“Oh God, he followed our story! We got him killed!” I gasped.
“We don’t know that for sure. That was an unmonitored dark building. If he went there at night, he could have been attacked by some random person,” said Ilya.
“Are you kidding, man?” said Cole.
“If they were willing to kill Kingston, why not a reporter? It was probably Casey again,” I said.
“Casey still works for Ivan?” said Josh. “Hmmmm. That’s not going to bode well for us.”
“I need some air,” said Cole, running his hands through his short sandy hair. I watched his bulky frame disappear around the corner.
“I’ll go see if I can float in Adelaide’s pool for a while,” said Jonah. I watched him remove his collared shirt leaving his usual white tee underneath as he walked away.
Ilya had his arm around Faith. Josh had slipped down a hallway muttering to someone on his phone. I felt the urge to pace and I didn’t want to follow Josh or Jonah, so I went out onto the deck to find Cole.
“Mind if I come hang out here?”
Cole turned around with a look of surprise on his face. “Totally fine.”
“This is going to get worse before it gets better, isn’t it? I guess I’d hoped we could contain this to us and them.”
“I’m sure the rest of us weren’t being that optimistic. But one death after another. It’s getting real.”
“Do you think she’ll come? Adelaide, I mean. Seeing that someone else has died. She could get spooked.” I stared straight ahead at the trees enclosing Adelaide’s property.
“We couldn’t blame her for staying out of this mess. She would be risking her life. And what The Compendium would create might be her dream world.”
“I thought the same thing.”
“It would be a difficult trip and a huge risk. I hope she’s got a good heart.”
“Speaking of hearts, how are you? We haven’t talked much since . . . the beach.”
“My heart is as strong as the rest of me, thanks. But it’s nice of you to be discreet with Jonah.”
“We’re not being discreet. We’re not doing anything. It still makes him sick to touch people. Or maybe it’s only me. But whatever is happening to him isn’t getting any better.” Sadness closed my throat.
“We’ll find a cure for him. Maybe Adelaide can help,” said Cole.
“I doubt it. She’d be starting from scratch. It’s Ivan who has relevant information for him.”
“I hope you know I want Jonah to get better as much as you do. He’s still my best friend.”
“Of course I know.” I put my hand on Cole’s rock hard forearm. I left my hand there. I willed Jonah to look out the window and see me touching Cole. I wanted him to get angry and hate me. I wanted to feel a surge of attraction to Cole instead. The scrape of the sliding glass door startled me and I let go.
“She’s in! She’s coming!” whispered Faith excitedly.
We gathered around Adelaide’s dining table once more.
“I have decided to assist you.” Adelaide’s hair dripped wet and heavy from her swim making her dark ringlets bounce gently as she spoke. “I have some conditions. First, is that we, as a group, make a commitment not to end any variant lives.”
“None of us wants to see variants hurt or killed,” said Jonah. His hair was slicked back from the water and he wore a plush white robe. He looked marginally replenished.
“We certainly don’t want to attract any police attention either,” said Ilya.
“Speaking of police, I don’t know if you heard us all freakin’ out, but we think a reporter we talked to . . . well, we think we got him killed,” said Faith as she adjusted the straps of her overalls.
“You talked to a reporter?” said Adelaide angrily. She took a deep breath. “If he’s no longer a problem, I won’t worry about it, but there’ll be no more publicity. My second condition is that any documentation or specimens we obtain are preserved, not destroyed. A good deal of hard work and money has gone into variant science, as some of you probably well know. We can neutralize a plot without erasing valuable knowledge.”
Ilya leaned forward, elbows on the table with an intent frown. “Are you sure we should keep everything intact? We think Ivan developed some things built to harm or disrupt nature. Some of what we’ll find may have no positive use and nothing to teach us. Leaving those files or specimens intact would be a liability.”
“I don’t think so. Adelaide’s right. Scientists don’t destroy. We investigate,” said Jonah.
“We should prioritize tracking down Innoviro’s research for Jonah. Ivan claimed to be helping other variants too. Maybe it’s all in one place. If other people are waiting on life-changing treatments, we should try to help, at some point,” said Cole.
“Makes sense, if he wanted variants to take over, he’d have to make sure we’re looked after,” said Faith.
“I have one more condition you might find difficult. We must stay out of public areas as much as possible. I value the freedom I have in my home. I have to give up my freedom every time I go to a mall, a restaurant, a hotel, a downtown core.” Adelaide lifted a towel to her hair and squeezed.
“So we go camping and take turns doing whatever shopping needs to be done,” I said.
“Are you all in agreement?” said Adelaide.
Everyone nodded and said yes.
After spending the night in Adelaide’s palatial modern ‘cabin’ I was reluctant to pack up for what sounded like a roving variant camp, regardless of how large a group we might become. We added Adelaide’s wheelchair-adapted van to our caravan and set out. I rode with Josh. Our next stop was Portland, this time for a connection of Faith’s.
We stopped for lunch before crossing the border into Oregon and entered Portland with perfect timing to hit rush hour traffic. I was still practicing my cup’s dance routine as we crossed another urban river and followed Cole’s car down a tree-lined street to a baby-blue, heritage home. The home’s brown siding and early nineteenth century design gave it an old world feel. It did not look like the home of a hacktivist, as Faith had promised.
Our group stood on the porch, waiting patiently as Faith knocked, waited, and knocked. A skinny woman with stringy light brown hair, a narrow face, and thick glasses answered the door.
“Sorry, sorry, please make yourself at home. Bruno is working on a new simulation and I’m getting completely absorbed,” said the skinny woman with a strong British accent. We followed the woman to the kitchen, passing the living room where an exceptionally hairy man sat hunched over a computer in the corner.
“Ralph is here too, but he’s upstairs. Still doesn’t like new people,” said the woman.
“Guys, this is Nellie. She’s the best network architect whoever worked for Innoviro,” said Faith.
“Your email said Innoviro went under because Ivan did some dodgy crap. You guys aren’t on the run, are you?” said Nellie.
“Not from the cops,” said Faith.
“Ivan doesn’t have the resources to track us at the moment,” said Ilya.
Nellie pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. Her fingernails flashed in the light. They looked like solid copper.
“Does anyone outside this house know you’re here?” said Nellie.
“No,” said Faith. Bruno appeared at the doorway to the kitchen. He grabbed the doorjamb with a hairy hand finished with dark brown claw-like fingernails.
“So these are the guys who want a hack job,” said Bruno. As he spoke, I glimpsed sharpened teeth in his mouth.
“We don’t know for sure,” I piped up.
“We want you to come with us in the event we find something we need help to hack. Faith is good, but she’s the only IT-type among us at the moment,” said Ilya.
&
nbsp; “Where are you going again?” said Nellie.
“Our next stop is San Francisco at an Innoviro office,” I said.
“We think Ivan is planning to test new tech that actually causes earthquakes,” said Cole.
“We need to disable whatever he’s working on, ideally securing it ourselves,” said Jonah.
“From what these people told me yesterday, this is the beginning of a much larger endeavor,” said Adelaide from her wheelchair.
“I can’t say I want to get roped back into Innoviro’s bullshit,” said Bruno.
“It sounds like Innoviro is done,” said Nellie.
“They’re done as a research front. Ivan belongs to a group working on a project called The Compendium Transmuto. I’m sure Faith didn’t put this in a text, but we’re talking about ongoing and future pollution, genetic experiments, disease, and who knows what else.” From the looks on Bruno’s and Nellie’s faces, we were unwelcome and unwanted.
“We know it’s a lot to ask, walking away from whatever jobs or gigs you’ve got going at the moment. This isn’t going to make you any money or get you any legit credit,” said Ilya.
“You think we do what we do for money?” said Nellie. I cast a glance around her kitchen. The sink was full of soapy food soup and partially submerged dishes. A stack of sticky plates rested on a crumb-covered counter. Paint peeled off the edges of the cupboards. Sections of the linoleum lifted up from the floor at a few corners.
“I’ll tell you what. Convince Ralph to come, and we’re with you too,” said Bruno. He looked at Nellie for approval which she granted with a nod. He cleared his throat with a raspy growl.
“I’ll make an argument. That’s all any of us can do,” I said.
“Hey, Ralph! Come on downstairs. We need to talk. It’s cool.” Bruno directed his full volume up the stairwell between the kitchen and the living room.
A series of thump-bump-thump-bumps sounded on the ceiling above us. The thumps made their way down the stairs. The creature who appeared in the doorway almost defied belief.
The man appeared more reptile than humanoid. Thick green scales covered his visible body. Over that, a Metallica T-shirt and ripped jeans were the only suggestion of humanity. He had clawed hands and feet, a giant, body-length tail, and a muzzle full of pointed teeth. Ralph’s lidless yellow eyes darted around the room. He startled us all when his forked tongue shot out and snatched a moth out of the air above us.
“What do you lot want?” Ralph’s British accent and near perfect enunciation seemed impossible through the tongue and teeth of a giant reptile, but there he stood.
“We need variants,” I said plainly.
“To do what?”
“Our father, Ilya’s and mine, Ivan Krylov, CEO of Innoviro Industries is going to experiment with earthquake technology that could kill thousands. It’s a certainty. And we know he’s got more up his sleeve. He could destroy the world as we know it. Will you help us stop him?”
Ralph looked at me, he looked around the room and flicked his tongue. “No.”
“No?” said Ilya.
“Did I stutter? I’ve never met any of you. From what Nellie tells me, you’re a bunch of kids who drove their company under while playing around with conspiracy theories,” said Ralph through slightly narrowed eyes.
“Don’t you want to hear our side of the story?” said Cole, placing his hands on his hips.
“This isn’t a whim or a suspicion,” said Jonah with a plaintive expression.
“We can’t force anyone to be a part of this,” said Faith. Her dreads flailed as she gave a dismissive shake of her head.
“Of course not, but consider the consequences of letting Ivan run rampant testing dangerous crap all over the planet. If he’s willing to do it, he’s lost touch with whatever he tried to build Innoviro to become. What if it kills thousands and still doesn’t work? Or millions? Even if you place variant lives above everyone else, we could end up with a planet nobody can live on. Consider that for a moment!” My voice rose, louder and louder.
Ralph stared back at me. I looked over at Ilya. What is he thinking? Tell me!
“I got nothing. He’s a brick wall,” said Ilya as he threw his hands up in the air.
Ralph looked around the room. His reptilian features revealed nothing of his thoughts or emotions.
“I have already asked them to commit to camping, and staying out of human society.” Adelaide cast her blanket aside and stood. There was no reason for her to hide in a house where Ralph was a resident. His face sat void of emotion, as I could read it.
“Okay. We’ll come with you to San Francisco. After the earthquake mechanism is destroyed, we come home.” Ralph opened a door behind Nellie and disappeared down a stairwell into the basement.
“He’s probably going for a walk. Our basement has a tunnel into the Portland sewer system. It’s the only way Ralph can come and go.” Bruno scratched his cheek with a dark clawed hand.
“I know how he feels,” said Adelaide.
Several hours later Ralph returned. Nellie and Bruno had packed for all of them. We waited until the night got dark enough to conceal Ralph. The Portland trio then joined Adelaide in her van. We drove for hours.
Josh followed Adelaide’s van. Cole followed behind us. Wherever we were going was somewhere Adelaide knew. She wasn’t sharing her route plans through texts, so we were blindly following her in the dark. We drove on and on, up a winding forest trail that barely qualified as a road. I had been on logging roads outside Prince George, but nothing this remote. My friends and I only searched out places to party. We didn’t need to hide dramatically different mutant people.
The forest gave way and we entered a large grass clearing. Moonlight poured into the space providing a bright, magical glow. Following Adelaide, Josh and Cole parked at the edge of the woods.
While Cole and Faith got a roaring fire started, Adelaide pulled a large black bag from the back of her van. In swift, fluid movements, she unpacked the bag and set up a large awning and fabric patio set. The clearing started to remind me of Sombrio Beach–a place for variants, far from the world, protected and fragile at the same time.
More folding chairs came out of the back of Adelaide’s van and Josh’s Jeep. It struck me how ill prepared my friends and I had been when we left Victoria, and then, Vancouver. We had expected to limp along from motel to motel. Camping shaped up to be a better option than I’d realized.
I watched my friends and our new companions form a ring around our campfire. They were all chatting amongst themselves, sipping sodas and beers. It reminded me of the logging road bush parties from my high school years.
And then I saw Jonah, tired, looking older than his twenty-four years. He lowered himself into one of the folding chairs while everyone else remained standing. I wanted to put my hand on his shoulder. I wanted us to walk off into the woods, wrap our bodies together, and kiss until the sun came up. The prospect of ever having a relationship with him seemed to change from longing to frustration. I had to get over him. He had to get over me.
I stared at Cole until I made eye contact. I waited until he looked away again, and then I walked off into the woods. If I stayed gone too long to be taking a bathroom break, I hoped Cole would follow me. I walked until I reached a break in the forest where a tree had fallen. I took a seat and watched the far away flickering light of our campfire through the trees.
The crunching sound of dry leaves and twigs cracking underfoot sent my heart racing. And sure enough, the outline of Cole’s frame took shape in the darkness. His rugged face and square jaw came into focus as he neared my spot.
“You’re trying to push him away, aren’t you?” said Cole. His deep voice cut through the dark.
“Am I that obvious?” I asked.
“Well, you’re not genuinely int
o me, that much I do know.” Cole sat down next to me.
“Give yourself some credit. I do find you attractive. I always have. Maybe you’re the better fit for me now. Maybe you always were.” I moved over right beside Cole.
“What happens when Jonah gets better?”
“What happens if he never gets better? Worse yet, what if my touching him makes him sick. Over the edge sick. What if my being selfish is the last nail in his coffin?”
“That’s not going to happen. We won’t let it.”
I leaned over and kissed him. His lips stayed closed. His face remained firm. The electric chemistry I had with Jonah was missing. I ran my hands up into Cole’s hair and something ignited inside him. He kissed me back, his mouth open and hungry. He gave in, leaning into my body. I pushed back telekinetically to tease him and something in Cole snapped. He leapt up.
“We’re not doing this. Not until I’m convinced you and Jonah are done. For both of you!” Cole stormed into the trees leaving me to find my way back to camp alone.
Chapter 13
The scent of bacon drifted into my tent. The dim light of a morning sun still hidden behind the mountains softened my waking. I heard unfamiliar voices. I couldn’t make out the words of the conversation, but it reminded me how large our group had grown.
I closed my eyes and tried to picture a map, imagining where we might be on it, in relation to San Francisco. I tried to picture the San Andreas Fault and its crusty edges protruding from the earth in the photos I’d seen on the internet at Nellie and Bruno’s house. I searched my memory for the face of Dr. Waynesburg.
As though I’d opened floodgates, images surged into my mind out of nowhere. My eyelids fluttered while the onslaught of information took my breath away. The images slowed as though whirring gears suddenly locked into place and I plucked a single picture out of the visual torrent.
The Compendium Page 10