|||||
THE EARLY AFTERNOON SUN sat just above the horizon, its powerful rays warming the back of Carson’s neck as he stared out over the pier. Charred pieces of the warehouse still littered the sand. He kept his eyes away from what was left of the warehouse and the pit that he knew was hidden inside. The air smelled like smoke with just a hint of the ocean’s saltiness. On any other day Carson would have felt relaxed but now the beauty of the pier was replaced by the memory of what happened. It was a terrible place now. Carson fought back his tears. He wasn’t strong enough.
“Hey,” Abigail said, her footsteps echoing on the wood. Carson quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. He hoped that she couldn’t see them.
“Hey.”
Abigail leaned over the railing, balancing her elbows on the aged wood.
“Is he still in there,” Abigail asked.
Carson looked at the warehouse where he knew Nick’s body lay at the bottom of a giant pit, trapped in glass.
“Yes,” Carson said. “I checked when I first got here. Even if he’s alive in that thing there’s no way he’s getting out of the pit.”
Abigail reached into her backpack and pulled out two diplomas.
“I snagged these before I left.”
Carson took them from her and opened them up. They both looked exactly the same as his except for the names. The first one said Jacob Huang, the other said Nick Woods.
“I thought maybe we could do something with them. I didn’t want them to end up in the trash.”
“That’s a good idea,” Carson said. “But what should we do?”
Abigail tied her hair back. “Let’s bury them.”
He handed her Jacob’s diploma and followed her down the steps and onto the shore of the beach.
“Right here,” Abigail said. “The water won’t hit it.”
“Stand back,” Carson said.
Abigail did as he asked. The ground shook beneath them. Carson closed his eyes in concentration. The sand between them opened up into a deep hole. They both dropped the diplomas in. Carson refilled the hole with a wave of his hand.
“So did you pick a school,” Abigail asked on the way back up to the pier.
“Yeah. Augusta. You?”
“I’m still going to the one in Washington.”
Carson was surprised. “How did your parents react?”
“They’re pissed. They told me not to bother calling them anymore.”
“Oh,” Carson said.
Their walk continued in silence. Carson was hypnotized by the waves.
“So what do we do about our powers,” Abigail asked.
Carson thought over her question. There wouldn’t be any more training sessions. At least not together.
“I guess we just keep them hidden and hope we never have to use them again.”
“Seriously? You’re going back to hiding?”
“Look,” Carson said, turning to her. “I don’t know about you but I don’t even want them anymore. Look how much trouble it's caused us already. Sure they were fun in the beginning but Jacob was killed and we nearly lost our lives because of them. And Nick. . .”
Carson trailed off. “Nick had to kill people just to keep himself from dying. Who's to say that the same won’t happen to us? If you ask me, the less we use our powers the better.”
Abigail held her hand up for Carson to see. Lightning sparked between her fingers, snaking around them. “I don’t see how this could be given to us without a reason. Or how it could hurt us.”
The two of them became mesmerized by the small storm Abigail had conjured in the palm of her hand.
Carson turned away from it. “However you look at it these powers aren’t normal. If people ever found out then they would look at us like freaks, maybe even try to go evil scientist on us.”
“I guess that's a good point,” Abigail said. The lightning in her hands disappeared.
“Just be careful, Abigail. You and I are the only ones left.”
They lost track of time as they walked, the sun sinking behind the trees. The sky above them transformed into a deep blue.
“So I guess this is it,” Abigail said, leaning against the door of her car.
“For now. I’m sure we will be back to visit next summer.”
“Call me?”
“Of course. Who else am I going to talk to,” Carson asked.
Abigail laughed. “You better at least try to make some friends.”
“We’ll see,” he said.
Abigail slumped into the seat of her car. “I’ll see you around.”
“Be safe,” he said. “Call me when you get to school.”
Abigail drove off, leaving Carson standing alone in the parking lot. He watched her car disappear with the last light of day. The warm air disappeared with her.
CHAPTER FORTY
|||||
“SO I GUESS EVERYTHING worked out for you in the end.”
It was the first time Carson had seen Dr. Taylor that he wasn’t itching to leave. He was enjoying the last few hours he had in Bishop Bay. Not even the annoying clock could put a damper on his mood.
“Far from it,” Carson said.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters my best friend is still dead. The girl I have feelings for doesn’t like me in the same way. I have two broken arms from yet another accident and I start my first year of college in less than two months.”
Dr. Taylor took a drink. She shook her head in disgust. “Too bitter. So then why are you in such good spirits?”
“I’m not sure exactly,” Carson admitted. “I guess I’m just excited for the future. I know that’s a cliche thing to say but I mean I just graduated. I was in more accidents this year than anyone I know and somehow I survived each one. How could I not be happy?”
“That makes me glad to hear. I’m happy to see how much you’ve grown over the past few years. I have to say, I am very proud of you.”
“Thanks,” Carson said. He looked down at the new watch he wore. “I should probably get going. I have a few things I need to do before I leave.”
“Of course,” she said. Dr. Taylor stood up and threw his file into a drawer. “I guess we won’t be needing that anymore.”
Carson laughed. “Thank you, Dr. Taylor. For everything.”
She awkwardly hugged him. “Don’t think that you can start going back to your old ways just because I’m not there to put you back in line. Call me if you ever need anything.”
“I will,” he promised.
***
“I have to go or I’ll be late for check-in,” Carson told his mom as he loaded the last box into the car.
“Are you sure you have everything?”
“I’m sure,” Carson said.
“Positive?”
“Mom. I have everything, I promise.”
Ellie threw up her hands in protest. “I’m just making sure. I don’t want you to waste gas having to come all the way back home. Are you ok with the driver?”
Carson rolled his eyes. “Yes, mom. Everything’s fine.”
“You better be good,” she said sternly.
Carson failed to hide his smile. “No promises.”
Ellie playfully smacked his shoulder. She backed up a few feet away from the car. Carson could see in her face just how much each step hurt her.
“Do you have everything,” she asked again. “Wallet? Phone?”
“I do.” Carson tapped his pockets just to make sure.
“I guess this is goodbye,” Ellie said, bursting into tears.
Carson ran up to her and hugged her tightly.
“Geez mom. It’s not forever. I’ll come visit as much as I can. I’ve got your credit card remember?”
Ellie laughed. “I know, I know. I just thought I was going to be ready for this.”
“I’m going to visit so much that you’ll get tired of seeing me,” Carson said.
/> Ellie sniffled and looked him over. She pinched her cheek in between her fingers. “Go make us proud.”
Carson climbed into the back of the car, careful to not bump his arms on anything. He watched his mom waving at him through the rearview mirror until she was out of sight. Despite everything that had happened over the past few years he was sad to leave it all behind.
“Can we make a quick stop,” Carson asked the driver.
“Of course,” he said.
Carson didn’t know what to expect as he walked across the solemn graveyard. Headstones stretched on for as far as he could see. The grass and bushes were all a deep green. Everything was carefully kept in pristine condition. Bishop Bay was just below him. He read every headstone as he passed by them. He couldn’t help but feel sad for the people buried beneath them. About halfway through the graveyard he found the headstone that had his father’s name etched into it.
“Hi dad,” he whispered.
Carson sat down, his back flat against the stone.
For the first time in over five years he talked to his dad. Carson talked to him as if he were still there, as if he wasn’t dead but had just been gone from home. He talked about Abigail and Jacob. About the accident at the museum. He told his father that his mom was doing good and that she missed him, that they both missed him. When he was finished he was met with nothing but the sound of the wind.
Carson made his way back to the car, stopping every few steps to look back at his father's grave.
The driver turned the car on when he entered the back seat. “Ready?”
Carson looked out at the town that he had called home all his life. He had no idea what the future held for him but he knew that superpowers or not, he could handle anything.
“Ready.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
|||||
THE BEACH WAS DESERTED. Robert’s heavy boots pressed deep into the soft sand. The sound of the waves calmed him, especially on a busy morning such as this one. A pale fog accompanied the chill of the ocean. Patches of white smoky vapor hovered in place as if frozen in time. His black coat worked well to keep out the frigid air but it did nothing to protect his face. His nose and ears had already turned a cherry red, a stinging bite pulsating on their tips. He stopped for a moment to watch several dark shapes move through the fog. He had brought with him fifteen of his most qualified field agents. The implications of this venture was far too important to bring along amateurs. After years of trial and error he was finally on the precipice of his greatest discovery.
The ground squelched behind him as a woman walked up to him. The early morning light reflected in her glasses, making it impossible to see her eyes. Her blonde hair was draped around her shoulders. She walked tall, carrying a large briefcase in her left hand.
“Any luck,” Robert asked her.
“Not yet,” Dr. Taylor said. Her voice was calm. “But I can feel it. The air is teeming with its energy.”
Robert didn’t recognize the voice. He turned around to see who had answered him.
“Who’s this?”
“This would be your grandson’s therapist.” Micah gestured to the newest form he had taken. “I don’t particularly like the feel of this one.”
Robert didn’t care about how it felt. He wanted to know about the results.
“I hope you disposed of the real one,” Robert said.
“Of course I did,” Dr. Taylor confirmed. “I made short work of her and even saved some of the blood for future use if it’s needed.”
“Good. Did you figure anything else out?”
A sinister smile formed on Dr. Taylor’s lips. She opened the briefcase and pulled out a manilla envelope. Just before she closed it Robert could see dozens of vials strapped inside, each one containing a dark red liquid.
“Here,” she said, handing him the envelope. Robert opened it and thumbed through its contents. Inside were four different sheets of paper, each one with a black and white picture attached to its front.
Robert read the names out loud. “Carson Noble. Abigail Clark. Jacob Huang. Is this all of them?”
“Yes,” Dr. Taylor said. As she spoke her soft voice transformed into a deeper tone.
Robert looked up from the pages to see Micah standing in front of him. “All of that information came from Carson himself as well as my recon work.”
“That’s interesting,” Robert said. He pointed a finger at the warehouse that was now nothing more than a pile of wood and twisted metal.
“Because we found another and it's none of these people.”
Robert and Micah stood at the edge of a large pit that sat in the middle of the collapsed building.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Positive,” Robert said. “The energy signature of the Complex matches with it perfectly.”
A group of agents wrapped ropes that came down from a helicopter around a chunk of rough glass that sat in the center of the pit.
Robert pointed at it as it was lifted up from the pit. “Look,” he said.
Micah squinted to peer through the glass. “Is that-?”
“A person. Yes.”
“I don’t recognize him,” Micah said.
Robert reached out to touch the ice but pulled his hand back. Its surface was covered in a mild electrical current.
Underneath the glass Nick’s eyes cracked open. It wasn’t much but it was enough for him to be able to see the two men staring at him from outside of his prison. He watched as they talked to each other, unable to hear anything they were saying. Suddenly he lifted higher into the air. From this angle he was able to see a lot more. People dressed all in black were scattered around the beach. They were sifting through the wet sand and the debris created by the explosion.
Micah and Robert watched as the helicopter and the ball of glass it carried disappeared into the low hanging clouds.
“Do you have everything you need,” Robert asked.
“I believe so.” Micah went quiet, noticing something embedded in the sand that was catching the sun. He knelt down and pulled out a thin shard of blue rock. Its color changed as he twisted it around, studying it. The shard vibrated in Micah’s palm. He shoved it into the pocket of his coat and rejoined Robert at the group of cars that sat at the top of the pier.
“We’ve been waiting for something like this to happen for a very long time, Micah. Our time has finally come.”
“Do you think they’ll provide the answers we’ve been looking for?”
“Without a doubt,” Robert chuckled. For the first time in a while he let himself be optimistic about the future.
Micah played with the shard of stone that was hidden in his pocket.
Robert ducked into the back of one of the cars and Micah shut the door behind him.
“I’m heading to New York to attend the meeting with the Board. I need you to go after Melody. There’s no need to tiptoe around with her anymore. It’s time for her to face the consequences of what she did. All of our research, all of our theories may have just been confirmed. Chances are there are others out there which means that Melody is no longer pertinent to the project. I need you to start tying up the loose ends.”
A thin smile formed on Micah’s lips, his mouth opening to reveal rows of incredibly sharp teeth.
“I will start immediately, Professor.”
Inversion Page 19