by C. C. Bolick
“You get more movie channels than I do. I can go back to my roof if—”
“Sylvia wants to see you,” he said.
My stomach churned and blue began to sparkle along my palms.
“What did you do?” Dad asked.
“You don’t know?”
“I’ve been out of the office. Is there something I should know about?”
I smiled and patted his arm. “If you haven’t heard by now, it can’t be that bad.”
Dad sighed. “You’re making me go gray.”
“I haven’t noticed.”
“Don’t keep Sylvia waiting.”
With a breath of relief, I escaped into the hall and made my way to Sylvia’s office. When I knocked on the door, she sat at her desk. “Come in, Miss Mason.”
The smell of her rose perfume filled the air. She waved me to a chair in front of her desk. I sat down slowly, preparing for whatever punishment I was about to face.
“I thought you should know that Rachelle and her family have left the base.”
“You sent her away?”
“We have an underground base at the South Pole. Rachelle’s power will affect no one there.”
“It’s not fair,” I said. “She can’t help lowering the temperature.”
“Like you can’t help trying to blow this place up?”
“Agent Dallas suggested this, didn’t she? That woman hates me.”
“Hate is a strong word, Miss Mason. She’s doing her job.”
“She enjoys getting me into trouble.”
Sylvia raised an eyebrow. “Agent Dallas volunteered to keep up with you. She wanted to help.”
“There’s no way Agent Dallas was trying to help me. She told me to stay away from Travis, that I was making the same mistake as my mother.”
“She was right.”
“Are you sending Rachelle away because of me?”
“I’m sending her away because she’s not ready for a place on our team. Take note of what could happen if you don’t focus on controlling your powers.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Is that all?”
“Hannah will join them.”
“Why send Hannah away? You’ve already got her locked up.”
“I want to send a message.”
“To me?”
Sylvia shook her head. “Agent Payne’s powers put him in a unique position. He’s expected to use his powers to save lives, but he’s also expected to know his place. At twenty-one, he’s far too opinionated. An agent without his level of power would have been dismissed months ago.”
“Travis doesn’t agree with the politics. I don’t either.”
“It seems we’ve found the root of our problem. He’s not the best influence for you and you’re not helping by adopting his opinions.”
“I haven’t adopted… Well, maybe a few of his opinions. Travis isn’t a bad person.”
“We agree on that, but his father was a reckless agent at times. He made choices based on emotion. Travis inherited more than just his powers.” She leaned forward. “This is a critical time for Agent Payne. I’m under extreme pressure. Any show of preference by me could be harmful to him in the eyes of this agency.”
“Why Hannah?”
“She betrayed this agency.”
“Then why keep her here?”
“Agent Lockhart can’t erase her memory and I can’t trust her. Hannah was treated wrongly by the agency years before I took this office. I’ve tried to make amends but some things are beyond repair. I can’t have her unravel all the good we’ve done for the world.”
“I barely talked to her.”
“Your father and I agree she’s not the best influence.”
“You’re going to put the four of them on a plane and fly them to the South Pole?”
“Agent Dallas will be escorting them.”
“Agent Dallas is leaving?” I asked.
“She volunteered for this mission.”
“Because of what happened this morning?”
“Agent Dallas volunteered for this mission two weeks ago. She wants to help Rachelle learn to deal with her power and maybe one day become a useful member of this agency.”
I sighed. “Maybe I was wrong about thinking she was after me.”
Sylvia leaned back in her chair. “Maybe one day you’ll have the chance to apologize. You may go now.” When I didn’t move, she asked, “Is there something else?”
“Do you think there’s any way my mom’s still alive?”
She watched me until I began to sweat. “I wasn’t raised to believe in things that go bump in the night. Skip inferred that Rosanna might be a ghost, one that killed Lloyd. He has much to learn about drawing conclusions that have implications for us all, including you.”
“I want to know the truth.”
“And you will, I’m sure. According to our latest intelligence report, Louis is planning an attack on a scale we haven’t seen.”
“Why not arrest him?”
“Castillo has a network of associates waiting in line to take his place. He has financial resources we haven’t been able to seize. He won’t be satisfied until he achieves his goal.”
“World domination?”
“No,” she said. “Getting you to join him.”
“I’ll never join him.”
“What if he told you that Rosanna is still alive, that she’s helping him? Would you be so sure then?” When I didn’t answer, she motioned to the door. “See my point? Now, get out of here.”
Reluctantly, I stood. My hands shook as I reached for the door.
“Rena?”
I spun back to face her. “What?”
“Don’t ever spy on me again. Do you understand?”
Tears welled in my eyes, filled with a rush of pain for Mama and anger toward Sylvia. I turned my face away from her and ran all the way back to my room.
Chapter Ten
For the next two weeks, I avoided people. Including Travis. When I wasn’t interviewing doctors or sitting in a meeting with my mouth shut, I stayed in my room and worked on my assignments from the tutor. The base no longer felt like the home I’d dreamed of. It was a job, and I was expected to work as the agency saw fit. Sylvia wanted my power and nothing else. When I couldn’t ‘walk the line’ as Senator McCall had said, they’d waste no time in locking me up on the isolation floor.
Alfie came to visit me twice during those two weeks, each for about ten minutes. For three years, I took care of him while wishing for a normal life. Now, I wished he’d stay long enough for me to cook him a grilled cheese sandwich.
By the third day of me refusing to meet for any meals, Travis seemed to get the picture. Nothing personal, but I needed space. He knocked on my door twice a day, once before Sylvia’s morning meeting and once when his agent duties were over for the day. Even if it was midnight and he knew I wouldn’t answer, he still knocked. Travis refrained from attending any of the meetings regarding the doctors, which meant I wouldn’t have to stare at him for an hour.
Did he know avoiding the meetings would make my life easier? Or was Sylvia forcing us apart?
It wasn’t that my feelings for Travis had changed; it was more of my view of the future. Travis was an agent and his job was the most important part of his life. Though he had his demons, he belonged within these walls.
Sylvia’s words echoed in my head. An agent without his level of power would have been dismissed months ago.
Dad was mostly absent during that time. He checked on me at night, usually when I’d showered and sat on the couch watching TV. I’d never had time to watch this much TV. I discovered shows I didn’t know existed. On a few nights, he stayed away. It had to be for a mission, though I wondered what Sylvia had told him about our last conversation. Did she read a transcript of our exchange in her morning meeting? Maybe the whole base knew of her warning to me.
I ached to tell Travis about my meeting with Sylvia but knew it wouldn’t help him. Her saying he was ‘no
t the best influence’ for me would only cause his anger to implode. And I didn’t want him to know I’d been spying.
One night, Dad came to my room and brought me a plate of chicken and rice he’d cooked. The smell made my stomach growl and reminded me of a happier time when he’d cooked a huge pot of chicken and rice that Alfie and I ate for days.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Reluctantly, I reached for the food. “I know why you’re at this base, but I’m not sure why I’m here.”
“You’re here to save lives, Rena.”
“I didn’t ask for this gift.”
He cocked his head to the side as he watched me. “Your mother didn’t ask for the gift either.”
“But I’m not my power. I don’t want a job or a future based on being able to diffuse bombs. I want to go to college and earn a degree like everyone else. Then I want to get a job based on what I’m good at.”
“You could be good at diffusing bombs and saving lives. It doesn’t take a degree to use your power. If only you’d…”
“Work harder?” I asked.
“Yes. You think because you’ve been given this gift you don’t deserve it?”
I shook my head. “It should have gone to someone who could control it.”
“That’s the point you keep missing. It went to you and not someone else. It’s your power and no one else could use it as you can. Having the power to affect a nuclear bomb is not easy. As with a degree, you mastering your power will take studying and hard work. You’ll have to earn it.”
“You can’t understand how I feel.”
“You’re right, Rena. I don’t have a power and it’s hard for me to put myself in your shoes. However, I’ve been helping people with powers for years. I can help you, but you never let me get that close.”
I gripped the plate while blocking the door. He wasn’t getting an invitation to come inside. “I’m tired.”
He nodded and stepped back. “I’ll be across the hall if you want to talk.”
When he turned away, I watched as he walked across the hall. At his door, he turned back. “I haven’t had another drink since that night… Rena, seeing you like that has been killing me. Please don’t drink again.”
I hadn’t considered drinking again. “I’ll stay sober if you will.”
Dad gave me a weak smile. “It’s a deal.”
After he closed his door, I stood holding the plate for several moments. The food tasted good; I ate the chicken and rice before climbing into bed and enduring yet another dream about feeding the ducks.
Mama was beginning to haunt me and I didn’t know why. I asked her how to handle my power, but the person who watched me like a zombie was Bethany, not Mama. The world turned dark and all the ducks took flight, rising against a sky that seemed to glare at us. This time I jumped into the water which was smoother than a sheet of glass.
When I opened my eyes, only the ceiling above my bed stared back. Blue light glowed in the darkness. I felt the movement of the neutrons in the air around me and sat straight up. I’d started a reaction in my sleep. A wave of fear washed over me, which made the scary but beautiful lights burn brighter. I had to get a grip or someone would get hurt.
I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. Using my power, I slowed time and collapsed the field of neutrons that were expanded exponentially. Even after the blue faded, I couldn’t sleep anymore that night.
The next morning, I got my final interview with the doctors. All hinted their report on my power would be thorough, as would their ideas on how to control it.
I knew this could be my final chance to meet with each of them. Sylvia had asked for a final meeting with the agents involved the next morning and the candidate would be chosen. Agent Lockhart would erase the memories of the four remaining doctors.
Dr. X hadn’t mentioned anything about my DNA test and my desperation to learn the truth was rising. Since this interview was being recorded, I had to ask in careful way.
She entered the small conference room and chose a chair across from me. The other six chairs sat empty. “I understand this is my final chance to convince you I deserve this job.”
I lifted my pen as if to write on the notepad in front of me. “It’s not my choice. My voice is one of many who will decide. I’m sure it doesn’t carry the same weight as the agents.”
“I was told your voice is more important,” Dr. X said. “That’s why you’ve interviewed us more than any of the agents.”
“Who told you that?”
“Sylvia.”
I watched her in shock. No way had Sylvia said my voice was more important. Dr. X must have misunderstood.
“Any last questions?” She smiled. “Requests?”
Maybe that was my cue. “Are you good with checking DNA?”
“I like to think so.”
“I’m not an expert when it comes to DNA tests. I was wondering if you could check a person’s DNA from hair.”
She paused. “It’s not the best way to check DNA.”
“Have you ever tried?”
“Yes. It took me longer than I thought to complete the test, but I do enjoy a challenge.”
When I was silent for several moments, she asked, “Anything you want to know about my report?”
“Have you finished?”
“I make my recommendations to Sylvia this afternoon.”
“Any chance I can get a preview?”
Dr. X leaned back in the chair. “I didn’t find the smoking gun that Sylvia was looking for.” Her voice sounded dull, as if she’d accepted defeat. “I hope one of the other doctors found an answer that helps you. Even if it means losing the job.”
“What will you do if this job doesn’t work out?”
“Go back to my life with cancer research.”
I thought of Phoebe climbing into her car with Joey. Her life had changed since I left and neither of us were the same. I hadn’t even been able to approach her car as she climbed in and sped away. “Are you sure that life is still waiting? Can you go back to who you were?”
She waved a hand around the room. “From what I’ve heard, the losers in this contest will have their memory erased. Going back won’t matter much if I can’t remember the last three weeks.”
“You’re okay with forgetting everything you’ve seen here?”
“I’ll only have one regret.”
“Which is?”
“Not seeing you again. You’re the only person, other than Sylvia, who’s treated me like I deserved to be here. I want to see the solution to your problem. Even if I’m not the winner, I wish I could find a way to help you.”
I took a deep breath. “I think I’ll miss you too. You never did tell me how you ended up interviewing for this job. Is there some kind of secret government agency employment website?”
“If there is, I’ve never heard of it. Sylvia showed up at my office one day and asked to have a cup of coffee. I’d never heard of an agency called Earth Under Fire and I never imagined a group of people had powers like yours.”
“You must have thought she was crazy.” I thought back to my first few days with Travis. “I would have.”
“In the beginning, yes, but then I got a look around this place.”
“Did Sylvia explain the job?”
“Not in the beginning. She wanted to know about my past and who would be left to care if I dropped off the face of the Earth. I told her no one.” She took a deep breath. “That’s what it takes to work here, right? Leaving everyone you’ve ever known and disappearing?”
I nodded. “I’m not an agent, but my dad is. We left everything in our old life to come here.”
“That’s what I’m looking for—a fresh start. I want to be a different person, one who’s fearless like you.”
“I’m not fearless anymore. My power is showing up now when I least expect.”
She opened the folder in front of her and flipped through the pages. “Is there anything you haven’t told me about your power? A
nything else you can do that I’m not aware of?”
“I have another power.”
“Really?” Her eyes came to life and the defeated tone was gone. “What else can you do?”
“Fly.”
“Flying is definitely cool. How often do you use this power?”
“My mom had the same nuclear power as me and she could fly. I’ve never been able to fly.”
“Never?” Her hands sped through the folder again, as if she’d missed an important fact. “Maybe your powers are tied together. Have you ever thought about that?”
“Possibly.” I didn’t want to mention Travis’s name or Hannah’s.
“If you have another power, there’s got to be a reason. There also has to be a reason why one power works but the other doesn’t.”
“I haven’t left the base in weeks.”
“Maybe you should.”
* * * * *
After the interviews, I went back to my room. My heart sank when the elevator doors opened and Travis stood next to my door.
“Feeling better?” he asked. “I’ve given you two weeks to sulk.”
“Sulk?” I opened the door and Travis followed me inside. “Is that what you think I’ve been doing?”
He sat down on my couch. “I know you, Rena. Did Sylvia say something to upset you?”
“You know about our meeting?”
“The whole base knows about that meeting. She warned you to stay away from me, didn’t she?”
“She thinks I’m making the same mistake my mother made when she fell for Dad.”
“Are you?”
He asked the question with a grin, but I didn’t feel like laughing. “Maybe that’s my problem. I’m trying to do everything she did, even make the same mistakes.”
Travis’s grin disappeared. “We’re getting out of here for the day.”
“You mean leave the base?”
“Sylvia called me after the interviews. She thinks there’s something to what Dr. X said about your powers.”
“Sorry I didn’t say you’d already mentioned that. I didn’t want to bring up your name or Hannah’s.”
“I really appreciate that. The last thing I need right now is more trouble with Sylvia.”
