He wouldn’t face her. Kennedy bit down on her lip, turning to look out her window. She had finally managed to push him away. She told herself she didn’t care, even if she had wanted to forgive him this morning. But the truth was, this hurt.
God, this morning she thought she loved him.
And now her heart was breaking all over again.
Tears glazed her eyes. She held in her breath so he wouldn’t hear it shake. Letting him know how much he affected her would only make things worse. She continued staring out the window at the piles of snow and dreary buildings, but seeing none of it.
The Phoenix from her dream and the one in real life were two completely different people. The dream was exactly what it was, a dream. A fantasy. Some version of Phoenix she conjured up because the real one was an ass.
It’s not like she wasn’t used to pretending. In the past, whenever the real world began to suck, she drew into herself. Usually, she was aware of it. This time, she was losing her grip on what was real and what wasn’t. She’d like to believe that the Phoenix in her dream wasn’t real. It would definitely make her feel less crazy. Or maybe that wasn’t what she wanted at all.
Maybe she wanted him to be real.
She desperately wanted to believe that the person sitting next to her wouldn’t always be so cold, that all of this was a temporary hell. She didn’t like what he’d done, how domineering he’d been, and how little confidence he’d shown in her abilities. He wrecked her plans with Nika, called her stupid, and then forced her into this car.
In spite of all of those things, it scared her more to think of the future Phoenix in her dreams as some figment of her imagination.
Twenty-Six
The fasten seatbelt sign turned off in DOE’s private jet. Normally Phoenix and the others would’ve been cramped into a commercial plane, but apparently all the stops had been pulled for this trip. Ensuring Dominika made it back to Olympus in one piece was DOE’s primary objective. They couldn’t afford to take any more chances. She’d already caused a big scene in front of citizens; both Ryder’s son and the aunt witnessed her manipulating air—that should be fun explaining to General Vickard.
The cruising speed kicked in, creating a sense of stillness inside the cabin. Phoenix stood and crossed over to the couch Kennedy was curled up on. He sat Ozias Ryder’s brace in her lap while trying not to disturb her. She had just fallen asleep, and after everything that happened today, she needed the rest. It had taken a lot of shouting and a call to Level 3 to get the brace back, but he’d finally managed to do it without ramming his fist into the jaw of the stubborn agent who refused to hand it over.
He had been determined to get it back for her. It was the least he could do. She probably hated him after everything he put her through. It twisted him up inside, seeing how she reacted to his nearness, how stiff her body went, and the way her jaw clenched. Everything about her showed how much she despised him. He hated it, but he couldn’t blame her. He would despise himself too, if he were her.
“Thank you.”
Phoenix shifted his attention to the seat behind him.
Nika watched him beneath half-closed eyelids. “I saw you give her the brace,” she said. “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
Blinking several times, she tried to open her eyes wider. “They gave me something, didn’t they?”
He nodded once. An agent injected her while struggling to get Nika inside the plane. She had been so worked up with fighting them off that she barely noticed. “A sedative, I think.”
Her eyes slowly closed, as if she couldn’t help it anymore. “Abusive pigs,” she muttered, drifting off.
Phoenix figured that was the end of the conversation and was surprised when she spoke a few moments later. “What happened with her?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t act dense. You must’ve done something to send her running. What was it?”
Phoenix looked over at Kennedy, noticing she wasn’t sleeping peacefully. Every few seconds she twitched and stirred, her face tense from whatever she was dreaming about. He wanted to go over there, pull her into his lap, and stroke her hair until she was okay. But he didn’t have that right. Labels didn’t exist between them anymore. Only huge barriers.
“Are you ever going to answer me?” Nika yawned, snuggling more comfortably in her seat. It wouldn’t take long before she was out for good.
“It’s complicated.” That was the only answer she was getting from him. Explaining how he felt to Kennedy was hard enough. He wasn’t going there again.
“Looks simple to me.”
He arched a brow at her, even though she couldn’t see him. “The bloody drugs are making you delirious, Nika. Go to sleep.”
“Very amusing, Jorgensen, but it is,” she argued. “That day with Sigly, you were her hero…and today you’re the villain. Sounds pretty simple to me. Go back to the hero if you want to keep her. Stay like this if you don’t.”
Phoenix stared at Nika, almost in a daze. To her deranged credit, she had a point. The girl knew how to cut the situation down to its roots. It terrified him to think that she was right, that Kennedy thought of him as the villain. But it terrified him more to think of the danger she’d put herself in coming here, especially after he found out she was poking around in Maxwell Ryder’s house. He’d done his homework on the billionaire CEO. Too many suspicious activities were linked to his company. Too many unexplained deaths surrounded Ryder himself. Everything pointed to power and corruption all wrapped up beneath layers of influence. Keeper or not, it was risky for Kennedy to get involved with Ryder—made worse by her coming on her own, for Christ’s sake.
So he’d reacted out of panic. He got General Vickard involved and activated the tracker in Kennedy’s brace without thinking too much about the repercussions.
Calaya once told him being Kennedy’s hero would mean more than being the world’s hero. He supposed that day had come. One person’s life meant more to him than all others. Could be a misguided path, but he no longer gave a damn about what kind of keeper that made him. What he did care about was he’d failed at being the kind of person he wanted to be.
Nika was right. That’s exactly what he was.
A villain.
Twenty-Seven
Kennedy was surprised to see Oz’s brace in her lap when she woke up. She figured DOE’s tech department would analyze it to pieces before she ever saw it again—if she ever saw it again. Instinctively she knew Phoenix had gotten it back, but he was nowhere to be found. The normal hums and buzzes of the plane’s movement were gone, signaling they’d landed. She rubbed her eyes, looking around.
Deacon was the only one in the cabin. He rifled around in one of the overhead shelves for his bag. “Better get a move on. Come on, I’ll take you to our platform. Our rocket leaves in an hour.”
Kennedy nodded and stood, snapping Oz’s brace around her wrist. “Thanks. Guess I slept through the landing.”
Deacon lugged the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “Feeling any better?”
“Not really.” Sounded pessimistic, but hey, it was honest.
“Take my advice and raise hell when you get back to Level 3. They’ll hear you out about Ryder. You are a keeper, after all.”
The exit ramp was empty, darkened by the setting sun. They must have landed in Madrid, the closest city with a rocket launch.
“What does that mean anyway—me being a keeper?” she asked, trying not to roll her eyes. “Certainly not a whole lot of confidence in our abilities.”
If that were the case, they would’ve let her do what she needed to do. They would’ve trusted her to make the best decisions.
“The officers of the World Army hate being in the dark. Trust me, I know. My dad is one of those people.” Deacon chuckled, holding the gate door open for her. “They like keeping everyone else there, but won’t stand for it themselves.”
She stepped inside the airport, shaking her head in disgust.
“It’s unfair.”
Deacon shrugged. “They’re also in charge of keeping the world safe.”
“Well I’m tired of the constant power struggles. If they want us to do our jobs, they need to let us do our jobs.”
“Can’t say I don’t agree.”
“You might want to talk to your father about that.”
He raised his brows, then burst out laughing. “Believe me, I’d like to help you out, but my father is the last person who will listen. Allowing me to feel privileged in any way whatsoever is his worst nightmare. He wants me to earn respect on my own.”
“Well he’s not gonna like it when I talk to him.”
“I’m sure.” Deacon smiled. “This way,” he directed. “We’re not going directly through the airport.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’ll never get to the rocket in time with legions of people flocking to you with their cameras.”
Oh that. She always forgot about the notoriety. It wasn’t something she would ever get used to. “Good idea.”
Deacon escorted her through the back entrances, swiping an ID badge at the employee entrances. She needed to speak to Mason about getting one of those thingies. Deacon maneuvered them around the airport real quick, and he seemed to know the place like the back of his hand.
“So the farewell ball is tomorrow night,” Deacon told her. “You going?”
“Um…yeah. I guess so.”
Honestly, she had forgotten all about it. She supposed she would have to go now that she was going back to Olympus. It was the right thing to do and all, supporting the troops, and celebrating one of their last nights together.
Under normal circumstances, the idea of picking out a dress and getting all dolled up would have left her bouncing with excitement. But after everything that had happened, it was the last thing she wanted to be bothered about.
“Do you have a date?” Deacon asked.
She wasn’t sure how to answer. “I hadn’t really thought that far into it.”
“So go with me then. I don’t have one either, and it could be fun.” Deacon looked over at her as they walked through the corridor, waiting for her answer.
Kennedy lowered her gaze, biting her lip. Saying yes to Deacon would be a bad idea. Things were too weird with Phoenix right now. He would be there and see the two of them…no way. Not gonna happen.
“As much as I would love to say yes, I don’t think I should.”
“Why? Do you have a boyfriend?”
Well…
“No…not exactly.”
It was as close to the truth as she could get.
“Look, I don’t have any expectations. I can’t—I’m leaving for an entire year.” He nudged her arm with his elbow. “It’s just a date, girl. As friends. I need someone pretty to stand beside me for those stupid photographs they take.”
She smiled, feeling a little more at ease around him. It had been really nice of him to ask, but still…she couldn’t. It didn’t matter how upset she was with Phoenix. It didn’t even matter whether or not things were really over. She couldn’t let him see her with someone else. If it were the other way around, and she saw him with another girl, it would be devastating.
“I would love to, Deacon, but I can’t. I don’t have a boyfriend, but I am sort of involved…and he’ll be there.”
He nodded. “I get it. Jorgensen?”
She nodded uncomfortably, not realizing he knew about Phoenix. Then again, after what happened in Martial Arts and Combat, she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised.
“I’d be crazy to mess with him,” he said, sighing. “Figures.”
Kennedy smiled, almost wishing she could take it back and say yes to Deacon and to hell with Phoenix, especially after what he had done. If she wouldn’t end up regretting it, she probably would’ve.
“Let me know when they take the picture though,” she offered. “I’ll come and stand next to you.”
He grinned and winked at her. “I’ll take what I can get.”
~ ~
When Kennedy arrived on Olympus, the first thing she did was go straight to her apartment. She asked Matilda to analyze Oz’s brace before any of the department heads figured out she had it and changed their minds. Time for them to be left in the dark for once.
It took a while for Matilda to analyze the files. Kennedy sat on one of the kitchen bar stools, tapping her fingers against the counter. Waiting to hear the outcome was agonizing.
“Got some scary stuff here, cupcake.”
Kennedy stopped tapping her fingers. “Whatever it is, I can handle it.” She sat up straighter, holding her breath.
“Looks like Ryder and Plaffle were business partners. Remember the secret scout mission you and Phoenix discovered?”
“Yes.”
“Apparently Ryder provided all the materials and technology, keeping it under wraps for Plaffle, but that wasn’t the only thing he did for the commissioner. Ryder also told Plaffle he could get access to some sort of super-charged energy gemstone. He promised the commissioner a cut of the proceeds.”
Her whole body tensed, bracing for what came next. “In exchange for what?”
“Ryder specifically requested that one of the Peri-Guard units be shut down.”
“What?” She knotted her brow together, wondering if it was possible for them to get away with something like that. More to the point—why would Ryder make that kind of request? “Even if he could manage that, we have huge satellites set up at each of the stations. Why would Ryder ask Plaffle to clear one?”
“Ryder planned for that. He programmed the satellites to look like they’re showing in real time, but in actuality, they are supposed to run on a constant replay of a recording. Apparently Ryder wanted someone to slip passed unnoticed, and he asked that the commissioner turn a blind eye.”
“Did Plaffle grant the request?”
“According to their correspondence, yes. The station was shut down almost a year ago.”
Kennedy stood, feeling too anxious to stay seated. “Hasn’t anyone caught on to their plan since Commissioner Plaffle went to prison? The missing Peri-Guard unit must have gone somewhere. Someone had to notice.”
“Well, we can easily find out by hacking into the military’s database. That is, ah…” Matilda made a very distinct coughing sound. “If it’s all right with you.”
Kennedy shook her head. “No, don’t get us in trouble. I’ll take this straight to the general. He’ll be pissed if he thinks one of the posts is unoccupied. General Vickard implemented the Peri-Guard system; it’s his baby.” Feeling restless, she began to pace through the living room. “Is there anything else, Matilda? Did you discover anything about the St. Petersburg address?”
“There are some encryptions I’m working on decoding. Definitely looks like extraterrestrials.”
“How long will it take you to analyze?”
“I’m not sure; they’re like nothing I’ve ever seen. Go ahead and take the brace to Vickard now if you’re worried. I have everything saved to my system. I can decode it from here.”
Kennedy stopped pacing long enough to spare a glance out the expansive living room window. “I am worried,” she admitted.
Beyond all those stars, a Peri-Guard post might have been left unoccupied, which meant Sae-yers could travel that route to get to Earth without anyone noticing. Instead of having weeks to plan for an attack, they would only have minutes. She swallowed, realizing the enormity of what that meant. “I’ll go now. Call me on Oz’s brace once you have the encryptions analyzed.”
“Might I ask what happened to yours?”
“Oh um…” Kennedy’s nose twitched. “I threw it out. It was defective.”
“My facial analyzer says you’re lying.”
Oh Jesus. Couldn’t Matilda pretend ignorance just this once? “I don’t have time to go into it right now, Matilda. I’ll talk to you later.”
She raced to the front door before the android decided to say something else.
Just as she swung it open, she saw Phoenix standing there, his arm raised to press the doorbell.
He looked startled by her sudden presence. “Hey,” was all he said.
Disregarding all the reasons she was mad at him, Kennedy threw her arms around his neck. Every ounce of her body shook uncontrollably. Seeing Phoenix there on her doorstep was the breaking point. She needed to touch him, needed to squeeze her arms around him, needed to feel any amount of comfort.
As if automatically knowing something was wrong, his arms held her while she took several deep breaths. Touching him helped calm her down. She couldn’t explain it, but there was something about being held by him that released some of the fear.
Once she felt better, she stepped back and looked him in the eye. “We need to go to Vickard’s office. I found something.”
He stared at her, and she could see all the graveness she felt transfer to his eyes. Without hearing an explanation, he knew it was serious. After a long moment, he reached for her hand, nodding. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Twenty-Eight
Within minutes of handing over Oz’s brace to General Vickard, he called for an emergency meeting. Kennedy told the general everything Matilda had told her, and that Matilda was still decoding the extraterrestrial transcripts.
Phoenix stood by, silently listening. His face was blank, but she could tell by the way he rocked back on his heels that he was nervous. He was just better at hiding it than most people.
Once Vickard called all the heads of the department, including Professor Mason, he stood to leave. “Walk with me,” he instructed both Kennedy and Phoenix. “Bring the kid’s brace with you.”
He walked in quick determined strides.
“Where are we going?” Kennedy asked, hurrying to keep up.
“To the conference room,” he said over his shoulder. “This needs to be dealt with immediately.”
A few halls down, they entered a room with a massive round table with enough chairs to seat fifty people. While Vickard waited for everyone to show up, he contacted the tech department and asked them to send a signal to each of the Peri-Guard units.
Center of the Universe (Twelfth Keeper) Page 21
