I studied the object in my palm that I’d held in the past without a clue as to its inner workings. The sides were malleable with a gel-like quality. Anxious, I tried not to squeeze. A mockingbird chattered and startled me into a jittery bundle of nerves.
“What makes it go off?” I asked.
“You do,” Regulus said. “Now you will exert pressure with your thumb and forefinger and tell it to discharge.”
“Tell it?” I shifted uncomfortably at the thought of talking to the stunner. Regulus hadn’t done that. I raised my eyebrows, unsure that I had heard him correctly.
“You can do it with your voice, but it isn’t necessary. Direct the command with your mind.” Regulus nodded his head toward the tree. “This is going to take all morning if you must question everything that I tell you to do.”
Arizona had carried a sword into the woods and began executing slicing motions parallel to his body. Ever since we had taken the sword from Ms. Amazon, he had been obsessed with it. He ignored us.
“I don’t get it. Where is the trigger? My voice?”
“Stop talking.” Regulus stood behind my shoulder and brought his arm forward, covering my hand with his. “Hold it like a gun. Steady.”
“Nothing is happening.” I pressed with my thumb and finger.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered. “Think about the discharge and mentally tell the weapon to obey. Be certain that your fingers make firm contact.”
For once, I didn’t argue. I concentrated on the weight of the weapon in my hand and pressed while I wished for it to fire. I heard the faint whistling sound and opened my eyes to see what I had done. Nothing looked different. If a branch had fallen, I couldn’t tell.
One hundred yards away to the left, an ancient oak tree bent in half and popped in protest. Several jolting shrugs later, the top five feet bent at a forty-five degree angle and creaked as it drooped toward the ground. A displaced flock of birds chattered while settling in another treetop.
Arizona chuckled to himself without making a comment.
Regulus rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “I think you have it. Now let’s try with the eyes open. But this time, think less forcefully. It may be important to keep the landscape intact, and there is a rather small mountain over there quivering in fear.” A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“This is too sweet. It’s superhero stuff, in case you didn’t know. No Slip will ever mess with me again.”
“This weapon is mine. I’m only showing you how to use it. It’s too dangerous for you to have one in your possession.” Regulus almost sounded sorry.
“That’s not fair. Why tease me with it?” My shoulders slumped as I looked around for a target.
Regulus took the stunner from my hand. “You may get your own some day. For now, you can use mine in case of emergency.”
“Great. I’m feeling as though I’m five years old. Want to just hand me a pointy stick and hope I can defend myself?” I glanced down. “I do get the knife, right?”
“A pointy stick might be best for you and your impulsiveness, but yes, you will use the knife.” Regulus’s mouth was a straight, hard line. “You will use the weapon from a distance for now. You have demonstrated very good aim in the past.”
He touched my hair, then strode over to a tree some distance away and removed a sheet of paper from his pocket.
Frustrated, I watched. He vacillated between shyness and boldness, and I rarely knew where I stood with him.
When he backed up, I could see his work. The paper was attached to the tree. Staring at the bull’s-eye target, I muttered, “You expect me to hit that? With the knife? You’re kidding, right?”
Returning, he handed me the knife by the handle. “First you place your right foot in the back. Then your feet should be approximately two feet apart.” He reached over to move my left leg into position. Then, he demonstrated how to place my feet.
“Can I throw it now?” I asked impatiently.
“Bend your knees.” His voice was even, as always. He took the knife from my hand. “I will demonstrate first. I should have thought of that.”
He assumed the stance he had taught me and extended both arms in front of his body. He quickly looped back his right arm, then shifted his body as he flung the knife so fast I didn’t see his right hand release it. The blade whizzed through the air and struck the center of the bull’s-eye, pinning the target.
Arizona had stopped practicing with the sword to watch. He jogged to the tree and tugged out the knife. Strolling back, he remarked, “We could let her use something easier.”
“No,” I said, peevish. “Don’t make allowances for me. I can do this.”
I eyed the knife for a second and then took it from Arizona. Though smooth, the handle was too large, awkward. When my posture and footing looked correct and balanced, I drew my arms forward as I’d been shown. I wound back my right arm as fast as I could and threw the knife. It went sailing through the air to fall…somewhere. Past the tree.
Regulus stared at the tree trunk.
Arizona ran forward to find the knife. He hunted through the piles of dead leaves before spotting it. Trotting back, he returned it to me. “That wasn’t terrible. It even landed somewhat near the tree.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I’m sure a bad guy will run when I throw a knife within four feet of him.”
“Again,” Regulus said softly with no apparent expectation that I would argue.
We continued in the fruitless exercise until my arm began to hurt, and I needed a bathroom break. I wanted to go back home and crawl back into my warm bed. Clouds had gathered overhead and a chill pervaded the clearing. My woolly sweater didn’t provide the heat I needed in spite of the exercise.
“Can we go in now? Lunch maybe?” I looked at Arizona since he would be easier to bait with a meal. I widened my eyes innocently. “Sure could use a burger.”
“You would cook us hamburgers?” Arizona sounded hopeful.
I almost felt guilty.
Regulus looked from my face to Arizona’s. “Your arm is weak. Yes, we will stop.”
“My arm is not weak. I can’t help it if repeating the same motion fifty times is causing muscle fatigue.” I handed him the knife. “I told you that I didn’t sign up for this part.” I smiled at him. “Find Pete, chill with you guys, locate a portal or two, save the world from hazardous baddies. If I can find Pete, my work here is done.”
“I envy you.” Regulus stated the words with honesty. “It must be pleasant to be carefree of the responsibilities you should carry. Has it occurred to you that you could be saving your people, your world, from extinction?”
“I think you’re exaggerating a little. Don’t you?” I asked gently. Dr. Bleeker had killed test subjects. Serious, but he wasn’t purposely killing all humans.
“Your earth’s role as our seed vault calls for extreme measures to ensure its safety,” Regulus explained with a shrug. “I do not see how you can be blind to the severity of this situation.”
After a few moments of gathering the equipment Arizona had brought to the woods, he finally spoke. “She can’t be blamed for her innocence. Not everyone has been trained in the enlightenment of interdimensional existence.”
“Who trained you in this…enlightenment?” I asked Arizona since he was originally from this world. I had a picture in my mind of a military spaceship with recruits standing in a row. Their blue uniforms would have shiny black buttons to match their boots. I laughed when my internal vision panned to Arizona in the line with his surfer blond hair and constant grin.
“The IIA, of course. And I’ve learned a lot from Regulus. He was my mentor for assimilation when I was twelve.” Arizona said the words with a hint of gratitude, and Regulus looked uncomfortable.
I looked to Regulus. “Teach me then.”
Regulus shook his head. “It’s worse with you than it was with Arizona. You argue with everything I say.”
“And he didn’t argue,” I said
in understanding.
“No, because we came to an agreement.” Arizona smiled widely as he said it. “Because when I was brought in seven years ago, the IIA placed me in the Vault to live. Regulus slept in the bunk below mine and was assigned to me as a mentor even though we’re the same age.”
Regulus laughed, a low rumble emanating from his chest. “I was not happy with the assignment. Arizona had a difficult time understanding that rules are to be followed.”
“And you follow all the rules, right?” I asked.
“Apparently not.” Arizona grinned at Regulus. “Level A misdemeanor for an agent to engage in romantic activities with a citizen of another dimension he is patrolling.”
“Level A? What does that mean?”
Regulus glared at Arizona. “Nothing really.”
“It has to mean something. Don’t brush off my question. I know that you aren’t supposed to be dating me.” I felt funny calling it dating since all we ever did was hang out with Arizona or my friends. We had very little time alone.
Arizona shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “You should tell her. She has a right to know since she is now one of us.”
“She’s not one of us,” Regulus said.
“Oh, that’s so not all right. I’m either on this team or not.” I couldn’t imagine what could be so bad. I hugged my arms tightly around my body. I followed Regulus and Arizona as they began to hike through the woods, but walking wouldn’t stop my questions.
“The Council would determine the best course of action.” Regulus spoke quietly as if someone might overhear. He stopped to rearrange his backpack before he spoke again. “Most times, Level A for this type of criminal behavior is a reprogram.”
My mouth dropped open at the term criminal behavior. “It’s not criminal. And what do you mean by reprogram?” My voice echoed in the woods. I searched Regulus’s expressionless face before I glanced at Arizona, searching for clues in his features.
“Memory cleanse,” Regulus said in a neutral manner.
“The IIA cleans your memory? You mean that they’d make you forget me?” My voice rose shrilly and ended in a tiny squeak. I grabbed Regulus’s arm, forcing him to stop.
“It is not possible for them to learn of us. If I believed the risk to be too high, I would tell you.” Regulus’s deep blue eyes met mine before he looked away and shrugged dismissively.
I shook my head in disbelief.
“Arizona does this all the time.” Regulus’s remark was so unlike him that I stared from one to the other.
“And you’ve never worried about getting caught?” I asked Arizona. I began to walk again, matching their strides. Maybe I was overreacting after all.
“If they wiped a romantic encounter or a person from my memory, it would be unfortunate, but not fatal.” Arizona laughed at his own joke. On seeing my expression, he added, “I think it’s worth the risk, Mia. The worst that can happen is that you wouldn’t remember those feelings or the person.”
“The worst that could happen…” I kept walking.
* * *
Em sat at my desktop computer while I shoved dirty clothes into a portable hamper. I hated doing laundry more than any other chore. Most kids my age had a mom around to do laundry, producing nicely ironed shirts and replacing missing buttons. I’d been doing my laundry since I was six years old. A few loads of turning all my clothes pink from the red shirt that slipped in, and I’d decided to become a sorting expert. Still, I put off laundry day as long as possible.
Em, who could focus like a brain surgeon, ignored me as I sorted my pieces into two hampers. I marveled at her ability to see the details in a picture. Where’s Waldo had always been a walk in the park for her. As I scooted behind her shoulder to read her notes, I noticed her eyes scanned the picture from left to right as if she were reading though the picture had no text.
“What are you looking for?” I sat on a stool beside her. I couldn’t fathom what a person could learn from the sea of faces I saw on-screen.
“Similarities. Differences. Things that don’t belong.” She blew a wisp of perfect, blonde bangs from her eyes. Her hair was done in a style framing her pretty face but nearly hiding it. I always brushed my hair back in a ponytail so it wouldn't obstruct my view. Practicality always won out over fashion.
“I don’t see anything.” I leaned in as if a closer view would help.
Em clicked to freeze the video frame. She then magnified on a group of people and I saw my face and hers come into view. “Take these two, for instance. The taller girl is looking around for something while her friend is talking to her. Obviously not paying attention to an important conversation.”
I sighed and looked at the two people on the screen, me and Em. Austin stood slightly over to the side. I was a lot taller than Em and dressed my usual T-shirt with jeans. Em wore a short skirt and long matching top that screamed “mall purchase.” Standing side-by-side we illustrated contrast.
“We don’t even look like we came from the same planet. That’s what I see. Two girls who don’t match.” I smiled to take the edge off the words. “You look ready to hit the runway, and I look like I’m on the run.”
“Not hardly.” Em twisted her thumb ring and tilted her head before shaking her head in denial. She turned back to the screen. “Same blonde hair, same age, standing close together. I’m leaning in talking to you, so a person could guess we know each other. Lots of similarities. Differences? I look like I’m having fun and you look unhappy. Maybe not that. You look distracted like you are looking for someone or something. “
“See that guy? He’s the one who was obnoxious in that session on setting up a tournament. I hate gum smackers.” I bobbed my head.
“This guy here is the one you thought was following you.” She touched the computer monitor, resting her finger on his head.
“He was following me, Em.”
“That’s what I meant. Anyway, here’s the one I noticed.” She pointed at a person holding a camera. The man looked through what appeared to be something more than a regular digital camera. The lens was extended for magnification at a distance.
“The camera lens is pointed at Pete over here. See?” Em stared at me to see my reaction.
“Oh.” The implications of this new discovery raced through my mind. “He was looking for Pete.” I sat on the bed and watched Em use a software drawing tool to circle the screen around the man in question.
“Were they looking at Pete because they knew you would be there, or was it the other way around? There are some more people in this video to study. Here’s someone who’s obviously people watching and that would be normal with the flash mob.” Em stopped the video again before continuing. She clicked a still frame of the image and drew another circle.
“How do you know he isn’t someone who was there for the conference?”
“No conference bag. It had lots of goodies from the vendor. We paid enough for it. Can you believe that we got a promo game from Celeron Dreams? I played it last night.”
“The guy, Em? What about the guy?”
She smiled. “Sorry. He isn’t carrying a bag, and while it’s possible that he decided he didn’t want to hang onto it, it’s unlikely. Deduction? He’s a bad guy out scanning the crowd for you. Or Pete.”
“I can buy that.”
“The question is why Pete if not you?” Em tilted her head to look over her shoulder.
“He’s on the run from someone. It has to be these people. My instincts tell me that this is still tied to Dr. Bleeker.”
“You can assume that, but we don’t know for sure. Please don’t get mad at me for what I’m about to say.” Em stopped talking and waited for my response.
“Go on.”
“No, promise me that you will consider this without getting all excited.”
“OK. You have my word.” I had no idea what would bring on this degree of concern.
“What if it is someone looking for Pete, someone besides Bleeker…since we thought he woul
d only be looking for you. We know the IIA wanted Pete for their own purposes. What if he is running from them?”
“Regulus and Arizona have nothing to do with the thugs who followed us around at GameCon.” My hackles were up before I could stop my reaction. I saw from Em’s face that she expected as much. “Em, Regulus almost died from the trap that somebody set at my house while I was gone to GameCon. You know that.”
“Right. But could it be possible that Dr. Bleeker set the trap? And the IIA didn’t send Regulus and Arizona, but other agents, to Dallas?” Em waited for me to soak in the possibility before speaking again. “I’m not saying that this is what I think. I think it is a possibility.”
My breath stuck in my throat as I thought about Regulus and his trust for the IIA. I believed with every cell in my body that Regulus was sure he worked for the good guys. “I’m trying to stay open-minded. If Pete is running from the IIA, I’m sure that Regulus doesn’t know.”
Em started the video again and located two other men she circled on-screen with the drawing tool. She clicked on the Stop button and glanced sideways at me. “I’m not saying that I think Regulus knew anything about it. I know you’re in deep.” She leaned back in the chair as far as she could go without falling over.
I flopped belly first on top of my bed and rested my chin on my folded hands. “I’ve never really cared about boyfriends…or lack of.”
“Um-hum.” Em withdrew a bottle of nail polish from her bag and waved it. “You mind?”
“Go ahead.”
“And now you’re worried about boyfriends, now that you have one? Where is this going?”
“I’m torn between wanting to know Regulus better and being scared of knowing him better. He drives me crazy. I think about him all the time. But when we’re together, it gets complicated. Most of the time, he only talks about the IIA and training me.”
Whisper of Memory (Whispering Woods Book 2) Page 4