by Pam Eaton
I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I’ve got to stay strong and honor my father’s legacy.
“I tell you this, Becca, because I know about your little flirtation with Tony, and I couldn’t care less. That’s not what I am concerned about. I’m concerned about you and Gregory.”
I stare at him. What’s the difference? Does he think that Gregory and I could be like my parents?
“I debated long and hard about having this conversation with you, but since Gregory has not put a stop to your relationship like I told him to, I must. There are too many lives at stake. Going forward, you must only have a professional relationship.”
“What about Tony?”
“That’s nothing. I’m not at all worried about it. Obviously, you need to stop whatever it is you’re doing, but I put more importance on what’s occurring between you and Gregory. This has gone on long enough. Do you understand?”
Understand? How can I understand? He is basically telling me that even if I love Gregory, even if we are destined to be together and marry, it can never be. Forsake a chance at love and happiness, but go ahead on secretive missions that could kill me. Also, let’s not forget the fact that they need us to get married and have children so that our gifts can be passed down. I can’t wait for that loveless marriage.
I flex my fingers, desperate to relieve some tension. “Yes.”
“Good. Now, I’ve already talked this over with Gregory. As far as Tony goes, I think you can handle that yourself. There is one more thing we need to discuss.”
“And what’s that?” I ask, completely annoyed.
“I know you’ve been having trouble transporting, especially when your feelings are all over the place. You have a small window of time left to train. I don’t know how I can emphasize this enough, but you need to perfect your power. In fact, let’s see if you can do it now.”
What a hefty load to put on my shoulders. He knows that when I’m extremely upset or nervous that I just flicker and can’t completely transport myself. I close my eyes, trying to concentrate, but I’m furious. Snippets of our conversation float through my mind, making me incapable of performing.
“That’s enough,” he commands, making my eyes snap open.
He shoots me a withering stare. “Do you think you can handle this, Becca? Can you handle your power and dealing with your relationships with Gregory and Tony? Before you answer, I want you to know what my ability is. No one can physically lie to me. Try as they might, it is physically impossible for anyone to lie. The truth always prevails.”
It all makes sense. I’ve never lied to him. Never even thought to try and deceive him.
“I hope that I can handle this, and that’s the most honest answer I’ve got.”
He gets up from his seat. “Let’s go upstairs; we have a lot to discuss as a group.”
As I emerge from the stairs, I catch Gregory’s eye. I must be doing an awful job of hiding my pain, because he quickly looks away. Tony looks at Gregory and then at me. It’s clear he’s got a question on his mind by his furrowed brow and tense, pursed lips. Thankfully, Ania has saved me a seat next to her on the couch. I slide into the seat and try to slump down to make myself seem invisible. She grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze of encouragement. She must have an idea of what happened downstairs.
Mr. Smith stands at the fireplace again, looking as if he is about to convene a war council. “You must all suspect why I’m here. The time has come to proceed with our plans. Our associates have given us the green light.”
Tony perks up. “Are you finally going to tell us what we’ll be doing, or are we getting another ‘wait and see’ directive?”
Gregory looks annoyed at the type of insubordination that Tony presents, but I can’t help siding with him. The two of us have been left in the dark about the entire situation. It’s extremely hard to train when you don’t know what you’re training for. Are there going to be other Project Lightning people involved? Are we going to be fighting anyone? So many unanswered questions, such a frustrating trend.
Mr. Smith places a tablet in the center of the floor, presses a button, and steps back. A holographic image appears in front of our eyes. I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t even believe it exists. The image itself appears to be blueprints of a large building—wait, not just a building, but a compound.
“This is where you’ll be going. Asia.”
I lean forward in my seat, paying close attention to Mr. Smith’s words. “These blueprints are of a small army base. The base itself seems to be comprised of a few buildings, open yards, soldiers’ quarters, and one building that goes deep underground.” He points them all out on the floating 3D map.
“As you’ll see from the blueprints, there are only a few ways to access the lower levels.” He marks them with red Xs. “Within the lower levels is a vault with an important black box. This is the objective of your mission. Retrieve that box and get in and out undetected.
“The contents of that box could put all our lives in danger, and our families’ as well. It’s crucial that it’s recovered, and it will be Becca’s task to get it. Becca, I think the time has come for you to fill Tony in on what you can do.”
I’ve been waiting for this moment for some time now, and I know Tony has been waiting for it too. He won’t stop fidgeting and his eyes are fixed on mine. “Well, I basically have the ability to, for lack of a better word, transport myself. I see in my mind where I want to go and I take myself there.”
He straightens up in his chair. “So this is why I had to train in the basement, so I couldn’t see you.”
“Yes, but now you’re to train together,” Mr. Smith answers for me. “Tony, you’re to be Becca and Ania’s eyes and keep them safe during this mission.”
Tony gives me a wink and turns back toward Mr. Smith. “I’ll gladly ensure their safety.”
Mr. Smith seems to be pleased with that response, but Gregory still seems unsettled. Mr. Smith continues on with explaining the mission. We will only have a short amount of time to train together. “And there’s another reason that we need to get this mission done, and soon. A couple of agents’ children have been kidnapped.” Time slows for a moment. I could have been one of those kids.
Mr. Smith rubs his eyes, and I finally take a moment to notice how tired he looks. I’ve been so focused on myself. “We’re working on this situation, but I need to prevent anymore from happening. This mission should help with that.” And he really needs me.
But what Tony doesn’t know, and Mr. Smith does, is that I’m still having problems with transporting myself, especially when my emotions are getting the best of me. I’ve gotten much better, but I need to perfect it and perfect it quickly, or this mission will fail. I feel like the magnitude of the mission weighs on my shoulders alone.
Mr. Smith leans in close to Gregory, but makes sure we all can hear. “I expect results and for this mission to be fulfilled without any casualties. Don’t forget what we talked about downstairs. I’ll be in contact as the date gets closer for you all to leave. I will not accept failure.”
Twenty-Nine
As I sit looking out my window, I see Tony sitting on the steps of the porch, basking in the rays of the sun. He’s waiting for me. Time’s up on hiding. And Mr. Smith’s warning plays in the background, telling me to end whatever there is between us. But how do I even play this? I don’t want to lose him as a friend.
Ugh, too much right now. If Ania hadn’t been there helping me these last few weeks…I don’t even want to think about it.
I head out of my room to meet him, but at the bottom of the stairs is Gregory. The sight of him makes the butterflies in my stomach do flips. “Ania’s going to work out with Tony this morning. I think you and I should talk.”
He motions toward the couch. And I sit, but my gaze stays on the window. Outside I watch Ania and Tony heading down the trail into the woods.
An awkward
quietness fills the room. The conversations we had with Mr. Smith hover between us. “Becca, I know what he told you in the basement.”
Gregory puts his hand on top of mine. I start shifting in my seat and I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I don’t want him to see me weak like this. “I don’t like the rules, but they’re there for a reason, and we need to respect them,” he says matter-of-factly.
I wish I could just run deep into the woods and hide. I wish I could sit and talk with Ania. I wish I could be with them right now.
I blink my eyes and then I’m gone. Standing in front of me are Ania and a very stunned Tony. “Becca, what on earth are you doing? Are you trying to give us a heart attack?”
Tears start to flow down my cheeks and Tony’s face morphs from stunned to angry. “What did he do?”
Ania waves a hand in front of his face. “Whoa, we have no idea what’s going on. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
I’m so embarrassed. I hadn’t planned on showing up in front of them. “I am so sorry, so so sorry. I need to get back.” I take a deep breath, concentrate, and imagine the couch with Gregory. I wipe my eyes and I’m back sitting next to him.
He’s still sitting on the couch, looking out the window when I return. “Are you all right?”
Freaking amazing, but I can’t let sarcastic comment pass my lips. “Yeah, I just needed a minute. I didn’t plan on disappearing.”
He grabs my hand with both of his. “Focus on me right now and not disappearing. As much as I want to be with you, I can’t be. Look at what just happened; your emotions got the best of you and you disappeared. It could be very dangerous during a mission.”
I know what he’s saying is true, but I can’t—no, I won’t disregard how I feel. My heart is breaking at the thought of having to bury my feelings. If I could just kiss him one last time, maybe that would be enough to last me a lifetime. And I don’t care if that’s corny or immature.
He places his hand on my chin and lifts it up so I look into his eyes. Tears stream down my face and splash into his lap. I track one on his cheek as it glistens and slowly drops down. I use my thumb and wipe it away. He grabs my hand and kisses it.
Soon, our lips meet and the sensation is so sweet and satisfying. But the feeling is fleeting, because soon it’s filled with sorrow and a goodbye. As we pull away, I can’t look into his eyes. I let go of him and stagger to the stairs so I can escape to my room.
I dive into my covers. I fist them, desperately trying to release the anger and sadness welling up inside of me. I grab my pillow and start punching it, but then I stop. Enough.
I race down the stairs and rush out the front door.
My feet pound on the hard earth, the cold air lashes at my bare arms as I race through the woods.
Why did I even agree to be a part of this? Am I to live the rest of my life in misery? How can Gregory live with himself, and why did he have to kiss me? That first kiss and the one that followed have ruined everything. I shake my head and push myself faster, needing to out run these thoughts weighing down my mind.
I have no idea how long I’ve been running through the woods, but the darkening sky tells me it’s been long enough. I head back to the cabin.
Ania’s sitting on the front steps waiting. I slow my speed and stop next to her.
“So, you work it out? Or are your hopes and dreams ruined?”
I collapse on the step next to her. Her sarcasm is not always appreciated. “I’m just tired,” is what I tell her. I can’t keep rehashing the same stuff over and over with her. I don’t want to be that person that is constantly whining. I need to deal with this on my own.
“You know that Tony was pretty worked up after your appearing—and disappearing act. You figured out yet what you’re going to do about that?”
Tony. I had forgotten all about him. He must be so confused right now. “Ania, I need fun right now, and Tony is fun. Plus, Mr. Smith told me he isn’t worried about Tony and me, so that means I’m not going to worry about it either. And don’t look at me like that; I’ve had enough lecturing.”
“All right, just be careful, because I think it might be more than flirting for him.”
I doubt it, but I’m not going to focus on that now. I’m tired of feeling guilty and shameful for hiding my feelings. And hanging out with him is always fun.
“Well, he asked me to tell you that he’s waiting for you in the clearing. Why don’t you try and transport there? The more practice the better.”
I close my eyes and breathe in deeply, slowly, focusing on the clearing and imagining it in my head. I see the trees in my mind and smell the dirt in the air. When I open my eyes, Tony’s there standing before me. The stars above us remind me of that night on the roof, and before he can even utter a word, I pull him close and hug him. He seems to resist, but only for a moment. I know this isn’t fair to him, but I crave the affection and I know he’s more than willing to give it. “Well, hello to you,” he says after pulling away.
“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.” And sorry that I’m such an awful person and kinda using you right now.
“No, I don’t mind. Actually, I’m happy Ania relayed the message to you. I wanted to talk with you away from the house. Are you okay? You seemed pretty upset earlier.”
“I’m fine now. Gregory knew about my nasty conversation with Mr. Smith in the basement and we were…discussing it. That’s why I got upset.”
He studies my face. I don’t know if he’s trying to see if I’m lying, but I doubt my explanation will be enough. “I’m sorry about that. Do you want to talk about it?”
“Honestly, not really. I could just use some fun or a distraction right now.”
He smiles. Whether he believes me or not, he doesn’t push. He spins me around. Behind us is a blanket laid out on the grass with a bucket of popcorn and two colas. “Movie?” I ask, totally confused.
“Not quite. I thought we could peruse the sky, see what we can find.”
Tony lies down on the blanket and pats the ground next to him. I snuggle into the crook of his arm and rest my head on his chest. I can’t believe how comforting the feeling of another warm body is.
“You have feelings for Gregory, don’t you?”
He knows. I don’t know how he couldn’t, since it’s been so obvious. I can’t lie to him. I look out into the darkness of the forest. “I do.”
He swallows hard. “And what about me?”
I choose my words carefully. “I’m lucky to have you.”
I can feel his chest rise and fall as he breathes in deeply. “Well, you’re here with me now, and that’s all I can ask for.”
We stare into the night sky, our fingers interlocked. He points out different satellites, constellations, and the craters in the moon. And even though I can’t see what he does, his descriptions are awesome. Our conversation shifts to the task that lies ahead of us.
“Do you ever think about how we could have been those kidnapped kids?” I ask.
He lets out a puff of air. “Yeah, but if I focus on that I’ll just keep playing the what-if game. And I’ve been trying to work on training.”
“I hope you’ve been working really hard. How’s your lip reading been going?” I ask.
He smiles as he sits up and looks toward the cabin. “Let’s see if we can test it out.”
He sits there for a minute, concentrating on the woods and moving his head around. “All right, here we go. I can kind of see the cabin. Gregory is on the porch and Ania is walking out the front door. He’s annoyed. He’s asking her where we are. She told him, and boy does he look livid.
“Ania’s telling him to leave it be, and that it’s his own fault. What does she mean it’s his own fault?”
“I’m not sure.” I know that it sounds like I’m lying, but I really don’t know if she’s referencing me and Tony, or Gregory kissing me in the first place.
I try to change the subject, because I feel incredibly uncomfortable. I have no desire to kee
p going down this path. “Hey, do you know what any of the other ninety-nine’s powers are? Mr. Smith told me his, but I still don’t even know what Gregory’s is.”
He lies back down next to me and I put my head back on his chest, but his body is still tense. As he begins to talk, he relaxes. “I don’t really know all of them. One girl, during our time at the training facility, could translate any language, even lost ancient ones. There was this guy who was able to move objects with his mind, but not himself. Oh, and remember that girl Sariah? She can replicate anyone’s voice. It’s a little freaky.”
That is freaky. There are so many more that we don’t even know about. “It’s crazy to think that there used to be thousands of us.”
“Wait, what can Mr. Smith do?”
I’m surprised that Tony doesn’t know, but I don’t see any harm in telling him. “Apparently, no one can physically lie to him. Like a freaking human lie detector.”
“Interesting. That makes sense, though. Right before he left after our planning meeting, he asked me if I had feelings for you. I was thinking no, but out popped yes.”
“So, you have feelings for me, huh?” I tease him.
He makes this odd coughing sound. “No, I just lie under the stars with every gorgeous girl that I meet. Actually, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
I blush. “So what do you want to do now?”
A smirk appears across his face. “Can you transport only yourself?”
I’ve never thought about transporting anyone else. “I don’t know. I’ve never tried doing it with anyone before.”
“How about we give it a try? I’ll hold on to you and you picture somewhere in the cabin, like the living room or your bedroom.”
We stand up and Tony wraps his arms around my waist. I begin taking deep breaths in and out. I decide to picture my bedroom, because I don’t know if Ania and Gregory will be in the living room. Tony presses his body against mine and whispers into my ear. “Just relax and take your time. If all else fails, we can stay here in the grass.”
