Remembered

by Krista Street

  Our lives may depend on it.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The next few days passed quicker than I could have imagined. Things with Jasper, Mica and Amber simmered down. A little. My conversation with Mica seemed to have cracked the possibility of her talking to him again. And while Mica still seemed miffed with Amber, venom no longer dripped in her every word when they spoke.

  Baby steps. That was how we were all dealing with things.

  The energy floating through the house had definitely kicked up a notch with all of the emotions and turmoil. It was impossible for me to not notice despite my newly remembered ability to control the energy around me. At times, it felt like I was walking through electrically charged soup. It could be exhausting.

  It hadn’t escaped my attention either that O’Brien Pharmaceuticals had fallen to the back burner. With the return of our memories, my nearly fatal reaction to the drug, and the dysfunctional dynamic that ensued meant our relationships had taken a beating. However, things slowly seemed to be mending. There had been a lot of conversations over the past few days, not just between Amber, Mica and Jasper but between all of us and Father.

  It seemed Flint wasn’t the only one angry with Father. Jasper, Mica and Amber were too. That wasn’t surprising considering what happened. To try and deal with it, Father sat with all of them and talked through things while Di defended Father’s decision vehemently. Di was so devoted to Father he probably could have run her over with a two-ton truck and she would have merely stood up and brushed herself off.

  And then there were our additional powers to deal with.

  Just like I’d remembered my ability to see plant and animal clouds, and my elusive ability to join clouds into energy balls, the twins had also remembered their abilities to manipulate emotions and thought patterns, and Di had remembered her ability to control her visions. Mica could do more too, but she seemed more preoccupied with Jasper than on discovering how to control it.

  Needless to say, it had been a whirlwind of a week.

  I slipped on a pair of socks as I sat on a counter stool. Scents of pasta pescatore floated through the air. We were all in the kitchen at the moment, helping to prepare supper. I took heart in that. It was the first time all week the nine of us were together in one room and nobody was fighting.

  My gaze lingered on the view as I pulled my pants back over my socks. The desert was awash in the fading sun. A few birds of prey circled in the sky, and the mountains glowed purple. The sun glinted off the huge dining table that easily seated ten. It sat at the edge of the kitchen, running parallel to the monstrous windows. The view from the dining table was impressive, to say the least.

  Father and Jacinda cooked at the stove. Steam billowed up from the kettle boiling the pasta, while the sauce simmered gently in a separate pan. Jet stood at the island, fixing a salad while Mica made the garlic bread. Jasper, Flint and Di were busy setting the table and filling water glasses when Father asked Amber and me to grab a few bottles of wine.

  “They should be in the cellar,” he said.

  I hopped off the stool and headed downstairs with Amber. She silently trailed behind. Her energy strummed softly toward me. Sadness made it heavy.

  Whoever had stocked the pantry, freezer and refrigerator before our arrival had been very thorough. The number of ingredients was endless. The wine cellar was no different. Hundreds of bottles of wine stared back at us in the cool, dry room.

  “What should we choose?” Amber wore black leggings and a baggy sweater. The top seemed to hang on her.

  “Um, good question.” I had no idea what wine went best with Italian seafood. We’d been educated on that sort of thing during our Real Life Etiquette course, but since that topic had seemed so trivial to me, I hadn’t paid much attention. Unfortunately, it appeared Amber hadn’t either.

  “I’m trying to remember what we learned.” She bit her lip. “I think white goes best with seafood, but the pescatore sauce is tomato based. So does that mean red?”

  I studied her closer. Dark circles rimmed her eyes. “So not white but red?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe we should bring up a couple of bottles and let Father decide.”

  We both grabbed an armful and returned to the stairs. Her movements were slow and lethargic.

  “So…” I walked carefully up each step. “How have you been?”

  “Fine.”

  Her reply was too quick and automatic. Anyone with eyes could see that she wasn’t fine. “Have you spoken to Jasper or Mica today?”

  She shook her head.

  “They seem to be talking to each other again.”

  “Yeah. I know,” Amber replied quietly.

  My heart broke a little at her sad tone. Since we’d regained our memories, Amber had changed. She seemed more like the young woman I remembered from before Father’s drugs. She wasn’t nearly as flirty as she had been at Hideaway Hills, and she didn’t act quite as spoiled or immature. Being the youngest, she’d definitely been babied during her life, but she hadn’t had it easy.

  Growing up, we’d all formed close friendships and relationships within our group. The siblings, of course, had an inherent bond: Di and Flint, Jet and Jasper, me and Jacinda. But then the long-term relationships had formed: Flint and me, Jasper and Mica.

  The only one who’d never been part of a relationship, or had a sibling, was Amber. I didn’t think I fully appreciated how lonely she probably felt because of that. Until now.

  “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you and Jasper.”

  She shrugged again. “S’okay.”

  I stopped when we reached the top of the stairs and put my hand on her arm, which was awkward with how many bottles I carried. She stopped and faced me. Wide, brown eyes, rimmed with tears stared back.

  “You know you’re as much a part of this family as anyone else. You know that, right?”

  She nodded.

  “And you know that we all love you, even if we fight sometimes?”

  A small smile tugged up her lips. “Are you trying to make up for all of those years when you told me I was a big baby?”

  I grimaced. “Me? Did I do that?”

  Her smile grew a little larger.

  I sighed. “Yeah, okay. I was like an annoyed older sister with my baby sibling. Will you forgive me?”

  “I forgave you a long time ago.”

  Her eyes were genuine and soft. How different the real Amber was from the one I’d met two months ago at Hideaway Hills. I knew in that moment Mica had it wrong. The real Amber wasn’t petty and immature, hiding her real nature our entire lives. The real Amber was this one, standing right in front of me. “I’m glad you’re back to your old self. I didn’t much care for the newer one.”

  “You’re not the only one who should apologize. I’m sorry I lied to you about taking that ride with Flint. If I had known what it would turn into–”

  I gripped her tighter. “It’s okay. It’s in the past now.”

  “Do you mean that?” Her eyes grew wide and hopeful.

  “Yes.”

  She sighed. “Good. I thought you hated me.”

  “I will never hate you, but I can’t promise I won’t get irritated every now and then.”

  “You irritate me too sometimes.”

  I laughed. A bottle almost slipped out of my arms. Amber caught it just in time.

  We both laughed then. I nodded toward the kitchen. “We better get back before these stairs become covered in pinot and shattered glass.”

  A soft giggle was her response.

  Back in the kitchen, we deposited our goods on the counter. I gave Amber a quick hug. She smiled a little wider when I pulled back. Overall, she didn’t look quite as somber as she had downstairs.

  Jet raised his eyebrows when he saw the nine bottles of wine on the counter. “Have we turned over a new leaf? Nobody’s allowed to go to bed anymore unless one’s completely intoxicated?”

  Amber laughed at which Jet’s eyes lit
up. I’m sure it wasn’t lost on him that it was the first time Amber had really laughed in days.

  “Those are all for me, Jet,” Jasper cut in. “You know how I love my wine.”

  The smile on Amber’s face vanished. She ignored Jasper and joined Jacinda, mumbling something about helping her. Jacinda put an arm around Amber’s shoulders and squeezed.

  I sighed. It would definitely take a while before our family got in sync again.

  “All right, supper’s ready,” Father said. “Let’s all sit down.”

  Everyone picked up dishes and carried them to the table.

  “Which wine?” I asked.

  Father surveyed the dozen bottles sitting on the island. Chairs being pulled back from the table made a scraping sound in the room. Father leaned down and surveyed the bottles’ labels. “This one and this one.”

  I glanced at the wines. Sangiovese and Malbec. Pretty sure Amber and I would have never gotten that right.

  “Let’s eat before this gets cold.” Jet had already dished a huge serving of pasta onto his plate.

  Father grabbed the wine openers and popped the corks. One by one, we all sat. Each dish was passed from person to person, along with the two bottles of wine Father had chosen. It was so normal and familiar that my earlier anxiety over our family’s energy subsided. Feeling a bit better, I swirled pasta onto my fork as everyone chatted with one another.

  I lifted another bite to my mouth when Di abruptly asked, “When are we going to O’Brien?”

  I almost dropped the utensil but managed to swallow without choking too much. Everyone else grew silent. Flint put an arm around my shoulders. I took some comfort from the contact and wiped a few drips of pasta sauce off my shirt.

  Father finished chewing his food and took a sip of wine. “I’ve made a few inquiries to my O’Brien contacts about how many lost children are still being held. I should have an answer in a day or two.”

  Jacinda’s honey brown eyes widened. “So, we’re still going?”

  “Of course, we’re still going,” Di replied. “If there are others like us, still alive, we can’t leave them.”

  The room blazed red as the setting sun shot through the glass. The walls seemed bathed in blood. Di was right. We couldn’t leave them. That wasn’t an option.

  I took a sip of wine as an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. I felt Flint’s eyes on me. The worry was back on his face. I tried to smile.

  I couldn’t.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The next morning it seemed with each passing minute, the tension in the house grew. There was no further update from Father’s outside contacts. We were waiting for them to reveal how many lost children were still captive, where they currently resided and how they were guarded. Until then, we had no idea what we were up against.

  Flint and I sat on the couch. He practiced his lock picking skills on locks Father bought at the local home improvement store while I practiced my newly remembered energy skills. It was hard to concentrate, though. Each time I almost combined two clouds, as sweat beaded on my forehead, the ball broke apart. A certain someone kept making “hmm’s” and “ah’s” as she researched things online.

  Di sat on the living room floor, an online map of Chicago in front of her. O’Brien Pharmaceuticals was based outside the city. Father had said the building where we’d been kept fronted as a warehouse in an industrial part of town. Unless they’d moved Project Renatus, Father guessed the other lost children still lived there.

  I swallowed uneasily. Vivid images of that research day at Little Raven’s public library, all of those months ago, kept cropping to the forefront of my mind. That was the day Di had her first vision of Chicago. The vision where she saw all eight of us in Chicago.

  I had no doubt we were going to the city. Di’s visions always came true. Only now, I knew why we were going back to where it all began.

  To free other lost children.

  “There are only two entry points.” Di studied an aerial photo of the warehouse. “The front doors and the loading dock. Seems kind of limited for such a big building, don’t you think?”

  Jasper leaned forward. He sat behind Di on a chair. Mica sat on the chair beside him. Jasper and Mica’s hands were entwined. It was the first time I’d seen them touch all week.

  “Probably doesn’t meet fire code,” Jasper replied.

  I tried to tune them out, but as hard as I tried I couldn’t concentrate. Between Di’s random comments and questions, and the noise coming from down the hall where Jacinda, Jet and Amber were watching a movie, a lot was going on.

  A click sounded. Flint successfully picked his last lock. He leaned over when I let out another groan of frustration. Damned energy balls!

  “Want to get out of here?”

  With a sigh of relief, I let my sight snap back to normal. “Please.”

  FLINT AND I strolled hand in hand around the huge backyard. It was mid-afternoon. The November sun was high. A cool breeze caressed our cheeks. It felt nice. I finally felt like I could breathe.

  It was good to be outside for a change. It had been awhile since we’d been able to do anything as relaxing, or as normal, as taking a walk for no reason. However, I had a feeling this reprieve wouldn’t last long.

  Father had been on the phone when we stepped out. He’d shut his study door when we walked by, his voice lowering, the words muffled. I considered going back to ask Jacinda what was being said, but Flint tugged me down the stairs. I was glad he had. For once, I just wanted to forget everything.

  “How’s Amber doing?” Flint’s thumb rubbed my hand as we strolled.

  I shrugged. That was one of the many million dollar questions. Other than the brief conversation Amber and I had last night, I hadn’t spoken with her again about Jasper.

  “I don’t know. She was pretty upset last night, and I feel as badly for her as I do for Mica. Before, at Hideaway Hills, she drove me crazy with her spoiled pouting and immature acts. But now, since I can remember her from before that, I feel differently. She never acted like that before Father’s drug. I kind of wonder if something inside her unleashed when we all met up. It was like her subconscious knew it was her one and only chance to really change her place in our group, so she wouldn’t always be the outcast.”

  “Do you know she found me this morning and apologized for trying to flirt with me when we first met? She also apologized again for lying about that ride she said we took together, on that day you…” His hand tightened around mine.

  I knew it was still hard for him to remember that day. It had been over eight weeks since that incident. That was the day I’d gone riding in the mountains, by myself, after Amber told me she and Flint were meeting for a secret horseback ride.

  During my mad dash to get away from the ranch, I’d encountered Aaron in a ravine. The psychotic cowboy had tried to attack me, but I’d escaped. Unfortunately, as I galloped away in sheer panic, I was thrown from my horse and collided with a tree. A few cracked ribs and a concussion were the results of that accident. I was lucky I hadn’t broken my neck. Even though everything had turned out okay, I knew it still haunted Flint. In his eyes, he’d come close to losing me. It wasn’t something he’d likely forget anytime soon.

  We never did find out what became of Aaron. He’d vanished without a trace, having never returned for his belongings or his last paycheck at the ranch. Of course, he probably knew what else would be waiting for him: an arrest warrant.

  I tugged Flint’s hand. “Amber apologized to me too last night. It appears she’s trying to make amends.”

  Flint didn’t respond. His eyes carried that haunted faraway look.

  I did my best to coax him out of the mood he was falling into. “Have you or Di talked about how we’re getting to Minnesota?”

  Father and Di believed flying into Minneapolis’ airport and driving to Chicago was safer than flying directly to Chicago. I supposed they had a point. If O’Brien had people looking for us, reason deemed that more of tho
se employees were stationed in the Chicago area versus other states.

  “We figured we’d either fly in Conroy’s jet or fly commercially,” Flint replied.

  “Wouldn’t his jet be recognized?”

  Flint shrugged. “Only Conroy can answer that, but I’m guessing everything he owned before he left O’Brien, he got rid of.”

  “Commercial flights are so public. I can’t imagine Father agreeing to that.”

  Flint frowned. “No, I can’t either.”

  THE MOVIE JET, Jacinda and Amber had been watching was finished when we returned to the house. Scents of popcorn hung in the air, but no one lingered in the theater. Father’s study was also empty when we passed. Voices carried from the living room. It sounded like a heated discussion.

  “We need to leave tonight!” Di said.

  We rounded the corner just in time to see Jet throw his hands in the air. “We can’t tonight, Di! We’re not ready!”

  “You may not be ready, but I am.” Her dark eyes flashed. “We’ve already been here a week, and Lena’s doing just fine now. What do you think I’ve been doing while she recovers? I’ve already spent hours studying the warehouse, watching live video feed, and devising the best way to get inside. I haven’t been sitting around twiddling my thumbs.”

  Jet gave Di an incredulous look. “How did you watch live video feed?”

  Di shrugged defiantly. “I hacked into their system.”

  “I wish I had been included in the elite hacking team when you three learned,” Jet muttered.

  Jasper clapped him on the back. “If you were as smart as me, you would have been.”

  Jet scowled at his brother.

  “Do you remember your hacking skills?” I asked Flint.

  “Before our memories came back, no, but now, yeah, I remember.”

  He said it so casually. As if it was no big deal to hack into a corporation’s hidden files. I turned to Father. “Did you hear from your contacts?”

  Father nodded. “Yes. According to him, Project Renatus is still running. Although nowhere near as actively as it was fifteen years ago. Only three subjects are…” his voice caught. He cleared his throat. “Only three subjects are still alive. The rest have died.”