Remembered

by Krista Street

  “Bathroom first.” Jacinda rolled her eyes.

  I grumbled but followed.

  When we stood at the sinks, washing our hands, I asked, “How long do you think it’ll be before we leave for Chicago to search for the other lost children?”

  Jacinda’s hands stilled on her paper towel. With a start, she resumed drying them. “We’ll have to see what Conroy discovers about his old group. It would be foolish to leave immediately.”

  “Jacinda! Lena!” The bathroom door banged open.

  Di stood in the doorway. She wore her usual all black attire which mirrored her midnight hair and dark eyes. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

  “Already?” I threw my paper towel in the trash. “But we’ve only been here five minutes, and we haven’t bought anything to eat.”

  “Then hurry up.” She glanced over her shoulder before stepping into the restroom. The door closed softly behind her. Looking past us, her eyes darted to the bathroom stalls. She lowered her voice. “Is anyone else in here?”

  Jacinda glanced at the empty stalls. “No, just us.”

  “Good,” Di said. “Because we need to get moving.”

  My heart rate increased. “Why? Did something happen? Did someone spot us?”

  Di shook her head curtly, her short hair swaying with the movement. “No, but Conroy has something for us at his house. He just told me about it.”

  I gave Jacinda a questioning look.

  Jacinda merely raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “This is news to me too.”

  “What is it?” I asked Di.

  Di smiled. Her eyes carried the manic gleam I was becoming to recognize all too well. “Another drug he wants to give us, but this drug will make us remember.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  “What?” There was no way I heard her correctly.

  Di nodded vigorously. Her dark eyes practically glowed. “It’s another drug to counter effect the first one.”

  “Seriously?” My mouth dropped. “As in, a drug that will make us remember…our pasts?”

  “Yes!” Her eyes brightened.

  A mixture of fear and curiosity filtered across Jacinda’s face. Similar emotions swirled inside me as the implications of another drug sank in. If this drug works, will we remember everything, even our earliest childhood memories? I thought about what those memories might hold.

  Memories of O’Brien Pharmaceuticals. Memories of being experimented on.

  Do I want to remember that?

  But I already knew the answer. With the bad memories came the good. Flint and I had both felt something for one another since the moment we laid eyes on each other. I wanted the memories of him and me. I wanted to remember everything, everything I had ever done or experienced.

  My mind raced with what I knew about Conroy’s drugs. The drug may not work. Or a side effect could occur. I bit my lip. Not even a second passed before I knew what I was going to do.

  I was willing to take that chance.

  The door to the restroom banged open. Flint’s figure towered in the space. Heat and raw energy radiated off him.

  “All of you, follow me. We’re leaving without Conroy.” Flint’s chest rose heavily with each breath.

  I took a step toward him. “I guess you heard Conroy’s got another drug for us? A drug to make us remember everything he erased?”

  Flint’s jaw tightened. “Oh, I’m sure he’d love to drug us again, but there’s no way I’m taking that, and I won’t let you either.” He stepped inside the restroom, the door closing behind him.

  I softened my tone. I knew when Flint was in a mood like this, so concerned for my safety, he went wild. Only soothing reason could permeate his stubborn resolve. “But what if it works?”

  “And what if it doesn’t?”

  “But it could.”

  “Or it could kill us.”

  “It won’t kill us if it’s like the drug that made us forget. That one’s safe, remember?”

  Flint took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “But what if it isn’t safe, Lena?” He opened his eyes. “Then what? What if it damages us? Or causes one of us to get sick?”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Di and Jacinda discreetly leave the restroom. I stepped closer to Flint and laid my hand over his. “The first drug didn’t. So why would this one?”

  “Conroy’s drugs aren’t to be taken lightly.” His tone grew hard. “Remember what Conroy said they did to some of the kids at O’Brien? Irreversible encephalopathy? Those kids died. We’re now grown adults. If what Conroy said is true, our brains don’t adapt as easily. Each day we get older, the risks increase.”

  “But this drug isn’t like those,” I countered. “It didn’t give us abilities. It just took away our memories.”

  His nostrils flared.

  “Conroy wouldn’t do this if it weren’t safe. Remember what I said? I trust him.”

  He stared at me for a moment and then whispered, “Babe…please.”

  I crumbled when a pained look crossed his features. His blatant fear made me pause. What if his fears are valid? What if this second drug kills one of us and tears us apart? Just like he fears?

  I shook my head internally. No, it wouldn’t do that. This drug was different than the ones Conroy gave us as babies. He’d said so himself. But no drug comes without risk and side effects.

  I shook that thought off too and wrapped my arms around Flint. The heat searing off him went right through the parka. “You’re not going to lose me. I think we can trust Conroy. He knows what he’s doing.”

  “You don’t know that.” He crushed me tightly to him.

  “No, I don’t, but I believe that and for me, that’s enough.”

  He cupped my cheeks, forcing my head up to meet his dark eyes. “If I ever lost you…”

  I laid my hand over his. “You’re not going to get rid of me that easily. Haven’t you noticed I’m made of tougher stuff than that?”

  A haunted expression clouded his face. I knew he was thinking about Aaron, about the physical injuries I suffered last month because of the psycho cowboy. Injuries I overcame.

  “We better go.” I pulled away from him.

  When we emerged from the restroom, a few people glanced our way. I’m sure having a large male inside the women’s restroom wasn’t something one saw every day. Especially not a male as breathtakingly handsome as Flint.

  Tall, strong and lean, Flint had a body most women drooled over. His face was equally attractive. With olive skin, a long, straight nose, piercing, deep-set dark eyes, and a full but firm mouth, he was incredibly beautiful. I glanced down at myself. Small frame, pale skin, and unruly dark red hair summed up my looks pretty succinctly. In other words, I wasn’t exactly a fashion model, but I knew I was attractive. The curves I’d developed since putting weight on helped, and Flint’s reaction every time he ripped my clothes off told me exactly how appealing he found me.

  “Hey, guys!” Jasper called.

  The twins, Mica and Amber stood together, at the travel center’s front door, waving.

  “Let’s go!” Jet called.

  I quickly scanned our audience again. Everyone seemed like benign strangers. I still assessed each of them curiously. Considering what Conroy believed, the little old ladies two aisles over could be two of O’Brien’s spies. I shifted my vision until their clouds appeared. Both white or ivory. Good clouds. They were kind, honest people.

  Hardly spy material.

  A few Native Americans perused the aisles. A lone clerk manned the cash register. All white or ivory clouds. I switched my vision back to normal. The clouds disappeared. While I trusted Conroy, he did seem rather worried for nothing.

  It wasn’t until Flint and I stepped away from the restroom that I saw another stranger in the gas station. A man stood in the corner. He was alone and wore dark shades despite the evening hour. A cell phone was pressed to his ear. His lips moved. He appeared to be watching us. I switched my vision again. When his cloud appeared, I stepped back.


  Dark gray.

  “What’s wrong?” Flint said.

  I scanned the entire travel stop again to make sure I hadn’t missed anyone else. No one – just the man in the corner. My gaze swung back to him.

  He was gone.

  Unease slithered through me. I shook my head. Now, I was acting paranoid.

  “Lena, is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I saw a man with a dark cloud, but he’s gone now. That’s all.” I pointed to the corner by the soda machines. “He was standing there. He wore sunglasses and was talking to someone on a cell phone. His cloud was dark, and he was watching us. Did you see him?”

  Flint shook his head.

  I ran a hand through my hair and berated myself for getting caught up in Conroy’s worries. “Let’s get going. I think everyone’s waiting for us.”

  A minute later, we were climbing into the Pathfinder. The dark clouded man was nowhere to be seen. “That’s weird. It’s like he disappeared,” I muttered to no one in particular.

  Conroy clicked his seatbelt in place. “Who disappeared?”

  “Oh, just some guy I saw in the gas station. He had a dark gray cloud and seemed to be watching us.”

  Conroy’s movements stilled. “Watching you?”

  “I’m sure it was nothing.” I settled in beside Flint and fastened my seatbelt.

  “What did he look like? Describe him to me,” Conroy demanded.

  Unease again fluttered through my veins even though it seemed impossible that O’Brien could know we were here. However, Conroy’s calm manner had disappeared. He had turned in his seat, his hazel eyes sharp as he scanned our surroundings.

  “Uh…he had sunglasses on, was medium build and had brown hair.”

  Mica sat in the front passenger seat, slurping a bright red slushy drink. Her gaze drifted from us to the store. “Did he do something?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “He was just watching us.”

  Conroy put the Pathfinder into drive and made a signal to Di. She followed us back to the interstate. A few minutes later, we were speeding west on I-40. Conroy kept glancing over his shoulder, scanning the cars behind us.

  “Is anyone following?” His voice was tight.

  Flint frowned but turned to glance out the back windshield. After a moment, he said, “There’s a sedan about three hundred yards back. It’s staying at an even distance.” A few other cars flew past us.

  “Mica,” Conroy said. “Zoom in on the driver. Tell me what he looks like.”

  Mica continued to slurp her drink as her brown eyes narrowed. Her enhanced sight allowed her to see details on small objects hundreds of yards away.

  “Dark glasses. Brown hair. He’s talking on a cell phone.”

  “That sounds like the guy I saw,” I said uneasily.

  Mica cocked her head. “He’s reaching for something now.”

  Conroy tensed. “Reaching for what?”

  Mica’s pupils grew wider and then she laughed. “It’s just a map. He’s actually using a map.” Another disbelieving chuckle escaped her. “Apparently, the dude hasn’t figured out that it’s faster to use his cell phone’s GPS.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. It was silly that I was actually getting concerned. “So he’s just a traveler?”

  “We can’t assume that,” Conroy said. “Where’s his license plate from?”

  “Texas.” Mica rattled off the number.

  “I’ll look into that when we reach the house, but if this man is following us, I can’t take the chance of him discovering the home’s location. We’ll have to lose him and be careful to ensure that nobody else in the area is working with him.” Conroy put his blinker on and exited the interstate.

  Di and the others followed.

  When we reached the stop sign for an intersecting highway, Conroy stopped. Mica’s slurps filled the cab, but at Conroy’s request, she kept her gaze glued to the vehicle the man drove. A few seconds ticked past.

  I’m sure Di and the others were wondering what we were doing. None of us had told them about the man.

  “There he goes,” Mica said.

  The sedan sped past on the interstate. In the dying sunlight, the only details I saw were that of a four-door sedan. That was it.

  Mica chuckled. “He’s still looking at the map. I think the dude’s lost.”

  Conroy’s gaze followed the sedan until it disappeared around a curve. “I’m not taking any chances. There could be other men in communication with him. It’s possible we were spotted somewhere between here and Colorado.”

  Nostalgia for the seclusion of Pete and Val’s ranch and the small town of Little Raven slid through me. Hideaway Hills seemed like light-years away. I had no idea if Conroy was paranoid or if his fears were valid, but I still craved the safety and quaintness of the ranch.

  “What do you propose we do from here?” Flint’s energy strummed off him into me. It was filled with skepticism.

  “We’ll take back roads to the house. It’ll take longer, but it will be easier to spot if anyone’s following us. Mica, I need you to stay alert and tell me if you see anything unusual.” Conroy’s brusque orders were so unlike any way he’d acted before.

  “Flint?” Conroy’s eyes drifted to him in the rearview mirror. “Will you tell Diamond about the man Lena saw? I’m sure they all want to know why we’ve stopped.”

  “Is that really necessary?”

  “Yes.”

  Flint shook his head but did as Conroy asked. Cool air swirled into the cab when Flint opened his door. In a lightning fast move, he stood by Di’s window.

  I brushed hair out of my eyes. “Hopefully, he was just a traveler who happens to have a dark cloud.”

  Conroy nodded. “Let’s hope.”

  Trying to take my mind off Conroy’s fears, I leaned forward. “Di mentioned that you have a drug at your house. She said it will give us our memories back.”

  Conroy’s expression tightened. “That’s correct, and at this point, I think it’s important for all of you to take it.”

  The setting sun blazed through the cab’s interior. I shielded my eyes so I could see Conroy better. “Why’s that?”

  “So you can all remember what you’re truly capable of. Those additional abilities will be needed if you’re intent on returning to O’Brien.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Mica’s head whipped toward Conroy, her drink forgotten. “What additional abilities? What the heck are you talking about?”

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to explain now.”

  Flint reappeared by my side. He’d moved at his speed. In other words, one second he was gone, the next he was there. The air rustled around us.

  He slammed his door. “All right, they’ll follow.”

  Conroy turned onto the highway. A car driving in the other lane slowed before pulling onto the interstate entrance ramp. Conroy’s eyes narrowed as he watched it.

  “Mica, do you see anyone following us?” Conroy checked his mirrors.

  Mica swung her gaze in all directions. Her pupils grew large and then small when she zoomed in and out. “There’s a car about a mile down this highway. It’s driving toward us.”

  “They could be from O’Brien.” Conroy drove another mile before turning onto a two-lane road. The GPS on the dash recalculated our route.

  Flint rolled his eyes and leaned toward me. “Paranoid with a capital P,” he whispered.

  Di followed closely behind, putting just enough distance between us to allow Mica a good view in all directions. The winding road helped as we climbed into the mountains. Mica continued to scan the horizon at Conroy’s request. She told him everything she saw.

  “A maroon minivan just appeared on the highway we left, it’s… The white sedan that turned onto the highway from the road we passed is heading south. Two kids are in the back and… The bikers stopped. One of them is rummaging through his saddle bag…”

  Every few minutes, she’d look forward and tell Conroy what appeared
ahead. “Nobody’s up this road, but there’s a home in that valley. A light’s on in the kitchen. I see movement in the…”

  The evening carried on. The sun slowly faded. Conroy switched roads every time a new road appeared, sometimes doubling back the way we’d come. It was a good thing he’d filled both vehicles with gas at the travel center. We were already down to half a tank.

  Green digits glowed on the dash’s clock as Mica continually assessed our surroundings. It wasn’t until eight at night that Conroy decided we weren’t being followed.

  “So do you think the man with the dark cloud was truly just a traveler?” While my brain was telling me there was no possible way anyone from O’Brien could know where we were, my heart still hammered every time Mica thought someone might be following us. Conroy seemed so convinced we could be followed.

  Conroy shook his head. “Not necessarily. He could be or we could have lost him.”

  My stomach churned and not from lack of food.

  The GPS once again recalculated our course when Conroy turned around. He rolled down his window before Di did a U-turn.

  “I think we’re okay. We’ll head to the house now.”

  Di scanned the road. From her frown, I wasn’t sure if she also felt this was overkill or if she agreed with Conroy. “Okay, we’ll follow you.”

  My stomach grumbled as we backtracked to the main highway before heading north. However, this time it was reminding me we’d missed supper. Mica reached into her bag and pulled out gummy bears. Not exactly filling or nutritious, but it would have to do. She dumped a handful in my palm.

  Popping a bear in my mouth, my heart rate slowly returned to normal. “So what are these additional powers you were talking about earlier?”

  Flint raised his eyebrows. “Additional powers?”

  I gave him a gummy. “Conroy told us the drug that counter effects the memory one would also help us recover additional powers. He said we may need them if we return to O’Brien.”

  “We have more powers?” Flint glanced toward Conroy, an eyebrow raised.