Deciding to pack like it was a camping trip, she tossed pretty much everything into her suitcase, figuring it was best to leave things like makeup and hairspray behind.
She and Lizzie met in the living room. They laughed when they saw each other. Both had settled on high ponytails with bobby pins holding stray hairs back.
“I can’t even remember the last time I saw you without your hair down,” Nicole said, wondering how Lizzie got all her curls to stay in place.
“And I can’t remember the last time I saw you in a ponytail,” Lizzie said, then laughed. “Oh, wait. I can. It was yesterday.”
Nicole playfully slugged Lizzie on the shoulder. “I do my hair nice when I need to. I just don’t see the point of doing it every day. Besides, plenty of runway models pull their hair up like this.”
“Because they don’t want it getting in the way of all their fast wardrobe changes.” Lizzie folded her arms. “How often do you see actresses on the red carpet wearing ponytails?”
“All the time.” Nicole pulled her suitcase through the apartment door. “Don’t argue—I can totally prove it with one Google search.”
“Okay, fine.”
The girls rolled their luggage to the elevator and rode it down, then left the building and walked to the curb where Coolidge and Austin would be picking them up.
Lizzie sent Nicole a concerned expression. “You’re sure you’re ready to be in the same car with him for several hours? I mean, the drive is like, twelve hours long.”
Nicole sighed. At first, she couldn’t believe Coolidge had opted to drive rather than fly. His argument was sound, though. They’d be following a huge moving van that was taking the last of the equipment, and he didn’t want to risk this stuff getting lost, as it was the most valuable of what they’d be bringing.
“Not like we have a real choice. Taking two cars when there are four of us is a dumb idea. Besides, he’s got his new blocker, and he’ll be in the front seat. And, if you haven’t noticed, he’s great at ignoring me when he wants to.”
“I have. I’m impressed. The guy has self-control like steel.”
“Most of the time—he’s still a guy. Which is why we haven’t been alone since . . .”
“Since your last make-out session.”
Nicole turned to Lizzie. “Is it horrible that I think about it so much? That was the most I’ve been able to relax in months. Not only that, but it felt good to be able to express my feelings for him again.”
“I totally get it.”
Coolidge and Austin pulled up just then and got out to help Nicole and Lizzie put their suitcases in the trunk.
Once everyone was strapped in, Coolidge met up with the moving truck and followed it out of Seattle, through the mountains, and on to Moses Lake for a quick break at a fast-food restaurant. Nicole was delighted to find that her professor had arranged with Albert ahead of time for the elderly man and the two students who were living with him—Orson and Prudence—to meet them at the restaurant.
The reunion was bittersweet. Nicole loved seeing Prudence in jeans, and Orson seemed to be doing well, but she could tell that they were homesick for their family and were still struggling to overcome the effects of the meteor. Both had dark circles under their eyes, and Nicole wondered if they’d live the rest of their lives with the effects of what had happened months earlier.
She hoped not.
Austin took over driving and got them all the way to Spokane, where the guys hopped in the back and Nicole took the wheel with Lizzie acting as copilot.
Nicole really enjoyed the drive through northern Idaho’s mountains. It was beautiful and the road windy and curvy. But when she saw a sign for Missoula, she hesitated. “Um . . . isn’t Missoula just north of Salmon?”
“Yes, it is,” Coolidge said. “There’s major construction on the roads between Seattle and Boise. This route is the faster one right now.”
“So, we’re basically driving past Salmon on our way to Idaho Falls.”
Coolidge gave her a surprised expression in the mirror. “Didn’t I tell you that already?”
“No, but it’s fine—as long as we get where we’re going on time.”
“We’ll be meeting up with Austin’s parents in Salmon to help unload the moving van. I didn’t want to pay the driver to pass the place, then turn around and retrace his steps. If you’d like, you can stay there instead of meeting up in Idaho Falls with us and everyone else.”
Nicole took a moment to process this. “What if the link opens early?”
“Then you’ll be prepared—Dave and Elyse will be there, along with Lizzie, if she wishes. Austin will be coming with me to Idaho Falls.”
Nicole didn’t respond at first. She felt weird, hanging out with Austin’s parents again while there were thousands of people meeting Coolidge just a couple of hours south. She finally said, “Yeah, I’ll stay in Salmon. As long as you all hurry back.”
“We’ll come as fast as we can,” Coolidge promised.
When there was just an hour left, Nicole needed a break and pulled over so Lizzie could take the wheel.
They rolled into Salmon right at dinnertime, and Nicole’s stomach grumbled, reminding her it had been hours since they’d last stopped to eat. She kept a lookout, but saw only one restaurant. She didn’t want to voice her concerns, but how were she and the others going to feed thousands of people?
Coolidge directed Lizzie to the Super 8 where they’d be staying until everything boiled over. Dave and Elyse were waiting outside. They watched as everyone got out of the car, then gave their son a big hug.
Nicole and Lizzie congregated toward Coolidge, wanting to give the Youngs some privacy.
“Austin and I will probably go to dinner with the four of you, then head out.” He motioned to the family. “I’d like to give them some time together before everything happens.”
Nicole thought that was a great idea.
The six of them headed to the diner Nicole had seen on the way in and ordered food. About halfway through the meal, Dave pulled out his copy of Nicole’s map.
“Did you realize that the main link the Great Ones will be coming through isn’t actually on Copperhead Peak?”
Nicole dropped her fork. “No, I didn’t.” She took the map from him and she and Lizzie studied it. “I swear, I’ve looked at this enough. I should have noticed something like that.”
“It’s a very fine marking there on the bottom.” He reached across the table and showed her.
Nicole saw a little asterisk there with a coinciding note that said, “Great Ones.” She looked up at him. “Are we sure that’s what it means?”
“I think it’s better to be safe. We’ve been in town long enough to have met the man who owns that property. He’s fine with us leasing it for a few days, provided, of course, that we pay for any damages that occur. Luckily, the link isn’t far from the machines. In fact, the machines are on Copperhead Peak, where we bought the property from the government. It overlooks the farmer’s fields, so, we won’t be far away.”
“Well, that’s good.” Nicole handed the map back, then glanced at Coolidge. “We need to find out where Rebecca is—what she’s doing.”
“Agreed. As soon as you get back to your hotel room, contact Trevor.” He got to his feet and Austin followed suit. “We need to be heading out.”
“Wait a moment,” Nicole said. “There’s something I need to show Austin and his parents.”
She pulled her phone from her purse, opened her video application, then scrolled until she found the video she’d taken while in Romania. She warned them it might be a little overwhelming and asked if she could go ahead and show it to them. They were fine with that.
Making sure the volume was loud enough for the Youngs to hear, but not loud enough to disturb the other customers, Nicole pushed play and set the phone in front of Dave and Elyse. Austin watched over their shoulders.
Nicole couldn’t keep her eyes off her boyfriend and his parents. The emotions ran ac
ross their faces as her voice drifted from the speakers, reading the names of the anti-Tarian people.
When she reached Josh and Sarah, Elyse gasped. She clutched her husband, tears falling down her cheeks. Dave’s shoulders shook, though he made no sound. Austin was clenching his jaw, his eyes moist.
Nicole saw the flames reflected in the eyes in front of her. She watched their expressions turn from hatred, anger, then to resolution and finally peace.
The video ended. No one said anything.
Elyse looked up at Nicole and Lizzie, wiping her face. “Thank you, girls.”
Nicole hesitated. “We weren’t able to remove them from the room. I hope what we did was okay. I couldn’t just leave them there on display anymore. Burning them was the next best thing to a proper burial.”
Elyse suddenly laughed, making Nicole jump. “If it’s good enough for a Jedi, it’s good enough for my babies.”
Austin and Dave chuckled softly and Dave said, “This was perfect. Will you send it to me? I’d like to get in contact with the other families.”
“So would I,” Coolidge said. “They deserve the chance to say goodbye. I suspect this video will put an end to a lot of heartache.”
Nicole agreed to do so. She felt Austin’s eyes on her and glanced at him. His expression was soft, his lips parting as if he were about to say something. He remained silent, but his emotions—his gratitude and pride—were strong on his face.
Nicole didn’t need to hear his words to know he loved her even more for what she’d done.
Dave and Elyse left for a moment to walk their son out to the car. The Youngs grouped together, talking, with Austin’s parents sending frequent glances to Nicole. Then, after saying goodbye, Coolidge and Austin got in the car and drove off. Dave and Elyse returned to the restaurant, and they finished their meal in silence.
A melancholy feeling settled over Nicole, and nothing she did pushed it away. She prayed she’d see Austin again, and soon.
The group quickly finished their dinner, paid, and left the restaurant. The moment they were walking down the street toward their hotel, Dave and Elyse surrounded Nicole.
“He’s worried about you,” Elyse said.
Dave nodded. “Wants us to keep an eye on you—make sure you don’t head up the mountain before everyone else comes.”
Elyse took Nicole’s hands, forcing her to slow down and look at her. “We don’t know if you’re planning on doing that or not, but please, please listen to us. If you try to destroy the machines before everything is in place, you’ll have to face the consequences of doing so alone. We have no idea what Rebecca has in store for all of us once those machines are gone. I know we don’t need to remind you about the dangers of doing something like that, right?”
Nicole shook her head. “No, you don’t. Besides the fact that it requires two Aretes to destroy the machines, I have no desire to be alone when it happens. I promise, I don’t have plans to do anything stupid.”
“Good,” Dave said. “Professor Coolidge and Austin will be back in the morning, bringing everyone with them. The four of us here will get an early start tonight, heading up to that farmland I told you about, where we’ll set up the equipment you brought. We’ll need to place it all around the perimeter of the area—including this city.”
“What does the equipment do?” Lizzie asked.
“The first batch disarms any machinery the Tarians bring that will tell them where Aretes are. They won’t know their equipment has been turned off, so this will be excellent.”
Dave continued. “The next set of equipment acts similarly to the first, except it prevents the use of firearms.” He patted his hip where his large revolver was holstered, a sad expression on his face. “As much as I love the comfort Hugo brings, the Tarians have access to far more guns than we do, so it’s best if we disarm everyone right from the start.”
Lizzie snorted. “So, we’re taking away their guns and making them fight vastly superior humans? That’s not very fair.” She held up her hands. “Not that I’m arguing, of course. They’ve never fought nicely. I’m good with whatever is necessary to give us the upper hand.”
“How long will it take to set everything up?” Nicole asked.
“Several hours tonight and more in the morning.”
Elyse pointed to the hotel. “Make sure you have everything you need. We’ll wait out here.”
Nicole and Lizzie rushed inside to use the restroom and grab hoodies, which they tied around their waists. It was still warm outside, but they didn’t want to risk getting cold later. They also tucked several flashlights in their backpacks, along with beef jerky and bottled water. Then they met Dave and Elyse outside.
Dave had the same rental truck he’d driven before, and already he and Elyse were loading the back of it with hundreds of tiny tripods and small brown boxes from the trailer the moving van had left behind. Nicole and Lizzie jumped to help, and soon, they had the bed full.
Nicole and Lizzie sat in the back of the extended cab, and Dave waited as Elyse locked the trailer. Then they pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward Carmen, a small township just north of Salmon.
Once there, they turned to follow Carmen Creek Road and drove on to Keystone Ranch Road and the property where they’d be setting up.
Dave tipped his hat to a man who stood outside one of the houses. Then he glanced in the mirror at the girls seated behind him and continued driving. “Figured it would be best to make sure this area is secure before starting with the city.”
That would be good, as the Great Ones would probably be coming here.
“Good thing you’re a Fire Arete,” Elyse said over the seat to Lizzie. “Only Fire Aretes can activate the anti-firearm machines. Unless the person is a Silver, of course.”
“But I’m not very powerful,” Lizzie said.
“Doesn’t matter. It recognizes your magical print.”
Dave and Elyse would be driving the truck around, dropping equipment off every twenty feet in a large circle around the link, with Dave using another set of equipment to make sure they were indeed circling the link and not just some random section of field.
“Good thing Coolidge got access to the university’s stuff,” Dave said, stopping at the first point and looking at the device in his hand. “We wouldn’t have been able to get one of these for a year or more.”
Nicole frowned, watching Dave check the meters. “Why do they have this if they didn’t believe links to other dimensions existed?”
Dave chuckled. “Oh, you always get some whacko nutjob at every college. Lucky for you, Katon University’s is Coolidge. Also lucky for you, he’s not crazy, but very intelligent and perceptive.”
Once Dave made sure the link was where he thought it was, he and Elyse showed Nicole and Lizzie how to position the fist-shaped ball on top of the little tripod. This was the anti-firearm device. Elyse showed Lizzie how to activate it, then deactivated it and let Lizzie try. Lizzie held it in her hands until it started glowing orange-red, then commanded it to work.
“That’s it?” Lizzie asked. “How cool!”
Elyse smiled at Lizzie. “Boy, I wish I had another son who could sweep you off your feet. You’re just so cute.”
Lizzie chuckled, a slight flush crossing her cheeks, and Nicole could tell that for once, her friend wasn’t sure how to respond. Nicole didn’t miss the continued insinuation that she and Austin would be getting married. The idea made her warm and tingly, but she knew they would need a lot more time to get to know each other before making that sort of commitment.
The group then set up the device that would prevent the Tarians from figuring out that Aretes were present. Nicole was able to activate that one with a similar method—a touch and a command.
Then they got to work. Elyse took over driving and did so slowly while Dave hopped up into the truck bed, pulled off the equipment, and placed it where Nicole and Lizzie would activate it. The tripods hid nicely in the wheat—the Tarians wouldn’t be able to
see the devices.
They worked until well after the sun had set, finally finishing up when the evening cold had long since hit.
Tired, a bit chilled, and flashlight batteries almost dead, the four of them piled into the truck and headed back to the hotel.
As soon as Nicole had showered and gotten into her pajamas, she mentally called for Trevor, her liaison to Jack and Anna Morse.
He showed up almost immediately. “Yes, Nicole? Can I help you?”
“We need to know what Rebecca is doing right now—along with when she plans to head to Idaho.”
Trevor smiled. “That’s easy. Her Tarians are on their way now. We’re monitoring their progress. They should arrive by tomorrow afternoon.”
Nicole’s stomach dropped. That wouldn’t give her and the others a lot of time to finish setting up the equipment, and she’d really hoped to destroy those machines before any Tarians arrived.
“What are Rebecca’s plans?”
“She wants to corner you and force you to give up your organs.”
“Of course.”
“Just keep that device with you—the one that blocks her. That should protect you.”
Nicole nodded. She wore the device all the time—even when she was showering. The thing worked by using magic, not electronics, so there was almost nothing she could do to ruin it.
“What about my parents? Has anyone been watching them?”
Trevor nodded. “Yes. Your mother and father are staying in Dallas, where they plan to organize and control the newsfeeds that get broadcasted.”
“The Tarians are filming everything?” Nicole couldn’t believe that hadn’t occurred to her. She already knew they loved having an audience.
“Yes. They want to have all of these important events on tape. Everything will be broadcasted around the world as it happens.”
Nicole rubbed her temples and glanced at Lizzie, who was sitting quietly on her bed, watching Trevor float around the room. She realized she hadn’t introduced the two of them. “Oh, Trevor, this is my best friend, Lizzie.”
Trevor waved at her. “I’d shake your hand, but I need to conserve my energy.”
“It’s okay.”
Reclaim, Mosaic Chronicles Book Five Page 13