Anna was waiting for me on the sidewalk in front of the bookstore when I got there the next morning. She bounced on the balls of her feet excitedly. “So? What’s going on?”
I opened my mouth to tell her but then looked around. There were several people walking near us, going in and out of the bookstore or on the way to the shops along the street. The sun was trying hard to shine through the clouds, hinting at a pretty spring day.
“Come on.” I waved for her to follow as I headed for the little park a few streets away from the funky shopping district. I sat down on a swing and Anna settled into the neighboring one. I glanced around again – satisfied we were alone before I told her about the visions and waking up Ben. I left out the part where I’d agreed to Ben being in my head. I was reluctant to say it aloud. It felt like my own secret to keep, not just because I was breaking our laws, but also because I didn’t want to share our conversations. You don’t share some things, even with your best friend.
Anna’s eyes were wide and her mouth dropped open when I finished. “Wow, Olivia, just wow.” She twisted the seat of the swing around a few times, letting it swing back into position as she lightly dragged her toes in the dirt. “It’s everything – scary, daring, romantic.”
“Romantic?” I asked. “Didn’t you hear the part where he wasn’t sending the visions on purpose? He just got lucky.”
She waved that fact away as inconsequential. “But he wanted them to get to you. He trusted you to do something with them.”
“Huh.” I thought for a moment before an uncomfortable realization crept up on me. “But I didn’t.” Anna gave me a puzzled look. “I mean, I didn’t do anything about the visions. I just tried to ignore them.” I hunched my shoulders. “I suck.”
“Hey, no you don’t.” Anna jumped out of her swing and flung an arm around me. “You didn’t know what was going on at first, but once you did, you helped.”
“But Six figured it out, not me,” I muttered miserably.
“She’s a weird hive mind, so it’s not like she figured it out by herself. It took eight people to figure it out, so they could do it eight times faster than you could. You would have gotten there.”
Anna’s convoluted logic made me feel a little better. “Thanks.”
She grinned at me as she returned to her seat. She started to swing slowly. “So what now? Ben’s going after Emma and you’re here.”
I hesitated, on the point of telling her about Ben keeping in touch when Anna’s phone signaled an incoming text.
“Ah, man. I forgot,” Anna groaned. “I’m supposed to go to the coast with Mom and Dad.” She grinned at me. “Want to come?”
I was tempted for a moment. Spending the day with Anna and her parents would be a nice break from all the supernormal drama. I shook my head. “Better not. I have a feeling I should get to the warehouse soon.”
Anna nodded. “Okay.” She paused before adding, “It’s nice, you know, that you can tell me why you can’t hang out.” She gave me a wistful look and hugged me. “I still miss you, but it’s better knowing you’re out saving the world.”
I hugged her back. It was better telling her the truth, but I still worried about my family discovering I’d told a normal.
As we left the park, walking back to Hawthorne Avenue, Anna commented, “I guess they haven’t caught that one monster you were hunting right before you left. There was another attack last night. A couple of hipsters were riding their double decker bikes around Reed College when something attacked and killed one of them.” She shivered. “The other guy said the attacker had a really long tongue. Like a snake. And he ran away while the thing stripped the skin from his friend.” Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the image. “Poor guy. No one believes him.”
Shocked at the realization I’d almost forgotten about the lymph monster, I said, “Well. I guess I know what I’m doing when I get to the warehouse.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Anna waved. “See you later, alligator.”
I grinned. “After a while, crocodile.”
“Good morning, Ollie,” Ben’s voice murmured in my head as I walked to the warehouse. “We’re hanging out in a nowhere town in Nevada called Battle Mountain. You should be in range now.”
“Hi,” I whispered at him, slowing down to enjoy the moment.
He chuckled. “You don’t have to whisper. I’m the only one who can hear you.”
I glanced around the crowded street. I was near a cluster of restaurants and coffee shops, which were doing a brisk business. “I’m in a crowd. Whispering seems right somehow.” I raised my mental voice. “So why are you in Battle Mountain?”
“Emma and her crew have stopped outside of town. The commander thinks they’re waiting for something or someone.” Ben was silent for a few moments. “I don’t really care what they’re doing. It’s so awesome to be out of a coma and out of prison.” He sounded more cheerful than he had last night.
I kept walking while I listened to Ben’s voice. “It’s getting old, hanging out here and waiting for Emma to move.” Regret filled his voice. “I still feel I should have seen what she was up to earlier, before,” he hesitated, “well, before everything.”
I muttered, “There’s enough of that for all of us.”
A woman pushing a large stroller turned around to give me a querying look. I smiled at her until she went back to fussing over her baby.
Ben was silent, and for a moment, I thought I’d lost him. Then he continued his mental blog with me as his only audience. Slowly it came to me – Ben was lonely. He’d been stuck in a coma, a mental box, for months. Now he was out but surrounded by, if not unfriendly, certainly unsympathetic people. I looked at the sidewalk to hide the tears in my eyes and wished I knew how to convince him it wasn’t his fault Emma went crazy and Hugh died. I desperately wanted to tell him I was sorry the Council sentenced him to prison for helping, for saving us.
Ben commented, “Even Three is annoyed that Emma is staying put.”
“I’ll bet. Are they letting you do anything other than track Emma?”
“Since we’re stuck here for the moment, we had the best breakfast ever. An omelet with ham, cheese, and I don’t know what else. It was fricking awesome.” The lilt in his voice made me smile down at my feet. “Of course, the company could be better.” His voice sounded wry. “The soldiers are okay, kind of uptight, but I suppose that’s normal for them. I’m being good and not trying to read them. I’m pretty sure they’re shielding, so it’d be difficult anyway. Commander Kingston is in charge. She doesn’t say much. Carrington, Peterson, and Thompson do most of the talking – I’m not sure Peterson ever shuts up. They’re okay.” He paused, and when he continued, resentment roughened his tone. “Not much to say about Three. She’s the usual pain in the ass I’ve come to expect from The Octad. All superior and smug.” He gave a mental snort, making me jump. I looked around guiltily to see if anyone saw me
“Sorry she’s being such a pain. Six came back with us. She’s…” I hesitated, thinking about Six. She seemed a little different from her sisters. I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d met her first, but she seemed more relaxed than the others did. “…okay. Zoe wants to train her to hunt.”
“I’d pay money to see that.” Ben laughed, then sighed. “A few years ago, Mom and Dad thought I might relate to them, The Octad. They agreed to come to the ranch to meet me.”
“All of them? At once?” I tried to imagine what it would be like to have all eight women in the same room. I was getting used to Six, but after meeting One, Three, and Eight all at once, I was certain my head might explode if I was in the same room as all eight.
“Yeah, it was awkward at first and only got worse. They treated me as if I was barely competent enough to be living. It didn’t end well.” Ben sounded rueful. “Too bad, cause it would be nice to have a friend here, but Three’s not talking to me unless necessary.”
A horn blared at me. I blinked in surprise. My focus on The Ben Talk Show had distracted m
e and I’d nearly walked in front of a car. Grimacing and imagining what Uncle Dan would say about my inattention to my surroundings, I waved an apology at the driver. I jogged across the street when she waved me through impatiently.
I walked past a coffee shop with my head down, still listening to Ben complain about Three and The Octad. Suddenly I stopped, the afterimage of a mocking face catching up to me. I turned around to see Mindy and her friends smirking at me from a seat outside a coffee shop. Then words she’d just uttered washed over me, drowning out Ben’s words in my head. “What did you say to me?” I was sure I’d misheard.
“Been running along the waterfront much?” Mindy ran her gaze over my jeans and hoodie, then smoothed her dainty lace top over her hips while tucking her phone into her pocket.
Well, that was kind of a random question for a random meeting, but her malicious smirk unnerved me enough to answer, “No more than usual.”
“Maybe you should go out for track team?” Mindy gave me a bright smile and her sycophants twittered around her.
I gave her puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”
“Oh, just about how well the steroids are working for you.”
Dammit, she was back on that stupid rumor, the one she’d started. I rolled my eyes and kept walking down the street. It was pointless to tell her I don’t use steroids. I certainly couldn’t tell her the truth, so I went back to what I’d been doing all year – ignoring her.
The conversation in my head was much better than the chatter surrounding me. I said to Ben, “Sorry, got distracted, what’d you say?”
“Just that you’re probably sick of listening to me,” Ben repeated. “I’ll quiet down for bit. Will let you know when we move again. Ben out.” He ended with a hint of a chuckle.
I lifted my head, staring blankly at the building in front of me. After having Ben in my head, it was disorienting to be alone.
Chapter 22
Lange was at the warehouse when I arrived for training. He still looked like the epitome of a superhero. He’d gotten a nice tan during his time in Death Valley and the sun had lightened streaks of his brown hair to almost blonde.
“Ollie-bollie!” He caught me in a tight hug, trapping my arms in his. I tried to break his grip but failed as usual. In addition to his standard package strength, Lange’s significant ability was extra strength. He could lift a car with ease – the only challenge was to keep it balanced while he held it up.
“You’re getting stronger,” Lange said kindly as he released me.
I rolled my eyes while grinning. “So you’re on creature retrieval?” He occasionally came back with the plane from Death Valley to take critters back to the habitat.
“I am,” he said as we walked back to the containment area. “Mom says you guys have been capturing a butt load of monsters lately.” He spoke with a degree of wistfulness. Lange loved hunting. “Anything really cool?”
When we entered the containment area, he was laughing at my story about hunting the firebug. Uncle Dan and Aunt Kate stood near the back, breaking off their conversation as we made our way down the row of cages. Six peered into the cage holding the mole creature she’d helped catch. She gave me a smile when I walked past her. Kevin stood next her.
Lange greeted the ‘rents and met Six before he walked down the row of cages, taking inventory. Six’s smile widened when she shook Lange’s hand. I hid a smirk; it was easy to forget Six was a woman, as susceptible to Lange’s good looks as any female. She brushed back a lock of hair while asking Lange about the creature transport process. Her eyes stayed normal – I guessed she didn’t feel the need to report back to her sisters.
I followed Lange and Six, ready to help. It was always interesting to load several really annoyed or scared critters into the carrier truck. Even though most creatures were going to places where they’d be happier, it wasn’t possible to explain it to them.
I wondered about the cockroach cluster – what would it have been like to transfer that? I was glad it was nothing more than a crispy crunch. However, I wished we’d caught whatever was killing people and stripping them of their skin and of their lymph fluid. Hopefully we’d be transporting it soon as well.
“Hey,” I asked as an idea hit me. “Why don’t we get someone like Smitty or that Rick Wilson guy to take the animals to the Death Valley? He could zap back and forth and be done quickly.”
Aunt Kate shook her head. “Sometimes it’s done that way, but too often the creatures get overly agitated by the transfer. It’s too risky.” She touched the door of the little firebug’s cage. “This guy could easily set someone on fire if scared enough.” She gave me a thoughtful look. “Though if we could figure out a way to share abilities, then someone like you, with fire abilities, could take on the power to transport too.”
“Is that something someone is trying to figure out?”
“People take a stab at it every once in a while.” Her rueful grin told me she knew some people who had tried without success.
Lange had drafted Six and Kevin into helping him pull transport containers from the back of the room. “I should have brought more containers.” He held up a cage and eyed it with a critical frown. “Our stock is getting low.”
“Do you have what you need to take back the current group?” Aunt Kate asked as I grabbed a container and hauled it over to the large table in the middle of the room.
“Yeah.” Lange handed Uncle Dan a carrier, then retrieved the last one. “Ollie, since you can’t be burned, will you transfer the firebug?”
“Sure.” I lugged the heavy, fireproofed container over to the cage and peered inside. The firebug waved its tentacles, sending spurts of flame in my direction. “Sorry little guy, but you’ll be happier where you’re going.” As if it understood me, it backed away when I opened the cage door. I reached in and gently picked up the creature. Its tentacles twitched nervously and a bout of flame washed over my arm. Over the past few months, I’d gotten used to the experience of flame not injuring me – I didn’t even wince anymore. The warm sensation just tickled.
Lange snorted. “It still freaks me out a little when that happens.” He grinned at his mother. “Remember how Grandpa would scare me by sticking his arm in the fire when we went camping?”
Aunt Kate acknowledged Lange’s comment with an absent nod. We packed up the rest of the beasts and loaded them into the van. Six carried out the creature she’d caught while hunting with Kevin and me just a few days ago. Felt like longer. So much had happened since we set out to the park.
Thad, the guy who’d come with Lange to help, jumped into the driver’s seat. Uncle Dan shoved the last container into the van just as his phone beeped.
“Are you staying at all?” Zoe asked her brother wistfully.
“Well, about that, I think I will hang around for a little while.” Lange looked his mother for her reaction. At her smile, he grinned. “You guys need me.” He turned to say goodbye to Thad.
I barely noticed Uncle Dan return, holding his phone and frowning, until he said, “Seems someone posted a video of a person running super-fast down the Esplanade on Tuesday night.” Uncle Dan held out the screen so we could gather around to watch. I almost didn’t want to; Tuesday night, Esplanade, running without a Glamour. I had a sinking feeling I was the star of that video.
Sure enough, when Uncle Dan hit play, I flushed all over. Even though my face was blurred, it was clearly me running down the trail. I recognized my favorite red hoodie that I remembered wearing on Tuesday night, now crumpled in my laundry basket. Whoever posted the video had also posted a slowed down version. In the both versions, I drew level with a motorboat in the river beside the trail and blew past it, making it very clear that I was moving faster than anyone should be able to run.
I winced, realizing Mindy must have seen this video. Hence the steroids taunting.
When the video finished, Uncle Dan set down his phone slowly. “Olivia, you know the first rule. Don’t be seen. What is your explanat
ion?” He was breathing hard through his nose.
“I, ah, I was upset.” I gave Aunt Kate a pleading look for help. “Six had just told me about Ben maybe sending me all those visions.” I nodded at Six, then I gulped, my heart beating harder at the sight of Uncle Dan’s face getting redder. “I just wanted to get away. It was dark. I didn’t think –”
“Obviously, you didn’t think.” Uncle Dan stepped closer so he towered over me. “You know we can’t be seen. We can’t be compromised.” He spoke so quietly I trembled; I knew it was the very deceptive calm before the storm. “You’ve put us in danger.” I felt his breath on my face.
“Hey, Dan.” Aunt Kate moved closer, her eyes on my uncle. I saw her wave to Six, Zoe, and Kevin to leave. Lange shoved them out of the room amid their protests. I caught a glimpse of Zoe’s wide eyes over Uncle Dan’s shoulder as Lange shut the door in her face.
“Hey, Dan,” Aunt Kate repeated, “let’s take a moment and discuss this.” Lange drew closer to me.
“No, Kate, she must be punished.” Uncle Dan never took his eyes off mine. His face contorted into a snarl, transforming his features into someone unrecognizable, someone cruel.
I held up my hands. “I’m sorry.” I fought to keep my voice from shaking. I didn’t want to show too much fear – Uncle Dan would be ruthless if he knew he scared me. “It’s hard to see my face. I bet no one can tell who it is.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Uncle Dan spat his words out. “Don’t you listen to me?” He lunged at me and I dropped into a defensive crouch, my hands lighting up with flames. He gasped and jumped back.
I extinguished the fire immediately, horrified that I’d almost flamed fire at a family member. I felt like my actions were as bad as Emma attacking Uncle Alex under the Hawthorne Bridge as I backed away, coming up against the wall.
Uncle Dan glared at me. “You never use your abilities to attack a family member.” He grabbed for my arm, jerking me away from the wall and dragging me in stumbling steps from the containment room back into the warehouse. Zoe and Six jumped away from the door where they’d been listening. I didn’t see Kevin anywhere.
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