had never been overprotective of me with guys, I think because he knew I could handle myself. He had made sure of it.
“No, I’m kidding. Yoshi and Helga are going with you because they are the best in the business. I can count on one hand the people I trust and they are two of them. They will do everything they can to make sure nothing happens to you but I can’t discount the risks. There will be plenty of them. You are ready, Whitney. I know you can do it. You have what it takes and them some. You are my daughter, after all.”
“Thanks dad. I’ll do my best,” I smirked.
My dad wiped the cookie crumbs away from his mouth. “The cookies were good. Thanks for sharing them.” He finished his milk and got up from the table. He patted my back and let his hand rest on my shoulder a second. It was a quiet show of affection.
I thought about Helga, Mr. Parks, Admiral Bennett, and Dr. West—my father’s friends and the best in the business. I thought about Reid and that Dr. West and Mr. Parks both implied going through my mind before I learned to close it was the only way Reid would really get to know me. I could see that it was an advantage to have my guardian know me intimately. It would allow him to better predict my actions if we became separated. Was I really that guarded? Ouch. It hurt to know the answer was yes. It made me realize how much they had discussed about me before any of this unfolded.
I shook my head to myself, thinking about how every time Reid got too close to me emotionally, I fainted. It was the ultimate defense to keep him at bay. I completely checked out. Maybe it was a good thing he if was assigned to me and he had no choice. Why would he want to hang around a girl who was always fainting and was being extremely difficult? I thought about my fingernails digging into his back and squinted my eyes closed. Oh yeah, and clawing his back. I was no peach. The fact was Reid knew me in spite of my best attempts to keep my distance. Not only was he still there, but he kept telling me he loved me even though I had never told him the same. I picked up the phone and called him. I wasn’t even sure of what I was going to say; I wanted to hear the sound of his voice.
“Hey, it’s me. I thought I wou
ld call you before I went to sleep. For some reason and against my better judgment, I seem to miss you,” I said with a smile I could not suppress. It was true. I missed his presence. He gave me a sense of security and calmness I had never known. When he was gone, I felt a hole there.
“I know. I miss you too,” Reid replied. I could hear a perplexed pleasure in his voice. He was thinking this was very unlike me. I laughed to myself. He probably wondered if this was a trap.
“You can’t use the phone line to read my mind, can you?” I asked with a smile. I didn’t think he could, but I thought I should check.
“No, it doesn’t work like that. Too bad though, that could come in handy. Why? Got something on your mind?” Reid said with a laugh.
“A bit. Evil masterminds, concentration camps, suicide. You know, teenage girl stuff,” I rattled off in an airhead voice. It felt good to laugh at it. Reid’s chuckle through the phone line also made it seem less frightening and more manageable.
“Although, truth be told, I am feeling a little scared,” I said bluntly. The sound of my voice uttering those words triggered a flashback in my mind at the last time I said it. I was in Dr. West’s office and telling him about my Tule Lake vision. I had been more than a little scared. I had been terrified. After that, he had taught me how to turn off my empath abilities so I could function. I realized I had not let myself feel scared in ten years.
“It’s OK, Whitney. We are both scared. We’d be fools not to be. But love is more powerful than fear. I’m here and I am not going anywhere,” Reid answered. I was surprised to hear him say love was more powerful than fear in this context. I mentally corrected in my mind that The Art of War said compassion was more powerful than fear until I realized he was talking about us.
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