by Eaton, Pam
I lean closer but stay sitting on the bed. “Hey, Mike, try focusing on really covering both you and Tony,” I instruct him.
“Okay,” he says from the void.
The shadows move a smidge up Tony’s legs but stop there. “Tony, try putting your hand on Mike’s shoulder.”
Tony looks down at the darkness and then back up at me. “Just stick your hand in there,” I say, motioning to where Mike should be sitting.
“You come and stick your hand in that,” Tony mutters, but I ignore it.
I look to where Tony’s legs should be. “Can you still feel your feet?” I ask.
“Of course,” is his response.
“Well then,” I say, motioning towards, hopefully, Mike’s shoulder.
He lets out a grunt of frustration and thrusts his hand into the shadows.
“Hey,” Mike yells. “I’m still right here.”
“Sorry,” Tony mutters and I start to laugh.
“What’s it feel like?” I ask both of them.
“For me,” Mike starts in that odd distorted voice, “it’s like being wrapped up in a blanket.”
“Uh, I feel cold and like my feet are smothered,” Tony adds.
I watch the shadows but nothing changes. “Hmm. Here, swap with me, Tony.”
I walk towards the darkness, and even though I know it’s just shadows, and I know Mike is still sitting right there, I still feel uneasy. It’s almost like when you feel like there’s something behind you, but every time you look, no one’s there.
I stop right in front of Mike. “People always feel uneasy in the dark, on edge. Even though it feels brighter in the room, just staring at this wall of shadows makes me want to run from the room.”
“Great. So now I’m creepy,” Mike says, sounding completely put out.
More like intimidating, but he doesn’t need to know that; his ego is already big enough. I walk to the spot Tony was, and immediately my feet disappear. “Put your hand in,” Tony taunts from the bed.
I discreetly flip him off as I scratch my hair, causing him to let out a surprised laugh. Man, I’ve missed that sound coming from him.
I shake off the memories and slowly ease my hand into the dark. As my hand falls through, it feels like I just plunged it into freezing cold mud. Pins and needles attack my fingertips. “Crazy,” I mutter to myself.
“Can still see you,” Tony tells me.
I reach farther until I touch Mike’s warm shoulder. I grip it tightly and close my eyes to focus as I pump enhancing energy into him.
“Holy—” Tony stutters.
“What?” Mike asks.
“She’s gone.” Tony’s voice shakes somewhat.
I open my eyes and it’s like looking through smoke. Everything is hazy and surreal. “Is it cloudy for you?” I ask Mike.
“Not really. Like I know we’re shrouded in darkness, but it’s clear for me. Does that make sense?”
“Yeah.” Maybe because it’s not my power I can’t really see through it. But Mike’s power could be crucial for us.
I drop his hand and step away from him. The shadows go back to where they were. “How many people know about this?” I ask him.
He tilts his head to the side. “A couple, I think.”
“Does he know what’s really going on?” I ask Tony.
“He’s right here,” Mike interrupts, hitting his chest.
I ignore him, keeping my gaze on Tony. “I think he knows some,” Tony tells me.
Mike huffs again, and I get it. I’d be pissed too if I was in his spot. I turn towards Mike. “People are being kidnapped. Some with powers, some without. They’re experimenting on these people. Doing horrid things to them. They don’t even call them by their names. You need to be careful. Don’t trust anyone outside Mr. Smith and us. There are traitors within Project Lightning. We just haven’t found them all…yet.”
Mike stares at me, not saying anything. And I wait, hoping he’ll understand the gravity of this.
“Is she serious?” he asks Tony.
“Deadly.”
“Is Sariah being experimented on right now?” Mike asks.
The sound of her name makes rage explode within me. I want to lash out. I want to yell. But it takes all my control to speak through gritted teeth. “Sariah’s the one who kidnapped Tony. She’s taken children. She’s tortured people. She’s made choices that you don’t come back from. She chose a side, and it was the wrong one.”
I take a deep breath and run an agitated hand through my hair. Time to go. “I’m going back to Tiberius’s. Did you want to come or stay here?” I ask Tony.
He looks at a shell-shocked Mike. “I’ll stay here.”
“Okay, but I’ve got a gift for you from Lucy.” Technically, she gave it me, but I’ll be safe with her and Tiberius in Fordlandia.
I motion him towards the bathroom.
He follows me in and shuts the door. I lift up my shirt a little and this stupid smirk spreads across his face. “Really?” I say as I peel off the GPS tracker.
I shove the tracker near his face, so he’ll see what it is. “Here, lift your shirt so we can hide it,” I tell him, holding the skin-colored sticker.
He hesitates but lifts his shirt and it takes all my self-control not to gasp. His body is riddled with old scars. We still haven’t talked about Myanmar, but this alone gives me a good idea of what happened.
I place the sticker on the underside of his arm and step back. He won’t look me in the eye. I softly touch his hand and I watch his stare shift to where I’m touching. “We’re all covered in scars, either hidden or visible. You are far from alone.”
He nods, still not looking at me.
I want to hug him, but I don’t. “I’ll be back in a couple hours,” I tell him. I step back and in a blink I’m back in Fordlandia.
Twenty-Nine
The sun spills in through the slats in the blinds, taking me out of a dreamless sleep. But that’s fine. The last few dreams I’ve had have left me dreading falling asleep. Still, I wouldn’t mind some direction from Mom or whoever this dream walker guy is. I wonder, though, if it’s time to tell the others about this. It feels like ages since Ania told me to keep it secret. Who knows if anyone would believe me? I think Tiberius and Lucy would, but the rest might think it’s all in my mind.
I swing my legs out of bed and let the quiet of the house settle within me. There’s a peace I’ve felt in Fordlandia that I haven’t felt since my grandparents’ house.
Voices call out in greeting from the street outside the window. Guess that’s my cue to get a move on. I only talked to Tiberius for a few moments last night when I got here. One look at my face and he knew something was up. I briefly told him about Gregory, but by that point I just wanted to sleep.
I know I need to get back to headquarters. I know we need to plan. There’s so much to figure out. But I keep seeing Gregory’s face in my mind. I keep feeling his anger like a tangible thing. What am I going to see when I go back? And are we going to tell Mr. Smith about my other power? Are we going to tell him about Tiberius’s?
I rub my hands over my face. I’m seventeen, but I swear I’m going to develop an ulcer soon from all this stress.
I walk into the empty kitchen. At least everything in the fridge is still fresh. I’m pulling out a chair when there’s an urgent knock at the front door.
I rush over and quickly open it. A calm Tiberius and a haggard-looking Lucy stand there. “Why aren’t you wearing your tracker?” is her way of greeting me.
“Oh. Sorry. I gave it to Tony last night. He wanted to stay at headquarters, and since I was coming back here, I thought it’d be better if he had it.”
Lucy takes a steadying breath. “Okay, next time give me a heads-up.”
Tiberius wraps his arm around her. “I told her you were here, so I’m not sure why she was so worried,” he says to me.
“Sorry,” I say again. I step back. “Why don’t you guys come in? We need to talk anyways.”
“We’ve got to go back,” Tiberius tells me.
“Are you coming with us?” I ask Lucy.
She shakes her head. “I have to stay. They need me here. And all my equipment is here as well. It’s too dangerous for me to be anywhere else right now.”
I nod. I get it. Plus, the government doesn’t know about her. And Mr. Smith doesn’t know about her either. It’s better if she remains anonymous.
“Are we going to tell him about this place?” I ask them, gesturing around.
They share a look, one born of being in a relationship for many years. “I think we need to wait on that. So far there’s no reason for them to know about it,” Tiberius says.
“What about for protection?” I ask. If Tiberius and I aren’t here, I don’t know if there are enough people to fight.
“Do we need it?” Tiberius asks, like he’s probing if I know more.
“When we were in France, they kept asking me what happened to all the people we rescued. What if they come looking for them?”
“They’ll have a hard time finding us,” Lucy says smugly.
I lean closer to her. “I never thought I’d be captured,” I say. “Look how well that turned out.”
Lucy casts her eyes down and Tiberius lays his hand on top of hers. “I think it’d be a good idea to put some things into place. Like plans in case of attack,” Tiberius says.
“I know most everyone here is terrified of these powers thrust on them, but what if Luca starts helping them work on them?” I suggest. “He’s been wanting to help. Let’s see if he’ll do this.”
“That might be a good idea,” he concedes.
We’re all lost in thought, realizing that we essentially need to prepare to defend Fordlandia. Because there’s this sick feeling inside me, and if I had the gift of premonition, I might think it was seeing the future. But my gut is telling me Fordlandia is not going to stay the safe haven that we need.
* * *
As I walk down the front path, a voice calls out my name. Luca comes rushing over. “Becca,” he says in his thick Italian accent. “I didn’t know you were back.”
I smile, glad to see him. “Only for a bit, and then I’m gone again.”
“Ah,” he says, but his disappointment is visible.
I know he feels he owes me for finding him in that cage, but there’s no need. “There’s so much going on. I’ve got to get back to the U.S. We need to find a way to stop all of this, and I think we might have the ally we need. But there’s something I need from you.”
“Si,” he says without even hesitating.
“I need you to help train these people to use their powers. Lucy will be here, and she can help too. But I really think we need to be prepared. And I think the best way to do that is for everyone to work on these powers they have now. Not just on how to control them, but how to manipulate them as well. Can you help with that?”
I hold my breath and study his face. It’s hard to read him with his reptile features.
He stands a little taller and nods once. “Si. I think I can do that. I want to help.”
“Good. Lucy will help you more with this.” That takes some immense pressure off me. “I’m headed over to my uncle’s.”
“I am as well. I promised Eloise we would have a tea party.” He says it in all seriousness, but I can’t stop the smirk on my face.
We walk side by side until we reach their front door. I knock, and the excited sounds of a little girl rushing to the front door is what greets us. She rips it open and flashes Luca her blinding smile.
“Hey, Eloise,” I say.
Her happy stare leaves Luca and focuses on me, suddenly becoming a little shy. I wish I could have spent more time with her. Hopefully soon. No, strike that; definitely soon.
We walk into the house and Eloise wraps herself around one of Luca’s legs. He smiles down at her and then picks her up. “Where is this tea party?” he asks, and she points towards the room she’s staying in.
I walk farther in, towards the voices in Lucy’s little techno lair.
“All set?” I ask Tiberius.
“Yes—” he starts, but Lucy pushes herself in front of him, waving a GPS patch in the air.
“Here, we’re putting this on you now. And this time”—she gives me a reproachful look—“don’t take it off.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I follow her into the kitchen, and she places it on my back in a concealed spot. “How much are we going to tell Mr. Smith?” I ask Tiberius as Lucy attaches it.
“We’ll tell him about my power. And we need to tell him about yours. But I’m afraid to tell him at headquarters. I may be a bit paranoid, but I think you need to take him out of there so we can inform him.”
Lucy fixes my shirt and we walk out of the kitchen towards Tiberius. “I agree.”
“Let’s wait on telling him about here. And I know you might not agree, but it’s for the best,” Tiberius says.
“Deal.”
He gives Lucy a long hug and an even longer kiss. He decided it might not be super convenient to keep coming back here every night—which I know is going to suck, but I can bring him back any time he wants.
He steps away and Lucy rushes over, giving me a quick hug. “You need to be more careful. You’re starting to give me gray hair.” We both laugh at that, but I can feel in her stare that, for her, I need to be more careful and more aware.
I grab Tiberius’s hand, give Lucy a wave, and, in a blink, we’re standing in front of Mr. Smith’s door. I lift my hand and knock three times. The door opens immediately, Xavier standing on the other side. Raven sits in a chair in front of Mr. Smith’s desk. And the man himself slowly stands from his seat when he sees who’s come knocking.
We step into the room. “We’ve got a lot to tell you,” I say, getting to the point right away. “But it can’t be here.”
Mr. Smith’s brow raises at that.
“Will you let us take you somewhere?” I ask, and maybe I didn’t realize it initially, but now I see how much I’m asking him to trust me.
Mr. Smith looks between the two of us. I know we’re asking a lot. I know we’re also asking him to leave Gregory here. But this is too important to risk being overheard.
“I think it would be a good thing for Raven and Xavier to accompany us as well,” Tiberius says.
Mr. Smith strokes his chin. “All right. Where are we going?” he asks.
I think for a moment, trying to pick somewhere we can go. And it comes. “Some place safe, but we’re going to need coats.”
Thirty
“You know, I love the beach and all, but being at one in Connecticut during the winter isn’t that fun,” Xavier says, his hands shoved in his coat pockets.
The cold sea breeze fills my lungs, but I love it. Spring is in full swing in Brazil, and the humidity has been killing me lately. The last time I was here, it was in a dream with my mom. Thankfully for us, no one is really hanging out at the beach this time of year.
“We’re here, and we’re freezing,” Mr. Smith says as a way for me to get talking.
I turn from watching the waves crash against the rock pier. “Tiberius?”
Tiberius steps closer to me, most likely for body heat. “I wanted to tell you what my power is,” he tells him.
Raven and Mr. Smith stare at him, eyes somewhat wide.
“I can find anyone in the world with powers,” he tells them.
I’m watching Mr. Smith carefully, so I don’t miss the widening of his eyes before he completely schools his features.
“I either have to know the person or have met them before, though it also works if I walk by someone. But with Becca now…” He trails off, giving me the chance to fill in.
Everyone turns to look at me. “Did you know my dad had powers?” I ask Mr. Smith.
He shakes his head, his brow furrowing at the seemingly im
possible question. “That can’t be. There’s no way. I would have known. Someone at Project Lightning would have figured it out.”
Well, my mom did, but I don’t think I’m going to bring that up now.
“He wore special gloves after the accident,” Tiberius says, reminding him of the fire that burned my dad’s hands. “They would have blocked any chance of you feeling the zap.”
Mr. Smith shakes his head and takes an unconscious step back. “But I knew him before that all took place,” he says.
Tiberius steps closer. “It was soon after the fire that our mom died. Neither of us knew the other existed, never mind that we would inherit powers.”
“And when my dad died, before I was born, I inherited his,” I tell the group.
“But we would have known. Someone would have known.” The denial is thick in Mr. Smith’s voice, even though he knows I’m not lying. It’s a hard pill to swallow.
“I’ve always excelled, whether in sports or academics. I never thought anything of it. Then I met Tiberius for the first time, and he dropped a huge bomb in my lap. When I learned my dad’s power is to enhance, it all made sense. It’s why I can transport instead of just running really fast like my mom.”
Raven lifts a hand, halting my words. “That time in the stairwell in Myanmar with the rats—that was you, wasn’t it?” She may ask the question for everyone else, but she seems to already know the answer.
“Yes, that was one of the first times I ever tried to actually use it.”
Mr. Smith turns around and faces the sea, giving us his back. We all watch him tilt his head to the side and place his hands on his hips.
“What other things have you been able to do?” Xavier asks me.
I tear my eyes away from Mr. Smith’s back. “I helped you see farther into the past,” I tell him. He sucks in a sharp breath. “Tony can now see through walls with my help.” Raven’s jaw drops. “I’ve been able to help countless ways. Just, whatever a power is, I can help it do more.”
“You must understand how important it is to keep this quiet,” Tiberius implores the group. “If Rivers finds out about what she can do, he’ll never stop hunting her. Her life will be forfeit.”