by T. Anderson
“Don’t be ridiculous. I know when a guy likes me…and he does not. It’s his job, Air, remember? It’s the Fifth Circle he’s obsessed with, not me. He’s like some kind of hot, flirting monk who you’re not allowed to fall for because he’s devoted to a higher cause.” Stella coaxed a little giggle out of Aron with this and actually made herself laugh too. They were both tired and still a little intoxicated.
“Whatever. We both learned something tonight. Let’s go to bed. Things will be better in the morning,” Aron said. Motherly, she retrieved some pills for Stella from her purse and then helped her crawl under the covers. Aron switched off the light. They both immediately crashed. Once again, Stella slipped easily into another recurring dream.
Sitting in a big round room with stone walls and a domed ceiling made of ribbed mechanical-looking planks, Stella noticed the oversized wooden shutters were open, allowing the fresh sea air to flow into the room. It was dark. Night. She heard waves lapping at rocks far below. Seated at a rustic wooden table, a dozen dripping candles illuminated the room. Papers were scattered about, with writing in a language she couldn’t read. She noticed a drawing and examined it—a series of circles, one within the other, from large to very small. Little black dots of ink were deliberately placed amongst them. She wasn’t certain, but it looked like the solar system…curious. A voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Are you ready for tonight’s lesson, ‘My Little Star’?” Her teacher placed a glass vial down in front of her.
“What is it?” she asked. He pulled out the cork and poured the shimmering liquid onto the table. She had never seen anything like it. The way it moved—it was like metal had married water and made a beautiful little baby. “Is it silver?” she asked.
“No, it is not silver. It is the First Matter, the one from which all metals, including silver, have been born. It is the purest of pure elements in this world. And it may very well be your salvation.”
His voice faded into the background as she brought her face closer to the stuff. She reached her hand toward it and touched it with one finger, noticing how it bounced and rolled mysteriously on the rough wooden surface.
“It has been named Mercury,” she heard him say just before losing the dream to the white stillness of sleep.
************
Little did the twins know as they peacefully slumbered in their beds, Professor Hanson had followed them that whole night. Dane’s phone rang just after he’d left their room.
“Are the girls safe?” Vern asked impatiently.
“Yes, Doctor Hanson. They’re fine. No worries. Why?” Dane was ready to snap. Enough with this “no questions” crap. He deserved an answer.
“You can’t just let Stella walk off on her own. Anything could’ve happened. Dane, are you getting this?” Vern sounded completely annoyed.
“I get it, okay? But exactly what do you think is going to happen to her? So she went out and partied a little like everybody else here. What’s the big deal? What are you afraid of? Who are you afraid of?” Dane put it out there. He knew it was MONAD, but he needed to hear it. He had liquid courage still flowing through his veins.
“I can see this is not going to work unless we bring you up to speed on the situation. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at eight a.m. Be ready.”
Cool. It was a start. He would find out what he needed to know. “Understood, Doctor,” and then Dane disconnected the call. He felt more in control of the situation. Good. That’s how it should be, he thought. He was walking a fine line and needed to be ready for anything. Confidence was something Dane did not lack. He headed back to his room to ready himself for the morning.
************
Verner Hanson was caught in a dilemma. He was playing both sides to get Stella here to California. Of course he was a devout member of the Fifth Circle. There was no question where his loyalties lie. But to ensure her acceptance and arrival here at Berkeley, he’d decided to contact Petra. Surprisingly, she was cooperative. In return, he assured her that if anything of importance to the Aeon Project surfaced, Stella would immediately be returned to Minnesota. He gave Petra his word. But that was before he knew the extent of Stella’s status. He was not expecting any of this to happen. He was frantic with fear over what would become of her if Erling Steinar discovered the truth—that the Aeon Project worked.
Gunnar and Cybele knew nothing about Vern’s sneaky endeavors to place Stella at Berkeley. They assumed it was arranged through his leverage with the University Admissions Department. Why would they question it? They did have some Circle members besides Vern on staff there. They didn’t ask, so he didn’t mention it to them. No need to, he thought. They were all getting what they wanted, including Gunnar and Cybele. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.
For Vern, though—now that Stella was trotting around campus, going to parties, having episodes in public—this changed everything. Her life would be in jeopardy. He couldn’t risk losing trust with the Ericksons. With his track record, there was no question that they would abandon him and forbid him to ever see Stella again. If he could speak to Stella alone, it might be enough to control her in public. He couldn’t wait for the next meeting with the Ericksons. He would handle this without them. But in order to get things under control, he would need to take full advantage of Dane’s obvious concern for the twins. Dane needed more information. Together, they’d be able to clean up the mess—for now. They had to. And then, Vern would wait for Stella’s real parents to have the discussion with her directly about how to behave in public.
Then, once everyone calmed down and was following the “plan”, he would be free to pursue Stella without jeopardizing her safety. He was certain she would remember their life together, that she would forgive him and want to be with him again. How it should have been all along. He and Stella would be back together. Forever.
But there was someone else following the twins, someone who was following Dane. This “someone” now followed Professor Hanson as well. It was Gunnar Erickson. Observing Dane and Vern together the first night just to satisfy his concern, Gunnar was displeased when Dane made the private phone call after leaving Vern. Gunnar suspected something, so he returned this night to double-check and had witnessed the entire scene. Gunnar was better at hiding than Vern would ever be—more experienced. He was like a ghost in the shadows, an unlikely spy. It was difficult to watch as his daughters drank themselves silly and then see Stella stumble off on her own. But he needed to see it all, patiently waiting without interference. When he spotted Vern following them, he assumed it was Vern’s disturbed mind questioning Dane’s motives like he had.
What were Dane’s motives? That was the primary question. The second question, could Vern be trusted? He had a history of deviating from the plan and attempting to create his own. When Gunnar was sure the girls were safely in their dorm, he retreated home, back over the bridge. Things seemed to be well orchestrated and somewhat under control—so far. There was no need to interfere. Patience was one of his gifts. So for now, he would wait.
7
Allegiance
Dane woke abruptly to the sound of his buzzing alarm. He shook his head and slapped his face on the way to the showers. It was Saturday and the halls were quiet. Everyone was sleeping in except him, it seemed. He was working. He lingered in the steamy spray and soaked in the privacy. The next time he needed a quiet break from all the other students, he would try to remember this, “Get up early and the bathroom is all mine.” Right now, though, he had more serious issues to prepare himself for. Ready to meet Professor Hanson, he was hoping to find out what, exactly, he’d signed up for with this job—with both jobs. He hadn’t received any relevant information from either side, and he was beginning to lose his patience. After brushing his teeth he fixed his perfectly messy hair, then quickly dressed and flew down the stairs. But just before reaching the door, he heard a woman’s voice call his name from the first floor hallway. He recognized the voice, but it didn’t register yet
. Then, a paralyzing chill ran through him as he turned to face who it was. Dr. Myra Hadrian was sitting statuesque in the hidden lounge area. He was completely caught off guard by her. With a smug, pretentious look on her face, she hissed, “Did I surprise you, Dane?”
The hangover wasn’t helping as he struggled to collect his thoughts. “A little. What are you doing here? Is there a problem?”
“I’m just paying Stella a little visit. Making sure things are under control. It seems I should be asking you if there are any problems, Dane,” she retorted in her constrained, sarcastic voice. Dane was remembering how much of a bitch she was. She was reserved, intelligent, and put-together. Okay—he would admit she was smoking in an older, librarian sort of way… a bitchy, hot, librarian cougar. She could eat him for dinner. Yikes! He needed to keep it together.
“Well, I’m not sure what you mean, Dr. Hadrian. But I know she’s up in her room sleeping right now, so you’ll either have to wake her up or wait until she wakes up, which could be a while. She had a pretty crazy night.” He rocked back and forth on his heels and clapped his hands together. “I was just gonna go get something to eat. So uhhh…I’ll see ya later?” His statement became a question as he took two steps backward toward the door and attempted his escape. He was really not in the mood to discuss anything with her at this point. Verner was probably waiting out in the parking lot for him right now. Bad timing. Before he could take his third step, she stopped him.
“Perfect! We’ll go together. I need to debrief you anyway. My car is waiting right outside. Let’s go,” she commanded. It wasn’t a question. He clearly had no choice. Oh, this would not be good. He prayed that Professor Hanson was either late or had forgotten about their meeting.
“Sure. Lead the way,” he said as he felt the temperature in his face climb several degrees, trying hard to keep the steam from visibly shooting out of his ears. This witch was just here to ruin his day. She stood up and smoothed her skirt. No bag, purse, or briefcase, she traveled light. Passing him closely, enough to almost brush her shoulder against his, she stepped in front of him toward the door. He couldn’t help but notice her long legs and killer heels. Dane didn’t know much about shoes, but these were killer. She waggled tightly with her shoulders confidently poised and manicured hands relaxed at her sides. Her fitted jacket matched her professional, but short gray skirt. Her cinnamon colored hair was knotted smoothly at the nape of her neck into an elegant chignon.
“Follow me,” was all she said as she opened the door. Dane tried to hide behind her as they walked out to the black Escalade at the curb. But his failed attempts were not unseen by Professor Hanson, who was parked about thirty yards away. The driver of the SUV opened the rear door. Dr. Hadrian waited for Dane to get in first. He spotted Professor Hanson glaring at him with a disappointed look on his face as he ducked into the car. Dane’s cover was blown. As easily as it had been established, what trust he had was lost. He could only speculate about what Vern would do right now, but he had a few ideas. Maybe Vern would try to follow them. Maybe he would be on the phone to the Ericksons. It didn’t matter which scenario it was. It didn’t look good for Dane.
Dr. Hadrian settled in the seat beside him in perfect posture with her knees together to the side and her ankles elegantly crossed. Did people actually sit like that in real life? He remembered having similar thoughts about her when they’d met the first time. She was like a robot. A sexy, devious, bitchy robot. God, he hated her. Why had he ever agreed to work for her? Oh yeah, the money. Money talks. They pulled away from the curb and she interrupted his erratic, conflicted thoughts.
“All right, Dane,” she smiled and gave an exaggerated blink with her thick, long eyelashes. “Tell me what’s been happening. How is student life treating you so far?” She was good! Classic shrink-material. He had to play his cards right here. He had to let her think that she was manipulating him without actually letting her manipulate him. He had to choose his words carefully. He couldn’t worry about his other gig right now. Couldn’t be distracted by the mess he’d have to clean up with the Fifth Circle.
“Things are going great, Doctor,” he grinned. “Berkeley’s great. California’s great. Look at my tan…I’m lovin’ the sun.”
“Good, good, Dane. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.” She paused after another quick smile and eye flutter. Then her tone changed. “You haven’t forgotten what you’re being paid to do, have you Dane?” The driver, no doubt another MONAD agent, eyeballed him in the rear view mirror.
“No, Doctor. I haven’t forgotten. I’ve been with Stella around the clock since she arrived. And I’ve managed to infiltrate the Fifth Circle without any trouble,” he boasted.
“That’s terrific news, Dane.” Dr. Hadrian gazed out the tinted window. “And you haven’t observed any abnormal behavior from our Stella, then?”
“No. Other than freaking out when she saw her twin sister for the first time…but they both freaked out. Obviously. After they calmed down, they were like, joined at the hip the next day.” He tried to sound a little naïve.
“Yes. We know about that. Stella phoned her mother. Nothing else?” she asked. Beneath the thin layer of sugar, Hadrian was all business and right to the point, Dane thought to himself.
“Nope. Nothing else. I’ve been waiting for something crazy to happen…but quite frankly, I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. You’re paying me to watch some girl go to college. Thanks,” he smirked at her. He’d tried extra hard to control the sarcasm, but he was being provoked. In his opinion, Dr. Hadrian needed a good slap across the face. But chances were high that she’d probably like it. She stared him down for what seemed like minutes. She was trying to break him. Was she suspicious or was she always like this? He held his ground. “Are we going to eat somewhere?” He gestured with his hand toward the buildings flying by outside and raised his eyebrows. The driver looked in his rear view mirror again, this time at her. She gave the driver the slightest nod to the right and he slowed to a stop at the curb.
“Get out. We’re finished,” she said simply. Dane looked out the window. Having paid little attention where they were going, he had no idea where they were. He didn’t want to ask any questions, though. He was ready to be done with this hot robotic witch. The driver did not get out to open Dane’s door. As he stepped out on his own, Dr. Hadrian ordered, “Continue your surveillance, Dane. Let me know immediately if you notice anything…and next time, drop the ‘doctor’ bullshit and call me Myra.” She winked at him mockingly like she was playing with him. She thought she had him wrapped around her finger. Giving her a military salute, Dane slammed the door. As the car sped away, he transitioned the salute into a middle finger, knowing they would not see it but making himself feel better, nonetheless.
“Damn it!” he growled out loud in frustration. What the hell was he going to do now? He began walking aimlessly, then spotted a café and headed for it. At least he could get a cup of joe and formulate a plan. Maybe he could find an aspirin somewhere. Before he got that far, however, he felt and heard an engine following slowly behind him. He knew who it was. After dragging his feet to a stop, he swung his head in self-pity and slowly turned around to face his next trial. How much worse could this morning get?
Professor Hanson parked his car while simultaneously murdering Dane with his eyes. Dane resigned himself to the fact that he had to come completely clean. Waiting for the professor to approach, he was anticipating the wrath that was about to be bestowed upon him. In some ways he was relieved. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for this occupation like he thought he was. He had too much of a conscience, too much soul. But now he’d chosen his side of the war and he was ready to spill his guts.
“Coffee?” was all Verner said to Dane as he pointed to the diner. Dane couldn’t look him in the eyes. He just nodded and sulked in behind Vern. Professor Hanson ordered two javas at the counter and paid the barista. He brought them to the booth where Dane was already sitting, waiting. Vern handed him a mug and sat
down across from him. “She’s quite the charmer, isn’t she?” he asked. Dane was a little perplexed. Where was the wrath? The cross-examination? “She has a way with words…and other things,” Vern added with amusement.
“You know her? Doctor Hadrian?” Dane asked, baffled.
“I’ve met her once or twice,” Vern admitted reluctantly. “Wish I hadn’t. Bet you’re wishing the same thing right about now, aren’t you?” Dane nodded in agreement. Vern continued, “Should’ve listened to my gut when I met you…guess I didn’t want to believe it. How’d you get tangled up in this one, son?” he asked and then sipped his coffee.
Dane tried to ignore the hangover as he explained. “I took a job—thought it would be easy. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. And then when I met them…the twins,” he took a deep breath and shook his head, “I didn’t know I would end up caring about them. I’ve only known them for a couple of days and by last night, I’d already decided I wouldn’t put them in any real danger. I just needed more time to figure things out. I don’t know who to trust. No one will tell me a damn thing.” He waited for Vern’s reaction.
“I understand, Dane.”
“You do?” He was surprised at how easy that was.
“I do. And if you want to know more, I’ll tell you more. But you have to swear to me that you are committed to us. To the Fifth Circle. You’re going to earn your right to stay in it. Can you do that?” Vern wanted an answer before he went any further.
Dane nodded again. “I can do that. What do I have to do? If the twins are in danger, I’ll do anything. Just tell me.”
“Slow down, soldier. It’s Stella they want. And she is in danger. If MONAD knew what we know, I guarantee you that she would not be here right now. They would have her strapped to a gurney like a lab rat. They don’t see her as a human being, they look at her like she’s a research project.” Vern was practically spitting as he tried to contain his voice in the café. He sounded disgusted.