“We should go look for the lights. Do a little reconnaissance,” Tony whispers.
We are all sitting in the furthest corner of the tree house, trying to keep things down for the kid’s sake.
“I agree,” I answer.
“Let me guess. You all want to go check it out while Carrie and I stay up here with the kids, huh?” my dad asks with an arched eyebrow.
I give him my puppy dog, pleading eyes.
“You know, that look isn’t always going to work on me.” He smiles. “You all just stay safe and don’t stay out too long.”
“We won’t, Mr. Mosby,” Marya says.
My dad gives her a warm smile and pats her head before he gets up to move back by Carrie and the kids.
The six of us climb down from the tree house. Connor and Alec both flip on their flashlights. The night is dark with only a sliver of the moon visible above. The air is still icy but thankfully, no snow clouds loom above us.
“I think it’s to the east of here.” I whisper.
Tony nods and grabs ahold of my hand as we walk in that direction. Nobody is up for conversation tonight. I can tell that all of us are feeling the exhaustion weighing heavily. Rightfully so, today has been less than relaxing.
Fifteen minutes later, I hear Claire say, “Is that it?” She points ahead of her in the distance.
Sure enough, the first glimpse of twinkling lights comes into view. “Yes, I think it is,” I whisper.
Claire goes invisible and grabs Connor’s hand. Tony and I follow suit, helping Alec and Marya go invisible as well. We decide to err on the side of caution in case they have guards walking the perimeter.
We walk quietly forward. The lights are only about a half-mile up ahead. It’s unnerving knowing how close we were to this place in that tree house. The lights come better into view as we near the camp. They go on for as far as we can see. The camp is bordered off with metal, barbed-wire fencing. As we get closer, we can make out the shapes of tents and other temporary shelters.
Tony squeezes my hand and points up ahead.
I look in the direction. Two guards in military-grade camouflage, bolstering weapons, stand at an entrance to the camp several yards ahead. We freeze in place.
“Oh crap,” Connor whispers. I turn to see him looking down at his hands and then at Claire.
“Her invisibility isn’t working,” I tell Tony.
He doesn’t answer.
I turn to look at his eyes. Even though the lighting is not adequate out here, I can make out their hazel-green color. “Our powers aren’t working,” I whisper.
“We need to go back,” Tony whispers. “Now.”
I nod my head and we gesture for everyone to fall back.
Thankfully, we don’t run into any problems on our trip back. Our powers come back as we distance ourselves from the encampment. Nobody talks until we’re safely back at the tree house. My dad lets down the ladder and we climb up.
“It’s the military,” Tony tells my dad assuredly.
I don’t know whether that thought comforts me or freaks me out. I know that I’m partially relieved that it isn’t a huge group of Blake’s men. Even still, those soldiers took our friends. They took Connor’s parents. They were looking for W.M. They were making sure our powers were deemed useless. What do they want with us? With me?
My dad nods his head at Tony. “Well, I don’t think we have a choice on what we need to do, son.”
Tony’s back straightens when my dad calls him son. I can almost see a light emanating from him. That small endearment lifted him up. “I know,” Tony answers, nodding his head to agree with my dad.
“I don’t.” Connor furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “What do we need to do?”
“We need to help get the others out,” Claire says.
“I was thinking more along the lines of confronting the soldiers head on,” my dad says.
“What?” I exclaim in shock. That’s not at all what I thought he meant. “They would surely take us in!”
My dad shakes his head. “Willow, that could be a possibility. I served in our Army a long while ago. I believe in our country and I believe that they have our best interest in mind. No, I don’t know what they are doing with our people, but I have to hold onto the hope that our people are safe under their watch. If we confront them, they should be open and honest with us about their intentions.”
“That’s crazy, dad! They took our friends! They have a device that turns off our powers! For goodness sakes, Project ELE is a complete flop! They aren’t on our side—they can’t be,” I say, having no idea where in the world my dad’s logic is coming from in this area.
Tony grabs my hand and laces his fingers through mine. He takes a deep breath and looks at me.
I shake my head. “Not you too!”
He smiles. “You’re beautiful when you’re flustered, you know,” he tells me in our own special way.
I blush. The comment alone brings my anxiety level down a notch.
“Look, I don’t think we should all go,” my dad says. “I was more so thinking along the lines of me just going in.”
“No way,” I say, my anxiety rising back up.
My dad straightens up and gives me a stern look. “I’m your father and you will not tell me what to do. I think this is the best course of action. I agree with you that we can’t fully trust them. At least if it’s just one of us, we can try and get some answers without sacrificing everyone.”
“I agree with your dad.” Alec cringes when I set my fiery eyes on him. “Look, it’s the best course of action. If the military were going to be a danger to our people, they wouldn’t have been able to get everyone out of the safe houses without killing a few. We need to find out what they want. If your dad used to be in the Army, maybe that will hold some sway with the soldiers.”
“I don’t like this idea at all.” I cross my arms over my chest, determined now more than ever to act like a stubborn mule.
My dad gets up and moves to my side. He pulls me into his arms. “And I haven’t liked the numerous times you’ve been put in danger. I need to do something. I need to take care of my kids and this is the only way I know how.”
“I know, Dad.” I sniffle into his chest. A feeling of despair is deep in the pit of my stomach. I can’t lose my dad. I don’t think I’d survive losing another parent.
“He’ll be fine,” Tony tells me.
“I hope so,” I say, relenting. I realize that this argument is already lost.
***
After breakfast, my dad begins getting ready to head out. He gives Sabby a hug and then comes to give me one.
“I still hate this idea,” I tell him stubbornly.
“Duly noted,” he tells me. He says his goodbyes to everyone else and then climbs down the ladder.
Tony has physically has to hold me back, because they’ve decided that we should stay here in the tree house. It would be safer because the military would certainly be out searching the perimeter the second they see my dad approach. I dig my fingernails into my palms, feeling helpless. We agreed to give him until late afternoon to return. After that, we have full rein to go after him.
We try to pass time playing I Spy and Categories with the kids. Thankfully, Connor stashed a pack of cards in his backpack. It’s nearly impossible to keep my mind off my dad though, regardless of the distractions. I practice my telekinesis while we wait by folding the blanket up with my mind. Surprisingly, it works. It’s not a tight or neat fold, but I manage to wad up the blanket into a messy square.
Tony massages my shoulders. “He’ll be okay,” he whispers.
I shiver at his breath in my ear. I can’t take much pleasure in it though because I’m still so wracked with worry. I wish I could have a vision that could justify being calm.
When the sun has risen to its highest point in the sky, the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach intensifies. I stand up and declare, “We need to go now and look for him.”
“If you go,
we all go,” Carrie interjects.
I look over at her and then down to Sabby and Lillie. I don’t like that idea any more than I liked the idea of my dad going alone.
“We need to stick together,” Claire says assuredly.
“Fine, we all go,” I say tightly.
“Yes!” Sabby declares with an arm in the air. He has no idea how dangerous this adventure could become.
“We’ll take care of them,” Tony tells me.
I just nod my head. I can’t find my voice; the nausea has become so intense that I can’t focus right.
We pack our stuff and leave the safety of the tree house. I explain to the kids the dire need for them to stay quiet. Carrie tells them that we are on a secret mission and they beam with excitement as we set out. Sebastian makes his thumb and pointer finger turn into a gun and holds it in front of him as he walks.
Tony takes the lead and I hold onto his arm the entire way. I try to soak in some of his strength. The fear of the unknown is the worst. Not knowing if my dad is safe or what the military wants with us is unbearable. Or even the fact that if anything goes wrong, we could all be in a lot of trouble.
When we get near, we turn invisible. As we move forward, we stop every few feet to check each other’s eyes. We want to get as close as we can without losing our abilities.
We stop a few yards away from the place we were last night. I turn and see the color fading from Tony’s eyes. Crud.
I motion for him to step back. We step back a few feet and his eyes turn purple again. “We need to find a better vantage point without getting any closer,” I tell him.
“We can stay at this distance but circle the perimeter,” he tells me. I nod my head and follow him as he leads us all through the trees.
I look down at Sabby—who is holding onto my other hand—and smile. He can’t see me since we are invisible. He keeps checking his arm, his eyes wide with excitement. I guess being invisible never gets old when you’re five.
We walk around the perimeter of the area, staying hidden within the trees. A few yards to the east, we find a spot with a clear view of the barbed-wire fence.
“That’s it,” I tell Tony.
“Yes, it is. Look, there’s some people, over there by the tent.” He points.
I squint my eyes and can barely make out their shapes. Tony’s eyesight is amazing. He pulls a pair of binoculars from his bag and lifts them to his eyes.
“That snake,” Tony whispers out loud. He drops the binoculars to his side, clenches his hand into a fist, and turns to look at me. His eyes are dark and angry.
“What?” I ask.
He hands me the binoculars. “Look!”
I look through the lenses towards the encampment. The two figures come into better view. I gasp. “Michael!”
Click.
I drop the binoculars and stiffen at the sound. In unison, we turn our heads at the same time to see three soldiers aiming their rifles at us. The lead soldier, a tall, lanky man with sun-weathered skin, looks at me with his light blue eyes. His rifle is trained carefully at Tony as opposed to me. The other two are pointing theirs in our general direction, unable to see our invisible bodies.
“Crap,” I say, raising my hands. Everyone follows my lead, including Sabby and Lillie. We all let go of our invisibility and the other two soldiers aim their rifles at Alec and Conner once they can see us. They seem to be making extra efforts not to point the rifles at the kids or women. I guess that’s something, I think to myself.
Tony is shaking, he’s so angry.
“Y’all are going to need to come with us,” the man with the light blue eyes says.
“We could fight. Use our powers to rip those rifles from their hands,” Tony tells me without looking in my direction.
“Yes we could, but that won’t help us get my dad back or any of the others. Also, there’s no guarantee that one of them won’t have a twitchy finger.” I’m not willing to risk Tony’s safety when that gun is trained on him. Even though I feel sick to my stomach, I have to trust that my vision a few days back was truth. That my friends and family will be safe like Tony told me they were on Valentine’s Day. It’s a small consolation, but it’s all I have to hold onto right now.
“Take it nice and easy,” the lead soldier says, gesturing with his gun for us to move forward. We comply and walk towards the camp, guns trained skillfully on us. I glance at Tony and see his eyes turn a hazel green.
When we reach the perimeter fence, we turn right and follow it towards the entrance. The two soldiers stare solemnly at us as we approach. We are guided into the camp. Inside the fence are tents for as far as the eyes can see. There doesn’t seem to be much activity outside of the tents, other than a few soldiers walking from here to there. We see Michael and the other soldier in front of one.
In the next second, Tony darts forward, lightning quick even without his powers, and punches Michael in the face before any of us can so much as register the action. He grabs ahold of Michael’s BDUs and cocks his arm back to land another punch, but stops cold when the barrel of a gun presses into his temple.
“Move back!” the soldier that Michael was speaking to earlier demands, holding the gun at Tony’s head.
Tony doesn’t flinch a muscle, Michael’s collar still firmly in his grasp.
“Don’t make this difficult,” the soldier warns.
“Tony! Let him go.” I run up behind him and grab ahold of his arm. Nobody stops me or trains their guns at me. Tony releases Michael’s lapel and allows me to guide him a few steps back.
I turn my angry eyes at Michael. “How dare you!” I point my finger accusingly at him. I have to force myself not to follow in Tony’s footsteps and punch this man’s lights out. “We trusted you!” I spit vehemently.
He wipes the blood from his mouth and looks at the red smear on his hand, then looks back at me. “It’s not what it seems, Willow.”
My whole body is trembling with rage. “Oh really?” I spit at him. “So you aren’t really a soldier? Those are just some digs you are wearing for the heck of it?” I look him up and down, snarling my lip. “You lured us! You were trying to lure me that night, weren’t you?”
His face reddens. “Yes, but not to hurt you. You’re safe here. I just needed to bring you in.”
“Safe? Is that why you have guns pointed at us?” Tony interjects.
I have to hold my arm out to keep him from charging forward and popping Michael again. Even though I’d like to see the man bleed a little more.
“Yes, you are. Look around. Nobody is pointing a gun at you anymore.” Michael gestures behind us.
We turn around and see the others holding their rifles at their sides. The soldier next to Michael has already lowered his gun but holds it ready in case Tony goes after Michael again.
“Dad!” Sabby yells and takes off behind me. I spin around to see him fling himself into my dad’s arms.
I exhale a loud swoosh of air. “Dad!” I run to him and throw my arms around him as well. He holds us both tightly. Emotions are sloshing about within me: relief, confusion, anger, and even more confusion. “What is going on?” I ask my dad, moving away so I can look into his eyes.
“I told you to wait until late afternoon. I was just about to head back to get you all when I heard the commotion,” my dad tells me.
“You were going to come get us?” I ask.
He nods his head. “Yes. There is so much to tell you. The others are all here. They are safe and sound.” He smiles broadly.
“They’re safe?” I say absently.
He nods his head. In the next second, I see the grumpy old man walk around the corner and into view.
“Lee!” I run to his side and throw my arms around him.
He stiffens but then puts his arms around me, accepting my hug. “Hey Willow. I’m so glad you’re safe!” he says back to me.
I move back awkwardly, remembering Lee’s dislike for public displays of affection. “You’re glad that I’m safe?”
“Yes! We were worried about you. Erik and I both went on the search and rescue missions with these fine soldiers.” Lee gestures towards the soldiers, who have relaxed a lot more. “Who would have thunk that this Yankee would have been the one to find you?” He walks over to Michael and slaps him on the back.
Michael winces but accepts Lee’s gesture of affection. “Thanks for believing in me, Lee.” He rolls his eyes.
I try to circle my mind around all this craziness. I turn to look at Tony and my friends, who are just as confused as I am. “I still don’t get it. Search and rescue missions? What’s going on? We saw these people hauling you away. They disabled your powers and still have our powers disabled.”
Lee rubs his chin between his thumb and index finger in a considering gesture. “Yeah, that’s true. Truth is, we weren’t too excited about the way they hauled us out of the safe house. It wasn’t until we were brought here and everything was explained to us that we finally understood. They had to disable our powers and they still have to. We can’t chance the others that are out there,” he points to the woods, “getting a one up on us in here.”
“I’m still not following, Lee.” Tony comes up and puts his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. We lean into each other instinctively, relief clearly seen in our actions.
My dad answers for Lee. “Blake’s men. They aren’t just a small group; this is a massive effort on his part. In fact, he’s been turning Reapers and others with our powers, but no morality, loose in this area. There are some heavy hitters in league with Blake. There is an all-out hunt for you, Willow, with a great reward for the first one to bring you in alive. It’s amazing that we’ve made it this far without them catching us.”
My jaw drops. I knew we were being hunted by Blake and his men, but I didn’t think of them as being an entire army much like this one. He’s been turning Reapers out on us... “Does that mean that he’s injecting more people with those shots?” I ask.
Michael answers my question. “Our sources say that he still has all the people that Dr. Hastings gained control over. He’s used compulsion on some of them, but a good deal of them didn’t need compulsion. They’re in it for the money.”
Ending ELE (ELE Series) Page 15
