“You mean she helped with the girl you just told off?” Val turns to the agent, eyeing her warily. “Maybe I was wrong about you.”
Agent Ashby shrugs. “All I did was give him a boost of confidence. Figured he needed it after I almost made him fall off the stage.”
I swallow hard. Was it really me if Ashby was influencing my emotions? How is that different from what Lady Black does?
Val takes my hand in hers and hugs me. “I’m glad you’re mine, Tim.”
I hug her back, still unnerved, and I’m not sure if she’s saying that because she means it or because she still doesn’t trust Ashby. I’ll be glad once she figures out how to control her insight powers better. “Me, too.”
Agent Ashby snorts and juts out her hip with her helmet at her side. “None of that kissy stuff while I’m around, got it? I still have to scan everyone’s minds.” And stop worrying so much, Master Zaytsev. I only amplified what was already in your head.
I try to ignore her. I give Val a peck on the cheek, to which the agent rolls her eyes and mumbles about cutting out the mushy stuff. If she doesn’t like it, that’s fine.
It might be my only defense I have against my bodyguard.
The next day is spent traveling to the St. Petersburg community center, sitting in private meetings, and delivering small speeches. I shake hands with countless leaders, and after a number of them hit on me and Val, I see the agent’s point. After lunch, I start seeding EYEnotes about the speech I gave on campus into the trending feeds, and our next meeting has a lot fewer incidents of leaders flirting with us. The rest of the day is relatively uneventful, other than my cheek muscles hurting from all the smiling.
Still, I’m looking forward to dinner.
“You look great.” Val gives the comb one final pass through my hair, and then sits the comb beside the mirror. “Your parents will be proud.” I fidget with the charms on my neck until Val smacks my hand away. She glares at me—she’s tried to keep those precisely positioned for the past hour with little success.
“They probably think I’m dead.” After my disappearance, security would have told them that I failed the Health Scan and had to be taken away. Or told them nothing, simply saying the Community is safe. It’s not the first time it’s happened. We had a neighborhood kid disappear like that.
Val squints and tweaks my collar. “If they’ve been reading EYEnet, they’ll know full well you’re alive.”
“True, but they’ll ask why I never called.” I bounce on my heels.
She rubs her forehead in frustration. “Tim—they’ll be happy to have you back. Besides, you can say it was a matter of international security. I don’t think they’ll ask much beyond that.”
“But what if I say the wrong thing? What if I accidently mention something they aren’t supposed to hear?”
The door opens to Agent Ashby. She sighs and hands me a pair of long, black gloves. “If you say the wrong thing, then I’ll shoot them. Now, don’t forget these.”
Before I have a chance to protest, Val shakes her head and turns to me. “Tim, we’re Camaraderie. If you say something wrong, we can relocate them. Probably even get them a nicer house. That’s what I did for my family.”
I glance between her and Ashby, who smirks. I rub the soft gloves between my fingers. “What are these for?” I hadn’t protested wearing them on campus, where someone might have been shielded, but now I’m finally going home.
The agent raises her chin. “Your mother is shielded, Master Zaytsev.”
I frown. My mother’s shielded, which means— “She has powers?”
Agent Ashby shrugs. “You had to get them from somewhere. I checked your family records. Your powers came from your mother’s side, as indicated by the death of your grandmother during the days of the plague.”
“What happened to her?” I’ve never actually thought about it before.
“I haven’t looked at the specifics. I just needed to know if you had anyone shielded in the family.” She glances away, and I wonder what she’s not saying. I link into EYEnet, spanning across the international wireless satellites until I find the health network files. “Tim, you don’t want to do that,” she says quietly.
I clench my jaw and scan to the year of my grandmother’s death. I have to know if she was turned into a beast, or recruited for Special Forces, or—
“Tim.” The agent’s voice is soft.
A hub.
I close my eyes. I could look to see which hub, but I don’t want to know. By now, she would have been replaced with a healthier specimen.
Val hugs me and I sink into her. My grandmother was taken, likely by force. Jenna got lucky, with her grandfather still being alive. I don’t know why I thought I’d have the same luck. I nuzzle my nose into Val’s shoulder. I’ve been programming a hub with people who suffered similar fates.
“Master Zaytsev.” The agent lays a hand on my shoulder. “We have all lost people to the plague.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “There is no plague. Stop referring to it as such.”
“I refer to it as the plague for the time period and the event as a whole. I am aware that powers are not a disease. I am aware that the Camaraderie of Evil is entirely responsible for the death of millions of people. But that time frame is a plague on mankind, a time when dissent led to civil war and families turned on each other. Afterward, after the losses led to the rebuilding of civilization, the world was a better place.” She presses her lips together. “I am sorry, Master Zaytsev, if I offend you when I say this, but your grandmother’s placement helped make the world safe, even if it means you never got to know her. Look at Special Forces. We risk our lives to ensure the safety of the Community and the continuation of the Camaraderie. Our techniques may be harsh, but they’re effective. Tell me, Master Zaytsev, would you sacrifice yourself if it meant making the world safer for Lady Salazar and… future generations?”
The agent holds me with her gaze, and I press Val’s head against my shoulder, my fingers in her hair. Is that what Martinez did for Lady Black? Is that why he never tried to escape? I hold her closer. “I love you, Val.” She presses against me. I swallow hard, then nod. “I would try.”
Agent Ashby lets out a breath. Her voice is soft again. “Then understand, Master Zaytsev, why your grandmother’s sacrifice is not something to be angry about. Upset, yes. We have all lost people we wished we could have known, but the greater good is more important.” She pauses. “I’ll leave the two of you to finish getting ready. We leave in half an hour.”
“Thank you,” I whisper. I stare at my gloves behind Val’s back, turning my hands to look at the smooth, perfect stitching. Why is it that I’ve survived, when so many others have not? I know from listening to Lady Winters that I would have been used in the Legion Spore if I hadn’t disappeared from the Community when I did.
I take a deep breath and hold Val tighter.
If Jenna had never asked me to hack the health network, I wouldn’t be here, and neither would Val.
My parents’ house looks the same as the others on the street. Same metal siding as all the other houses. A single tree, carefully placed for optimal shade in the summer and protection against wind. A one-car driveway, since my mother works from home as a programmer and has no need for her own vehicle. The only reason I know this house is ours is because of the number on the curb.
Commander Rick unhooks the latch for the picket fence—painted white—and strides to the door. I follow behind with Val and Agent Ashby. Other agents patrol the neighborhood. It’s unlikely they’ll be needed in the house itself; my family isn’t known for being rebellious.
The commander raps the door twice, his knuckles muffled by his gloves. A second later, my father stands in the doorway, a shocked expression on his face. He looks older than I remember—white hairs mix with the lighter blond. He gapes at Commander Rick for a long moment. Then he sees me. “Tim!” He quickly steps aside, glancing between me and the commander. “Come in, please. The Commu
nity is safe. Can I help—”
The commander lays a hand on my father’s shoulder. “At ease, Mr. Sergej Zaytsev.”
Father nods and closes the door behind us so fast that it slams shut. Agent Ashby flinches, but Father’s already halfway across the room. “Darya, you’re not going to believe this…”
My mother steps out from her office, rubbing her wrists from where she’s no doubt been typing, and stops short when she sees the commander. Her jaw drops. “Commander Rick?”
Father gently pulls her to his side and points at me. “Tim.”
Her face lights up. “Tim! I mean… Master Zaytsev.” She beams. “Congratulations, Timothy.”
Warmth floods through my chest. They know.
“I’m back.” I smile, embarrassed. They grab me together, holding me. I lean my head against Mother’s head, then stagger. Everything is silent, warbled. I can’t sense anything… like I’m underwater. I gasp for breath as they steady me.
“Are you all right?” Father helps me stand.
Can’t say I didn’t warn you, Agent Ashby sends.
I rub my forehead, numb. “Yeah, I’m fine. Long day, that’s all.”
“I saw that on EYEnet.” Mother smiles. “I didn’t think you’d have a chance to stop by.”
“Why not? I mean… we’re in the area.” The sense of a cell phone tugs from the distant corner of my mind. My powers are returning, though slowly.
Father ruffles my hair. “I’ve almost got dinner ready… perhaps I should make enough for five?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Agent Ashby says, smiling gently. “I can eat later.”
“Oh, it’s no problem. In fact, I’d be honored. It’s people like you who keep us safe. It will be my pleasure. If I could have half an hour—” He looks to Commander Rick and sucks his teeth nervously.
Commander Rick smiles. “I wouldn’t mind home cooking.”
My father blushes. His face wrinkles as he tries hard not to look overly excited. “Yes, sir. The Community is safe.” He almost runs for the kitchen and several pots clank as he searches for the right one.
It’s good to be home.
“How’s Sarah doing?” I ask. My older sister transferred out of St. Petersburg after college, but she passed the Health Scan without a problem. The last I heard from her was two weeks before I left.
Mother leads me to the table. “She doesn’t communicate with us often; her work in the European Community keeps her busy.”
“Is she happy?”
Mother smiles, ducking her head. “I think so. She recently got approval for a partner. She’s on a trial basis with him now.”
I grin. “Well, it’s not official, but… this is Val. Uh, Lady Salazar.”
Val blushes. “Hello, Mrs. Zaytsev. Nice to meet you.”
Mother raises an eyebrow, pursing her lips to keep from smiling any wider than Dad did. “Both my children—all grown up. I’m proud of you, Tim. So proud.”
I wonder what Mother would think if she knew she was going to be a grandparent, but I quickly change my thoughts to how nice it is to be home. I hug her again, careful now that my powers are faintly returning.
“I just hope I continue to make you proud,” I say. “By the way, this is Commander Rick and Agent Ashby.”
Mother flushes as the commander firmly shakes her hand. Agent Ashby gives her an almost imperceptible nod. We sit to talk, and my mom practically bounces out of her seat. The commander spends a good deal of time talking about me and how I’ve been, sparing me of trying to keep the story straight myself but leaving me with too-warm cheeks for the majority of the evening. After all the compliments I catch Mother making a hand gesture under the table to ward against bad luck. Odd. I’ve seen her use it before, but I’ve never thought much about the meaning. Even in the Community, it appears some superstitions remain.
Father enters the room with hot cabbage soup that’s been carefully poured into plain ceramic bowls. He sets one at each place in the table, and then returns with pumpernickel bread and a bread knife. I inhale happily. It’s been a while.
Val swishes her spoon in the soup and wrinkles her nose. “What is it?”
“Cabbage, garlic, sauerkraut… and knowing Father, he probably added mushrooms,” I say.
Val takes a hesitant bite. I take a sip myself and let the broth swish around my tongue. Delicious… though Val swallows hard and forces a smile.
“It’s… good.”
I chuckle. It might not be to her tastes, but Agent Ashby seems to enjoy it. Despite her lessons on taking time to eat at a meal, she’s already made it halfway through the bowl. Even the commander notices. He leans to Father and lowers his voice. “I might have to ask you for the recipe—someone seems fond of it.” Father beams as Agent Ashby freezes, her cheeks turning bright red. She coughs, and proceeds to eat slower.
Dinner itself is quiet until Commander Rick frowns in mid-bite and politely excuses himself from the table. He disappears to the back of the house. I stare at the end of the hall, amazed. I never thought the leader of the Community would be here, in my parents’ house, having dinner with my family.
Mother wrings her hands. “Is everything all right?”
“It’s not the soup, is it?” Father frowns.
Agent Ashby shakes her head. “I expect he’s answering a call. Don’t worry, your soup is wonderful.” Even she can’t hide that smile.
Commander Rick returns and sweeps the tail of his jacket underneath him as he sits. “My apologies, I hope I did not interrupt anyone.” He smiles to my parents and clasps his hands in front of the empty bowl. Agent Ashby raises an eyebrow, but if the commander has anything to report, he doesn’t speak.
When it’s time to finally leave, I give my parents their goodbye hugs, bracing myself for the loss of powers when Mother kisses me on the forehead. “I love you, son,” she whispers. I nod, fighting back tears. I’m not sure when I’ll see them again.
“I love you guys, too.”
Father pats me on the shoulder and hands a piece of paper with the recipe to Agent Ashby. She accepts the paper and thanks him. Her lips twitch as she tries to hide her grin. Val once again says it’s nice to meet everyone, the commander gifts my family with a tin of his favorite tea blend, and after everyone has had a moment to sit, he skirts us into the dark night of blue streetlights and cold wind. A few snowflakes whirl past.
A van waits for us under the streetlamp. I take the window seat closest to the house and wave to my parents on the doorstep. We drive away.
Commander Rick’s voice comes from the front seat, uncomfortably pressing in the confines of the small van. “The trap has been sprung.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“The Egyptian time stone is missing from a ravaged museum just outside of Cairo. Tomorrow we will take a team to track them, cutting the tour short. But worry not, we will reschedule the rest of the tour for later.”
My heart skips a beat. My skin feels clammy, and I remove my gloves, staring at them through the passing bursts of pale light.
The rebels took the bait.
Commander Rick has everything prepped for the mission by morning. We drive to a small, hidden facility a hundred and fifty kilometers outside of St. Petersburg. The moment I step inside, technology throbs around me—a constant sense of computers that is as familiar as it is unfamiliar. I stop in the door. “What is this place?”
Agent Ashby pushes me forward. “One of the Camaraderie’s control points. Ever wonder how the council moves around the world so fast without airships?”
Hubs. That’s what I’m sensing. Though the Cuban base has one, it’s small and mostly used for communication and inner base transportation. This feels a lot bigger, but it has a rigid, simple code. It’s not like the Legion Spore.
“You and the commander will teleport to Egypt and meet the team he’s prepared for this mission,” Agent Ashby says. “Lady Salazar and I will return to Cuba.”
“You’re not coming with
us?”
She shakes her head. “You’ve got Commander Rick with you, and he has his beasts. I came with you to the Community so he could have his attention free for the crowd. Now hurry up.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I chase after the commander as she chuckles. He waits beside the elevator in the nearby hallway. Val’s already there. He types in a sequence, which I easily read, and we step into a small, reflective room.
Val takes my hand, shivering.
Down—I lose count of the floors. My stomach flips. The elevator dings and the door swishes open, revealing a large, well-lit room. A single computer sits in the center of the room, linked with wires to a mass of humans in simple metal chairs that circle the contraption. Metal bands are screwed into their skulls. Nausea floods through me, though Val’s fierce squeezing of my hand serves as a distraction.
“If you and Lady Salazar would like a moment before we depart, now is the time.” Commander Rick turns away and begins inputting coordinates into the hub’s databank. This place, the technology… it’s cold.
Val places my hands on her waist before she links her fingers behind my neck. “This place gives me the creeps,” she whispers, “and I don’t want to delay you, so I’ll keep it short. Be safe, okay? I’ll see you when you get back. Tim, thank you for telling that girl you weren’t interested. It means a lot to me.”
The hub tugs on my mind, constricting my throat and chest, but I force a smile for Val. “I want to be with you. I can’t do that if I’m with someone else.”
She reaches on her tippy-toes and kisses my forehead. “Be careful, okay? I don’t think the Coalition’s going to be friendly when you find them.”
“What gives you that idea?” I try to joke, but my voice cracks. “I’ll be careful. Besides, I’ve got Commander Rick on my side.”
She thumbs my nose playfully. “I’ll see you when you get back.” She bats her eyes at me, then steps into the elevator. My heart flutters as she waves. The elevator door shuts.
The Glitch Saga- The Complete Collection Page 24
