“Okay, okay.” Jameson leaned back in his chair and put up his hands. “I get it.”
“We’re also counting on all three of you to watch the crowd to determine if there are any Associates present. Anyone who attempts to approach Layla Bernstein without advance clearance should be perceived as a threat. You have our permission to use your powers as you see fit.”
“The same with the president?” Mallory asked. “They can use their powers to protect her?”
Dr. Wentworth nodded. “Assuming the president is there.”
“Oh she’ll be there.” Mallory shot me a knowing look.
“And we can do this in front of four hundred people?” Jameson asked.
She nodded. “Do whatever you need to do to safeguard the presidential family. Don’t worry about witnesses. We’ll do damage control later.” She gave Dr. Habush a sign to move on.
The image in front of us changed to a crowded ballroom. “This is footage from last year’s Black Tie Bash,” Dr. Habush said. The 3D visual showed it as if we were moving through the crowd. “You can see that the dance floor gets packed on occasion. This could be a trouble spot for Layla who can be a bit unpredictable. If she wants to dance, all three of you need to be right there, as close as possible. Human shields.”
“Hear that, Russ. As close as possible,” Jameson said.
“I’ve got it,” I said. Jameson thought he was such a riot.
Dr. Habush took us through the schedule of the evening. Guests would move through a receiving line which would consist of the vice president and his wife, and the first family. “Assuming President Bernstein is well by then,” he said. Afterward, there would be dancing and drinks.
“No alcohol for any of you,” Dr. Wentworth piped in. “You’re on duty.”
“At the end of the evening, a cake will be wheeled out for Layla’s birthday. Everyone will sing and slices of cake will be made available for guests to take home,” Dr. Habush said. “If everyone is safe and sound at that point, the Praetorian Guard will consider it to be a rousing success.”
“Any questions?” Dr. Wentworth said.
Mallory raised her hand. “So are we supposed to bring fancy clothes…?”
“No, they will be provided. You will have an appropriate gown and the guys will wear tuxes. A stylist will be assigned to do your hair and makeup.”
Mallory smiled so wide I swore I could see all her teeth. The fact that formal clothing would be provided was a clear selling point for her. For me, not so much.
I held up my hand. “I’m assuming the Bash will be covered by the media. Won’t they wonder how Layla knows us?”
“Good question,” Dr. Wentworth said with a smile. “She knows you because she met you at the academic decathlon in Miami earlier in the summer.”
“She met us at the academic decathlon?” Jameson said, his brow wrinkled. “But we weren’t actually there.”
“Layla Bernstein was there, though, handing out the awards,” Dr. Wentworth said. “And Mallory is going to convince her that she met the three of you there and all of you hit it off. Think you can do that, Mallory?”
“Yes, I can do that.”
“Very good.” Dr. Wentworth went over to the wall outlet and switched on the lights. “You will get more information when you arrive in D.C. Tonight’s briefing was just to give you a general idea of what will be happening. Now if there aren’t any other questions, I believe we are finished.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Russ
I had to see Nadia one more time before we left and it had to be in person because I had a gift I wanted to give her. The night before our flight to Washington D. C., I snuck out of my parents’ house after they’d gone to bed, and headed out to Nadia’s house. Being out at night was like old times back in the days leading up to witnessing the lux spiral.
On the walk over I wished once more that Nadia was coming on the trip with us, not only because I wanted her there, but because I knew she would be an asset to the group. Her presence might make the difference between life and death.
The subject of my life and death was definitely on my mind after finding out my name was on the Associates’ hit list, something I learned after the briefing at the burial vault factory. Dr. Wentworth stopped Carly and me as we headed toward the door, saying she wanted a word with us in private. The rest of the group trooped out, with only Dr. Anton glancing back to notice that we were being held back. He didn’t look the least bit surprised.
“Please,” Dr. Wentworth said, indicating the chairs we’d just been sitting in. “Have a seat.”
My sister and I sat down side by side. “Are we in trouble?” Carly said, with a smirk.
“Possibly,” Dr. Wentworth said, taking a seat at the head of the table. “We’ve known for a while that the Associates now have a new commander and there are a number of changes going on in the organization.”
“Who is this new commander?” Carly asked.
“We don’t know the identity of the commander, but your brother is definitely on his radar.” Dr. Wentworth rested her palms on the table and tented her fingers. “There’s no easy way to say this: I am sorry to tell you that Russ might be a target at the Black Tie Bash.”
“A target?” Carly asked, confused. She didn’t get it, but I did. For a split second I felt a hitch in my chest, like my heart was about to stall. I pushed the fear down, and kept my face steady, the mask of someone completely unconcerned. On the outside I looked cool. Inside I had a ball of anxiety trying to surface. “Really,” I said.
“Yes, apparently they are aware that Russ will be there and they see him as a threat.”
“Are you sure?”
Dr. Wentworth peered at me over her glasses while answering Carly’s question. “Yes, we’re sure. We have a reliable source who’s reported that the new commander was very clear on this.”
“So what does that mean—he’s a target? Like they’re going to take him or kill him?” Carly said.
“They’ll try.”
“They’ll try. That’s all you have to say when a sixteen-year-old boy’s life is on the line?” Her voice was frantic.
I said, “Excuse me. Did you notice that I’m sitting right here?” I knocked on the table. “Right here. It would be nice to be included in the conversation, especially since it’s about me.”
“Not quite,” Dr. Wentworth said, still speaking only to Carly. “We have several options for him.”
“Like what?” she asked. “Whatever it is better keep him safe, or I’m not going for it.”
“He can go on the trip and work with us to heal the president, but skip the Bash, or another option is for him to—”
“He’ll skip the Bash,” Carly said. “No way is he going.”
“Still sitting right here,” I said loudly, my hand raised.
“I’m not going to have my brother’s life jeopardized—”
I pushed back from the table, and stood up. I put one palm out and sent a flash of electricity in the airspace over their heads. The electricity sizzled and crackled, making them duck. Startled by my electrical outburst, the room got quiet. The sparks scattered and died before they hit the table. “If there are any decisions to be made, I’ll be making them,” I said. “I’m the one whose life is at stake, and believe me, I can protect myself.”
When Dr. Wentworth finally spoke, she directed her words right to me. “You have two choices, Russ. You can go on the trip and try to heal the president, but not attend the Bash. That should almost completely eliminate the threat to your life for now. Or, you can go to the Bash to protect Layla and help us smoke out the Associates in the crowd. Our source says the commander is going to be at the Bash. This is the first time in over a hundred years that the PG has been aware that the leader of the Associates will be appearing in public. This new commander is either very bold or very foolish. This is a rare opportunity for us to figure out his identity.”
“I will be attending the Bash,” I said. “Nothing could keep me away.”
“Very good.” Dr. Wentworth nodded her approval.
Carly said, “I don’t like this.”
I said, “You don’t have to like it.”
Her face fell. “Are you sure about this, Russ? Really sure?”
“I’m sure.” I kept my attention on Dr. Wentworth, like it was just the two of us. “Is there some reason you’ve told me about the commander being at the Bash and me being on his hit list but you haven’t told Mallory and Jameson?”
She said, “Yes, there is a reason. We trust you.”
“Oh.” I waited for her to elaborate on this, but she didn’t say another word and the room grew uncomfortably silent. Finally I said, “You know if you’re trying to find out the commander’s identity, you really need to have Nadia there. She can read people like you wouldn’t believe. She picks up on emotions and can tell if people are lying. Give her a little time and I’m sure she could pick him out of the crowd.”
Dr. Wentworth tipped her head slightly, considering what I said. “Why do you assume it’s a him?”
“What?”
“The commander. You said she could pick him out of the crowd. Has it occurred to you that their leader could be a woman?”
I felt myself flush red. I had a bossy sister and a strong-minded mother and I’d always treated girls well. No one could accuse me of being sexist. “Of course I know it could be a woman. I believe you referred to the commander as a male yourself.” I shifted uncomfortably. “So Nadia? You see what I’m saying? She’d be perfect for this.”
She exchanged a glance with Dr. Habush before answering. “I understand exactly what you’re saying, Russ, and believe me when I say we’ve weighed all the pros and cons in this matter. The team leader in charge of Operation Nadia has determined that the only way to get Nadia on this trip would be to come up with an excuse to forcibly remove her from the house. And that would require something like a faked abduction or accusing her parents of abuse. Either case would potentially create media coverage, something that would attract attention.” She shook her head. “We’re trying to minimize our risks here. Even having you three in attendance is risky, but your talents are so valuable we’ve opted to include you in spite of it.”
***
That night, when Nadia astral projected to me, I’d told her what Dr. Wentworth had said. They really called it Operation Nadia? she asked, pleased. Wow!
As usual, I was in bed underneath my cotton sheets during this discussion, as relaxed as a person could be. Nadia was with me, both in my mind and as a presence, hovering, spirit-like alongside me. Sometimes I forgot that she was actually in her own bed on the other side of town. I answered, That’s what she called it—Operation Nadia. I pictured a team sitting around a table, plotting ways to get into Nadia’s house. I could believe they’d never encountered anyone like Nadia’s mother. She was a force.
Nadia must have read my mind, because she said, I think my mom is on to them, because she’s noticed that we’ve suddenly had a rash of people offering different stuff besides the scholarships and academic achievement trips.
Like what?
All kinds of things. One guy offered to demonstrate carpet cleaning, another company wanted to meet with my parents for a free session of financial advising. Then there was something about earning money from home doing something online, and they’d be happy to come over to show you how it’s done. It’s been nonstop. People come to the door, they leave brochures in our mailbox, they call. They’re unbelievably persistent. My mom has been really paranoid. She says that people are trying to get into our house to take over.
But is it really being paranoid, if she’s right? I asked.
I guess not. There was a moment of silence between us and then Nadia said, I don’t really want to talk about her anymore. I want to hear about you and what you’ve been doing.
So even though they swore us to secrecy, I told her everything about the meeting, that we’d be attending the Presidential Bash, that the president was in a coma, that the leader of the Associates would supposedly be at the Bash, and that the vice president was one of the evil Associates. The only thing I left out was the part about me being a target.
The part about the vice president disappointed her. Oh no. I always thought he seemed so nice, she said.
Me too. I remember when they’d won the election. The people of the Philippines were so proud that one of their own had come to power in the United States. Never mind that he was a third generation American, they still claimed him. He was a slight man, with wavy dark hair, and a thoughtful concerned look that made him seem gentle and kind. At least that’s how he came off in the media coverage of his public appearances. It just showed that you never knew about a person.
What else?
Um, I guess at the Bash I’m going to be escorting Layla and Jameson and Mallory are going to be going as a couple.
So you’re going to be her date? she said. I don’t think I like that.
It’s not as if I like her or anything. I don’t even know her. It will probably be totally awkward. Plus, I’m just supposed to be making sure she’s safe.
Nadia sighed. She’s so beautiful.
I don’t think she’s all that beautiful. She’s like gigantically tall.
Some guys like that.
Not me.
Well, don’t fall in love with her.
Not a chance. To deflect her worry I said, I really miss you, Nadia.
I miss you too. It’s killing me that I can’t go with you on the trip. I guess I was lucky to go to Peru, considering how my mom is.
There will be more trips in the future. We’ll travel the world together someday.
I would love that, she said, but someday seems like it will never come.
I know.
I’ll try to astral project to you at night.
I said, Then I’ll have something to look forward to every day.
She sighed, a sigh that spoke volumes. It said that we shouldn’t be apart, that astral projecting wasn’t enough, that she was afraid this trip would cause us to grow apart. I won’t be able to think about anything but you but you’ll be too busy to even think about me.
I told her that wasn’t true, but nothing I said helped her get past her insecurities. And then, thinking I was just making conversation, I made the mistake of mentioning how tan Mallory had gotten this summer. I guess I’d forgotten how girls are when you talk about other girls, or maybe I just thought that Nadia was beyond that. I’d been pretty clear that I wasn’t interested in Mallory, but as she explained, she felt trapped at home, and the thought of Mallory and me bonding over this trip made her insane. And then I’d said something like maybe we wouldn’t even survive the trip, which was not the smartest thing to say. Now she had something new to worry about.
To cheer her up, I told her I was coming to see her the night before we left. She said she’d be at her window at the appointed time.
As I headed to her house that night I thought about my stupid comment about Mallory and hoped my present would help with damage control. It was a serious gift, the kind you wouldn’t give a girl unless you were really crazy about her. I’d chosen it partly because I wanted her to have something to remember me by if I died, although I wasn’t planning on telling her that.
Once I got to her house we’d only be able to talk through her window. With me on the ground and her up above, it wasn’t as good as really being with her, but it was the best we could do for now. It didn’t escape me that we were like a fairy tale couple; she the princess locked in the tower, me the suitor on the ground. Her mother, of course, was the wicked ogre keeping her imprisoned.
As I walked, a breeze picked up. I was going into the wind, so my T-shirt and shorts clung to my front and billowed out in back. The forecast had been for rain and thundershowers. The air was heavy with moisture and I sensed conditions were right for electrical activity. When lightning appeared a few seconds later, it was impressive, a giant zig-zig that cut the sky in two. Fo
r an instant it was light as day. I hurried, not because I was worried about the storm, but because I wanted to beat the rain. Seeing Nadia with my clothing soaked and water streaking down my face wasn’t the look I was going for.
When I turned onto her street, I glanced at my phone, glad to see I would make it right on time. The boxed gift was a lump in the pocket of my shorts. I couldn’t wait to see her reaction when she opened it.
Her neighborhood was quiet at this late hour and the tall trees and full bushes provided perfect coverage for me. Hopefully her parents, like mine, were fast asleep. I approached the house from the side, and looked up at the window we’d used the last time. As expected, Nadia’s room was dark. I took a few steps back, pulled a laser pointer out of my pocket, and aimed it upwards. If I calculated correctly, it would land on her ceiling. I swiveled the pointer around and around, creating my own lux spiral show for her benefit.
Within seconds she came and threw open the window, then stuck her head out. In preparation for my coming, she’d taken the screen out so there’d be nothing between us. “Hey Russ,” she said, and my heart literally swelled with happiness. I was still getting used to seeing her without her hooded sweatshirt. Her dark hair fell freely over each shoulder, but she didn’t have it over her face anymore, so I got a full view of her warm eyes and huge smile.
“Nadia.” As satisfying as it was communing via astral projection, this had a different feeling. Less dreamlike, more real. Even though the wind whipped at my clothing and the air felt like rain, I was glad to be here, glad to see her in person. She pushed her upper body out the window and leaned over as far as she could, then reached down. Even standing on tip-toe with my hand outstretched we didn’t connect, but we tried. Both of us felt it. The gap between us was charged with longing.
She whispered loudly. “I’m so glad you came!”
“Me too.” I pulled the rubber-banded box out of my pocket. “I have a gift for you.” Off in the distance, a flash of lightning filled the sky.
“You do?” She clasped her hands together, clearly delighted. “You didn’t have to do that.”
Edgewood Series: Books 1 - 3 Page 63