The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1)

by Stonebridge, J. D.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patronage. We’ve extended operations in honor of the Red Sox victory, but it’s time to wind up and call it a night. Or a day, I should say.” The remaining customers laughed and applauded.

  Hilary stood to pay the bill, but Charlie insisted she pay her portion. “I’m glad to have met you, Hilary. It was worth staying up this late. I feel so much better knowing someone else has powers, even more so knowing there is a school out there.

  “I’m elated to have met you, Charlie. I feel like I’ve known you all my life. If you leave me your email address, I’ll shoot you an email,” said Hilary. Charlie scribbled her address on the sales receipt and handed it to Hilary.

  “I promise to keep in touch, Charlie. Thanks for saving me from the sniper’s bullet,” said Hilary, and the two girls parted ways. Hilary knew she’d have some explaining to do once she returned to the ANDREI team; she had definitely violated school protocol with this conversation.

  CHAPTER 3: Surprises

  On her walk back to the hotel, Charlie’s thoughts strayed to the girl in the photo and Hilary’s observations on her mannerisms. One too many coincidences is weird, Charlie. She concluded the only plausible answer outside the remarkable concurrence of circumstances without apparent connections, was an unknown relative her age.

  When Charlie woke up, it was past ten in the morning. Sarah left her a text message saying they were done with breakfast, would do the Kenmore Square Walking Tour, and would meet her for lunch at noon.

  After a relaxing soak in the tub, she dried herself and dressed to meet Carl and Sarah at the Eastern Standard, a popular restaurant in Kenmore Square. On the ride down the elevator, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror and affirmed once more that Hilary’s friend Jeanne did look like her.

  As Charlie stepped inside the restaurant that elegantly reflected the classic old Boston spirit, she was warmly greeted by a member of the staff who led her to her parents’ table. The relaxed atmosphere eased her mind and she stopped worrying about the unknown Jeanne. She kissed Carl on the forehead and hugged Sarah before she sat.

  “Did you get enough sleep, Princess?” Carl asked.

  “Yes, I did, Dad.” She turned to Sarah and inquired about her migraine. Sarah gave her a thumbs up and showed off the contents of her shopping bags, an indicator she felt better.

  Sarah motioned to the waiter to come over and take their orders. Carl ordered grilled Flat Iron Steak. Sarah settled for handmade Linguini while Charlie chose the seared Scottish Salmon.

  After a relatively short wait, the food was on the table. “This is so yummy!” Charlie exclaimed. Carl and Sarah concurred after swallowing their first bite.

  Carl looked at his daughter as she inhaled her food, and decided now was the time for stories. “So tell us about this girl you met last night.”

  “Last night seems so surreal!” Charlie recounted how she thought she saved Hilary from a bullet. “I was relieved Hilary wasn’t hit, but I was also concerned she saw me stop the slug.” Sarah pretended to wipe her mouth with the starched table napkin, but Carl knew the gesture showed her unease.

  “Hilary attends a school where people with superhuman powers are trained to control and develop them. What a coincidence to come across someone who has a direct connection to a possible solution for our concern. Right, Mom?”

  “That’s an encouraging way of stating it, Charlie,” replied Sarah. “Did she say how one is accepted?”

  Charlie frowned. “No, she didn’t, but she promised to keep in touch. I gave her my email address so we’ll see if she keeps her word.”

  Carl believed the incident was good for their daughter. Charlie was clearly excited about meeting someone who was, in a way, like her. But he wasn’t quite prepared for the rest.

  “And guess what else happened over dinner?”

  “She showed off her powers?” guessed Sarah.

  Charlie smiled and continued, “She did and it was incredible! But what really stunned me was a photo she showed me.”

  “Photo? Of what?”

  “I almost fell off my seat! The photo was a picture of Hilary and her best friend, Jeanne. Both of them grew up in an orphanage. And Jeanne looks exactly like me!”

  Silence fell on the table until Carl cleared his throat nervously. “Really? How do you mean?” Sarah kept her silence, puzzlement and interest fighting for control of her face.

  Charlie went on. “I mean, I look so much like this girl that Hilary actually called me Jeanne immediately after the shooting incident. Do you think I have a cousin who is my age that ended up in an orphanage and our family wasn’t aware?”

  Carl and Sarah looked at each other. “I’m not aware of anyone, Princess,” Sarah said in a quiet tone.

  “Oh well, that is indeed quite an amazing coincidence, Princess. Are you ready for some amazing dessert?”

  “Sure, Dad, I’m ready for some Vanilla Crème Brûlée.” Charlie didn’t register the sudden change of subject. She had been waiting for dessert.

  Sarah and Carl opted to share a slice of Chocolate Soufflé Cake. By the time the three stood up, their palates were satiated and their stomachs full. They walked back to the hotel, happy to burn a few calories.

  Carl checked his watch and announced, “The concierge yielded to your mom’s request for a late check-out so we can rest a bit and hit the road at four.”

  “Great, we’ll be home before dusk since we’ll be taking the freeway. Mom, you and Dad go ahead. I want to drop by the Yawkey Way Store to get some Red Sox souvenirs for the Gang of Five.”

  Back at the hotel, husband and wife discussed their decision. “Hon, I guess this is the right time to tell Charlie. What do you think?” Sarah asked. Carl was in a pensive mood. He looked up and nodded his head. Neither was thrilled at the prospect of telling their daughter she wasn’t really their daughter. They did not use the extra time to rest; instead they packed and discussed the best approach.

  At exactly four o’clock, the Hartleys were out of Boston Hotel Brunswick with Charlie at the wheel, driving towards I-90 W. Her GPS indicated the drive would take two hours and twenty minutes to cover the one hundred forty five miles to Claremont Circle. Charlie had two years of driving practice and had never been in an accident. Carl was so confident of his daughter’s driving that her smooth maneuvering allowed him to doze off beside her.

  The cruise control was set at seventy miles per hour as they passed through North Haven. Charlie checked her rearview mirror as she did every so often. She saw an old pick-up speedily approaching. She turned on her signal light, reduced speed when the battered looking vehicle whizzed past her, traveling at what looked like ninety to a hundred miles.

  Thinking the insane driver was now a good distance ahead, she resumed her speed of seventy. Out of the blue, a tire that had come off the speeding pick-up was flying straight towards her. Cars on her left prevented Charlie from changing lanes as the loose tire continued its course in her direction. If she stepped on the brakes, the car behind her could ram into her, and if she swerved to the right, she’d risk crashing the car along the metal railing and possibly turn turtle.

  Adrenalin rising and heart racing, Charlie willed the tire to stop. In slow motion, the tire lost its momentum, dropped to the ground, and rolled towards the car’s right. It still hit her headlight with a loud thud before it being thrown off to the shoulder and landing on the grass by the metal railing. In under fifteen seconds, it was over.

  Charlie maintained her speed and checked her rearview mirror. None of the cars behind her were affected. Up front, the battered pick-up plowed the shoulder and hit the metal railing. A couple of cars stopped to assist the driver as Charlie drove by. Carl and Sarah, who had both dozed off, missed all the action. They only woke when Charlie slowed down and pulled to the shoulder to check the headlight. Charlie explained to them what had happened while they were asleep. Carl took the wheels for the rest of the trip; his drowsiness overpowered by the sto
ry.

  By seven, the Hartleys were home, the car was unloaded, and things away were put away. Sarah picked up the phone to order one large Papa John’s Sweet Chili Chicken Pizza with their favorite toppings, nowhere near in the mood to cook. Dinner was quick and quiet. Charlie figured her parents were tired after the trip and expected them to retire to bed early. But they had other plans.

  “Princess, let’s go sit in the family room and wait for your mom. There’s something we have to tell you.”

  After cleaning up the kitchen, Sarah retreated to their bedroom. When she joined the two, she had in her hand a blue velvet box. Carl and Sarah flanked Charlie on the couch. She handed the box to her daughter. No words were exchanged. Charlie looked at her parent, from one to the other, waiting for words. When none came, she opened the box.

  Inside was a gold locket engraved with the name “Cate.” Charlie recognized it as the same one Jeanne wore in Hilary’s photo. Her heart pounded.

  “Charlie,” Sarah began, “However you interpret what you are about to hear, your dad and I want you not just to believe, but, more so, to know in your heart, that all that we did and will continue to do for you stems only from our deep love for you as our daughter.”

  In her mind, Charlie pictured missing puzzle pieces filling empty spaces. She looked at her mom, then her dad, and nodded her head.

  Sarah explained in detail how they were driving home after celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary when the vehicle that was traveling way beyond the speed limit overturned along Pilgrim’s Highway. “Your dad pulled you out and handed you to me. He wanted to rescue the front passengers but I feared the leaking gasoline would precipitate an explosion or the car would burst in flames. We had not even reached our car when it happened.”

  Pointing to the locket, Sarah continued. “Charlie, you were wearing that when we found you. Your original name was Cate. We took you home without notifying anyone. We went straight to Pop and Nana’s at Great Barrington where I took care of you while your dad sold the house in Brattleboro and looked for work in Connecticut.”

  Carl picked up the story when Sarah looked at him. “We never adopted you formally. As you already know, your birth certificate was issued in Great Barrington. Pop and Nana’s bosom buddies, bless their souls, signed affidavits attesting they knew us and the circumstances of how, where and when you were born. Hence, your birth certificate lists us as your biological parents.”

  That Charlie was shocked and surprised was an understatement. She sat between Carl and Sarah, digesting the new information while staring at the locket.

  Questions screamed in her head but she refrained from asking them. Who are my real parents? Where was I really born? When was I born? Who am I really? Instead she rubbed the locket’s surface and spoke quietly. “So my name used to be Cate. When I saw Hilary’s photo, for some reason my attention was drawn to the locket Jeanne was wearing. I’m pretty sure it looked like this one too.”

  Carl shifted positions and turned to his daughter and wife. He reached for their hands and took a deep breath. “Listen, Hon. I have a confession to make.” It was Sarah’s turn to be surprised. Charlie looked at her mom, then faced her dad, waiting for what he had to say.

  “What your mom doesn’t know is that when I bent over to pull you out of the wreckage, I saw two adults who were unconscious and bleeding. They looked lifeless. I also saw two baby car seats, but I swear there was only you, Charlie. You were still strapped to your seat, dangling in the upturned car and screaming at the top of your lungs.

  “When we walked away from the wreck that soon erupted in flames, it was too late to save the adult passengers. I always wondered about the second baby and prayed that if there was one, they left the baby behind with a sitter.”

  He held on tightly to Sarah’s hand and continued, “I’m sorry, Hon. I never told you because I know you’d feel the same way I do - somehow guilty knowing there could have been a second baby left there.”

  Sarah squeezed his hand as tears welled in her eyes. She understood Carl carried the burden alone to spare her from guilt. It was a clear act of love. For now, she put that aside; she had to face Charlie and brace for her response.

  “Princess, your mother and I did the best we could under the circumstances. We admit circumventing the law in exchange for having you in our lives. It still remains the best decision we have ever made as a couple.”

  Charlie stood and pulled up her parents. Carl wrapped his arms around the two most important women in his life. Enveloped in his embrace, Charlie announced, “I was unprepared for these revelations. But I am grateful for all you’ve done in welcoming me into your life. I am forever indebted to you for loving and raising me as your own. I love you two and I always will. But the same revelations leave me with unanswered questions I hope will be answered sooner than later.”

  Sarah smiled through her tears, thankful for their deep love for each other. “We’ll find a way to answer them, Princess, I promise.”

  Charlie disengaged herself from them. “Dad, with your revelation, I have no doubt I have a sister. I believe she is my twin, her name is Jeanne, and, best of all, she’s alive!”

  The intensely emotional moment for the Hartleys was over. It was way past their bedtime. All was well and tomorrow promised better things. They hugged each other one more time before calling it a night. In bed, Charlie clutched the locket in her hand, fantasizing about her reunion with her lost twin sister until sleep finally claimed her.

  Charlie awoke the next day resolved to find Jeanne, fueled by the thoughts of the previous night. She checked her inbox for any mail from Hilary. Not finding any, she proceeded to browse the internet for information leading to her biological family.

  The additional information provided by Sarah regarding the accident did not produce positive results either. She e-mailed a couple of online Massachusetts newspapers after she learned its archive section only went as far back as 2008 and kept her fingers crossed.

  “I hope Hilary makes good on her promise,” Charlie prayed. Hilary was her only link to Jeanne with ANDREI over seventeen hundred miles away from Milford. She Googled what the acronym stood for and creased her brows when the search yielded nothing better than gorgeous hunks in various semi-naked poses. The GEN Laboratories website said nothing about the institute. Charlie was at a dead end.

  A week later, Charlie finally heard from Hilary.

  Hope you are well and enjoying the summer.

  Guess what? I got reprimanded for breaking school protocol by not immediately reporting to my supervisor regarding my near “assassination” and having dinner with you. But worry not, because when I spoke to the headmaster and told her how you helped me by using your telekinetic powers, she expressed interest in how you did it. I hope you don’t mind me sharing your email address with Ms. Amanda Pitt.

  All’s well that ends well,

  Hilary

  P.S. Here’s a scanned copy of the photo I showed you. I still can’t believe how you two are so much alike!

  Charlie was overjoyed at receiving Hilary’s email. She quickly replied, stressing her interest in learning more about Jeanne and meeting her as soon as possible. Then she printed a copy of the photo and ran downstairs.

  “Mom, where’s Dad? Hilary just emailed me!”

  “He’s still at work, Princess, but he should be home anytime soon. What’s that you’re holding?”

  Charlie was delighted with the high resolution photo that allowed her to print an enlarged copy. “Look at Jeanne, Mom.”

  Sarah couldn’t believe what she saw. Her eyes moved from Charlie to the girl named Jeanne and she shook her head. “Unbelievable, Princess… Really unbelievable. Where did you say that institute is located?”

  Before Charlie could reply, Carl walked in. “Hello my precious ladies! What’s the fuss?”

  Sarah passed the photo to him. He put on his glasses and scrutinized the print out. “Well, I’ll be damned! That is you, Princess!”

  Ch
arlie smiled and said, “What’s more amazing is that she’s wearing a locket identical to mine!” Her parents took another look and marveled at how a single photo could make such a huge difference.

  After dinner, they remained at the kitchen table where Sarah served each a tall glass of refreshing pineapple sherbet. Carl took the lead. “Well, Princess, the trip to Boston brought our family more than just a weekend adventure. With a connection to Jeanne and the possibility of developing your special powers, our future holds exciting possibilities.” Charlie and Sarah nodded in unison.

  “I wrote Hilary about my desire to meet Jeanne. The headmaster expressed interest in my powers, so let’s hope for favorable results.”

  Sarah inquired, “Did Hilary mention anything about Jeanne’s powers?”

  Charlie shook her head and replied, “She did say that Jeanne was sent to some place for advance training, so I assume she has powers too. I wonder how we got them.”

  Carl, always the voice of reason, said, “For now we ought to practice patience until we have the answers. But since you still have about a month before university starts, why don’t we revive our family summer tournament in pool and darts.”

  Charlie clapped her hands. “That will be fun, Dad. I remember the last time we played; Mom and I couldn’t take away the scowl on your face after you landed third in both games.” Everyone laughed at the recollection. Carl was a good sport, and he enjoyed making Sarah and Charlie laugh at his expense.

  “Ok. Tournament starts after dinner tomorrow. Charlie, you’ll have to help me clean out the basement and prep up the place,” Sarah requested.

  “No problem, Mom. Remind me to rinse the tokens and the glass jars for our pot money.”

  When Sarah and Carl retired to their bedroom that night, she asked Carl about the tournament. “It’s been what...three years since the last tournament. What’s up your sleeve, Hon?”