by C. C. Bolick
A ringing sounded and Dad lifted his phone to his ear. “Mason.” His eyes shifted over the people walking around us. “Roger that.”
“Duty calls?” Coach Andrews asked.
“Sorry Jacob.”
“Glad to see some things haven’t changed.” Coach Andrews walked around the table and held out a hand. Dad stood and they shook, then hugged. “Be careful and take care of our girl.”
“I’ve got the check,” Dad said. “We’ll do this again one day.”
Coach Andrews patted my shoulders and ruffled Alfie’s hair before walking off. After he disappeared and our waiter brought the bill, Alfie leaned in. “What’s your mission?”
Dad looked at me. “Louis contacted the agency with the location of a new bomb. Every available agent has been dispatched.”
Louis was back… No, I couldn’t deal with him right now. Definitely not another bomb. An odd feeling, perhaps a hint of fear, pulsed from deep within my brain. Maybe I wasn’t a lost cause. “Then what?”
“The rest is up to you.”
Chapter Two
Dad cut across two lanes in an attempt to merge onto the highway. The SUV barely missed clipping the bumper of a truck and another blew a horn at us from behind. Two lanes over was less crowded, but Dad slid to the far-right lane. He complained about the traffic but kept his eyes straight ahead when Alfie cheered from the backseat. My brother couldn’t see Dad’s knuckles turn white as he gripped the steering wheel; Alfie only felt the exhilaration of speeding through traffic.
I grabbed the door handle to my right. “Are we going back to the base?”
“No,” Dad said without taking his eyes from the road. “We’re going to a location Louis indicated in his message.”
Several cars in front of us slammed on the brakes and he swerved our SUV across five lanes of traffic and over solid white lines into a lane marked HOV.
“What does HOV mean?” Alfie asked.
“High occupancy vehicle,” Dad said. “It’s a special lane for vehicles carrying two or more passengers.”
Alfie laughed. “Then we’re not breaking the law.”
The calm in their voices stunned me. “We’re doing ninety-five,” I said. “We crossed two white lines. Probably the only legal thing we’re doing right now is breathing.”
We approached an SUV moving slower than ours. Dad crossed another white line and slid us back to the center lane. The traffic had thinned, and now the cars were spaced at a breathable distance. Just when I was finally feeling better about the highway, Dad sped to the right and took the next exit ramp, dropping us onto a road with stores to either side.
Dad pulled into the parking lot of a bank with a sign that flashed the temperature. Twenty-eight. Although the lot was empty, he drove around the bank and to the far end of the parking lot. At the edge sat a building about the size of a shed, which advertised shaved ice in a hundred different flavors.
“Can we?” asked Alfie, pointing to the sign.
“It’s closed,” Dad said. “There’s no way anyone is buying ice on a day like this.”
A black car sat on the other side of the building. Dad drove around the building and parked next to the car. Dark tinted windows concealed the driver, but I felt surprise when Dr. Greene stepped out, still wearing his football gear. Dad killed the engine and opened his door as Dr. Greene approached. A blast of cold air filled the SUV.
“The universe is working against me,” Dr. Greene said. “No football today.”
“I’m sorry, Joel.” Dad looked over his shoulder at Alfie. “You’re riding back to the base with Dr. Greene.”
“No,” Alfie screeched. “I want to go on the mission.”
“Not this time.” Dad turned to me. “Your ride should be here momentarily.”
“My ride?” I asked. “Aren’t you taking me to wherever Louis is?”
“No one knows where Louis is. You’ll have details when they arrive.”
“They?” Despite wind that blasted my cheeks, I climbed out of the SUV and pulled the jacket close as I walked to the car. Dad opened the back door and Alfie dropped to his feet on the ground, complaining with every step.
“You’re going back to the base.” Dad gave him a glare. “No more arguing.”
“Okay,” Alfie mumbled.
“Okay?” Dad asked, his voice rising.
“Yes.”
Dad grabbed his arm. “Yes what?”
“Yes, sir,” Alfie said.
“This isn’t the time for arguments.” Dad dropped to one knee and put a hand on Alfie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry you can’t come with us.” A glimmer of tears formed in Alfie’s eyes, and Dad grabbed his chin, forcing eye contact. “It’s important that you don’t act out while we’re gone. I’m already in enough trouble with the agency. Son, please show them I was a good dad and taught you right. Can you do that for me?”
Alfie wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket and nodded. “You’ll come back, right? And Rena?”
“I promise to do whatever I can to keep us safe.” Dad held out a hand. “I want you to promise to be the best brother you can until we return.”
Nodding, Alfie shook his hand. It was something they’d done before Mama died, some kind of secret agreement between them. While Dad drank, he didn’t have this same relationship with Alfie. Happiness warmed my insides as I thought of how far we’d all come in the last six weeks.
Dr. Greene motioned to the car. Alfie reached for the passenger door. “Back seat,” Dr. Greene said, and Alfie reached for the second door.
I watched as Alfie climbed in, torn between wanting him to be safe and not letting him out of my sight.
“We’ll be fine, Rena,” Dr. Greene said. “Unless you need a little extra worry in your life. In that case, it’s a long way back to the base.” He winked. “Dig deep and find that power. Everyone will be okay as long as you’re successful.”
“No pressure, right?”
He laughed. “The agency might not always agree with my methods. I like to think you’re strong enough to access that power when it’s absolutely necessary. You did it before and I have faith you’ll be successful again.”
Dad put a hand on my shoulder. “We both have faith.”
Another black SUV cut into the parking lot and sped toward us. The dark tint hid the SUV’s occupants as it skidded to a stop two feet from where we stood. I jumped back, but Dad and Dr. Greene didn’t move. Skip rolled down the driver’s window. “Sorry for the delay,” he said.
Travis climbed out of the passenger seat and rushed around the SUV. He’d changed into his agent outfit complete with a black suit, shoes, and sunglasses. He turned his head in my direction before stopping in front of Dad. “Louis planted the first bomb at a gas station. Agents are arriving as we speak.”
“How far?” Dad asked.
“With Skip driving, ten minutes max. The second bomb will be trickier to find.”
Two bombs? I cringed at the thought of facing Louis or trying to diffuse two bombs.
Angel climbed out of the backseat and motioned for me to crawl inside. I jumped in as she held the door and slid over to the middle. On the other side of me sat a girl with long black hair, woven into tiny braids. She looked about my age.
A blast of wind sent my hair flying into her face. I pulled back my hair. “Sorry. This wind is something else.” I shivered as Angel climbed in and shut her door. “I’m from Florida, but I never thought the temperature in Atlanta would drop below freezing in October.”
“I’m sorry,” the girl said.
“Better put on your seatbelt,” Angel said. Her cold hand gripped mine, but as usual I felt comfort from her. She couldn’t help the fact that her power made her a vampire. I’d never believed in anything paranormal before learning about the agency, but her cold skin and power to control people were hard to argue with. She didn’t fit any legend perfectly, as if the agency operated on legends. This was reality. Angel didn’t scare me as she did those agents who avoide
d her in the underground halls. Travis’s sister had been nothing but supportive since my arrival at the base.
I pulled the strap over my shoulder and locked the belt. “Why are you sorry?” I asked the girl to my right.
“For causing the cold.”
Travis had mentioned someone making the temperature drop. “This cold is because of you?”
She held out a hand. “I’m Rachelle.”
I shook her hand, which was surprisingly warm. “Rena.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard about you. Codename Firebird. They never gave me a fancy name like that.”
“That’s what you think,” Skip said with a laugh. He turned around and flashed her a grin. “I heard they were kicking around Popsicle in one of the meetings.”
She slammed a fist into his seat and Angel covered a laugh.
“Firebird was my mother’s name,” I said. “Not mine.”
Through the window, Travis spoke to Dad and Dr. Greene. The three men split apart. Dr. Greene ran for his car, which was still running, and pulled through the parking lot. I couldn’t see Alfie’s form through his tinted windows. Travis climbed into our SUV and signaled for Skip to take off. We lurched forward and tires squealed as Skip slung the SUV around. At the edge of the parking lot, Skip slammed the gas and we bounced onto a street full of potholes. Angel grabbed the handle above her door and closed her eyes. Behind us, Dad followed within two car-lengths.
“Sorry,” Skip mumbled.
“This road looks like someone dragged a jackhammer down the center of both lanes,” Travis said. “It’s not your fault.”
We bounced again and my head hit the roof of the SUV.
“Seatbelts are a necessity.” Rachelle gripped the strap of her belt. “Never ride with Skip unless you’re wearing one.”
I glanced at her. “You have the power to make it snow?”
She held out a hand and wiggled her fingers. “I don’t make snow, but I can raise the temperature and lower it.”
“How low?” I asked.
“Haven’t figured that out yet,” she said. “According to the agency, I can reach absolute zero, but I’m not even sure what that means. Interesting that you’re only worried about the low part. I could also toast this city like a barbecue grill.”
“Let’s get to the message.” Skip maneuvered us into traffic and hit the gas. The SUV lunged forward. He shot a quick glance at Travis. “Want to do the honors?”
Travis looked back at me before hitting a button on the dash screen. “Louis sent a message to the agency for you. We’ve all heard the message, but now it’s your turn.”
The message buffered and then began to play. Louis appeared on the screen.
“Regina,” he began. “I apologize for letting the agency hold you for the last six weeks. I’m working on a plan to liberate you.”
“I wish he wouldn’t call me that.” Only Mama called me Regina. Angel took my hand in a tight grip.
“To the agents of Earth Under Fire,” he said, “I will not allow you to hold my daughter any longer. I’ve planted bombs in two separate locations in Atlanta. As soon as the first is armed, the other will explode ten seconds later. Regina did an outstanding job with the other five bombs and one of your agents has revealed a power I’m interested in obtaining. The ability to teleport…” Louis smiled. “With this power, disarming both bombs won’t be an issue. I’ve embedded the location of the bombs within this message.”
The message ended with a still-shot of Louis grinning. I shivered. Was that man really my father? Did we share the same DNA and would I ever know the truth?
Travis hit a button and the image of Louis faded to a blue screen. He turned around in his seat. “We’ll be at the first location in minutes.”
Skip led us down an on-ramp and onto the highway. He swore as he slammed on the brakes to keep from hitting a truck that stopped in front of us. All six lanes came to a stop amid the sounds of tires screeching and angry horns. I craned my neck to see over the seats in front of me, but I couldn’t find a wreck, only a mile of vehicles converging on the road in front of us.
“Thought you were watching the traffic alerts.” Skip turned to Travis. “You’re supposed to be navigating.”
Travis looked across the cars that eased forward around us. Gaps between the vehicles closed as the other drivers moved ahead. He tapped his phone. “There must be an accident up ahead. It’s not showing on the GPS yet.”
Angel leaned between the seats. “We don’t have time to sit in traffic.”
Skip raised his sunglasses and glanced back at her. “I can speed this up.”
She smiled. “I know you’re not asking for permission.”
“Hang on Rena,” Skip said as Angel leaned back. “Looks like you finally get to see my power in action.” He lowered the sunglasses and cut the wheels into the lane to our right. There wasn’t enough room for our SUV to fit between two eighteen-wheelers, but Skip didn’t take no for an answer. He hit the gas and then the brakes so hard my head flew back against the seat.
“I think you gave me whiplash,” I said, rubbing my neck.
Rachelle laughed and gripped the handle above her door as Angel did.
“No fair,” I said. “There’s nothing for me to grab.”
Skip slammed the gas and then the brakes, alternating as if doing some kind of crazy dance, but made it between the trucks. We cut into the emergency lane. The tires ground along the cracked pavement, slinging rocks up at our sides.
“Where did you learn how to drive?” I yelled.
No answer came from the front seat. I leaned forward, but Skip faced forward, his sunglasses hiding his eyes.
Travis turned as if to answer for Skip, but a car zipped out in front of us and Travis swore. “Riding in an emergency lane is illegal,” he fired off. “What are they thinking?”
Angel laughed and gripped the handle above her door as Skip cut to the right, driving on a sharp slope to pass the car. My body slid down the seat and forced my weight against Rachelle’s side. The driver raised a hand and motioned in anger.
“Sorry,” I mumbled.
“No worries,” Rachelle said. “This isn’t my first time riding with Skip.”
“You guys joked about his driving. I didn’t realize—”
“We weren’t joking.” Travis pointed at the green sign to our right. He waved a hand in front of Skip’s face. “Next exit.”
Smoke poured across the highway from a truck in the far-left lane. A burning smell filled the SUV and I coughed.
“Guess we found the holdup,” Angel said.
Skip managed to avoid two more wrecks with only inches to spare. My body slammed back against the seat. Horns sounded behind us—no beside us. I closed my eyes as we jerked to one side and then the other. It was how I imagined rides at a carnival felt. I hated carnivals.
We cut a sharp right and the sounds of gravel flying disappeared. I opened my eyes and took a deep breath. The smoke faded and Skip slowed the SUV enough to slide around the ramp without scraping the concrete sides. Seeing the black lines along the concrete where other vehicles had scraped made my stomach churn. I put a hand over my mouth.
Angel grabbed my arm. “Don’t get sick now. We’re almost there.”
Which made me feel so much better. Again, my stomach churned. “How much farther?”
“There.” Travis pointed to a gas station beyond where the ramp ended and a two-lane road began. Three black cars and a half-dozen SUVs filled the parking lot at the first light.
I looked over my shoulder, but no one followed us. “We lost Dad.”
“He’ll catch up,” Travis said.
Skip pulled into the parking lot and parked at one of the pumps.
Travis patted Skip’s shoulder. “Your brother would be impressed.”
Surprise filtered through me. Travis never talked about his old partner other than the night he told me about drinking. I shivered as I imagined Travis tipping up a glass of dark liquor. He knew how I felt a
bout Dad’s drinking. He had to know I wouldn’t approve and yet this conversation was important enough to repeat. Travis would never forgive Tyler and no one at the agency would tell me why. Whenever I tried to bring up the subject, even Dad suggested I refrain from mentioning his name. Tyler Greene was a traitor.
‘Don’t rock the boat,’ was one of Dad’s favorite sayings when it came to subjects that were off-limits. What if Skip’s older brother had betrayed the agency by mistake? Would they kick me out too if I did something Sylvia didn’t approve of?
“Skip?” I leaned forward. “That was insane. I’ve never seen anyone drive like that.”
Angel grabbed my arm. “He can’t hear you. Give him a few minutes and then I’m sure he’ll love to hear you repeat the entire trip.”
“I don’t understand.”
“This is Skip’s power,” she said. “He goes into power-mode and his brain takes over. Kind of like a trance. Skip had no idea what was happening but his super-fast reflexes got us here. You should see him fight.”
“Wow,” I said.
Travis circled the SUV and opened Angel’s door. “Talk later. We’ve got to get to the bomb.”
“You’re sure there’s a nuclear bomb in this gas station?” I climbed out of the SUV behind Angel. My legs felt like jelly after all the turns. Cold wind blistered my face. The card reader on the pump to our side hung by the wires; the pump had a yellow bag over the handle. Red paint peeled along the roof-line of the small store. The glass windows at the front looked cloudy and a trashcan next to the door overflowed. “Is this store in business?”
Agent Dallas approached wearing the same stern look from my interrogation. “The store is clear.” Her eyes drifted over me. “I guess it’s time we find out if she’s ready.”
I took a deep breath. They couldn’t know I felt nowhere near ready. “What’s the plan?”
Travis waved me forward and Angel followed with Rachelle. “The plan,” he said, “is that you disarm the bomb.”
“Louis said there are two bombs.” I ran to keep up with him. “He said the second would detonate ten seconds after the first.”
