Out of habit, Nicole checked the laminated slip of paper for a note and was surprised to find one. It was much longer this time, taking up both sides of the paper. Jack had gotten his hands on a list of cities where the Tarians planned to attack. Mrs. Morse gave it to Nicole in alphabetical order.
Beijing
Berlin
London
Los Angeles
New York
Paris
Toronto
The note continued and Nicole felt the guilt return that she’d finally been working past.
Nicole, we know how much you and Austin love each other. Judging by how the monsters have been acting over the past few days, we’ve figured out that you and Austin have, well, broken a few rules. We care for you a great deal, Nicole, and we know you probably feel horrible about what has happened. But you need to know that such actions have consequences.
The Great Ones have become alerted to you and Austin on a more personal basis. They’re no longer coming at the end of July, but have decided that an earlier appearance would be more prudent. Expect them to come through the link at the beginning of next month, regardless of whether you’ve destroyed the machines or not.
As you can imagine, this has caused a number of problems. Hordes and hordes of monsters are gathering now and the Aretes on our side are maxed out, fighting them. As you already know, at least one variety of monster becomes invisible. This is causing a lot of issues, and our Aretes are running out of energy.
Elizabeth is furious. You’re lucky that she is no longer in contact with you. We’re doing our best to protect you and keep her happy, knowing that you’re in control now and are mature enough not to increase the danger of the situation.
One good thing about all of this is that it seems to have really upset Rebecca as well. She worries that your heart won’t be purified in time for the procedure they plan to perform on you. The lesser beings—the monsters gathering here—have reported that the Great Ones aren’t concerned about this, though.
Another problem, which you may have already spotted, is that you no longer have surprise on your side. We know that you and yours had planned to arrive in Salmon, Idaho, long before the Tarians got there. But with the Great Ones coming in only two weeks, we don’t believe it will be possible for you to do so. Not unless you’ve already gathered your own army. The Tarians plan to head to Salmon soon too.
As always, we love you. Keep up the good work. Keep us posted.
Nicole took a shaky breath, setting the paper on her nightstand. She rubbed her temples, wishing for the umpteenth time that she and Austin had been more careful. How long would it be before they got past the embarrassment of their actions?
And how much longer before they were finally able to express their love for each other without strings attached and feeling the accompanying guilt?
She couldn’t wait for all of this to be over.
Nicole exhaled loudly, realizing she needed to deliver the bad news to Coolidge. He wasn’t going to like it, and she hated bringing up something that they were finally getting past.
Deciding now was the best time, Nicole called her professor. He answered on the first ring.
“Nicole, what’s going on?”
“Um . . . I have some information for you. And it’s not going to make you very happy.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a note from Anna Morse. And, well . . . here, I’ll just read it to you.”
So she did. Coolidge was silent the whole time and then didn’t say anything for several moments after she’d finished. She nearly asked if he was still on the line when he finally responded.
“I’d hoped something like that wouldn’t happen. But since it has, the only thing we can do is go forward.”
“How, though? Only two weeks to plan? Is it even possible to spread the word that quickly?”
Coolidge sighed. “I hope so. I’ve just finalized the meeting for tomorrow. We’ll ask for speed and hope for the best.”
Coolidge ended the conversation and Nicole finished packing, thinking about what would happen the next day.
She knew he was talking about the meeting that was with all the most powerful Aretes he’d been able to contact over the past few weeks. He would be showing the presentations his students had given to the university authorities and had asked both Nicole and Austin to be in attendance, in case anyone had questions.
Nicole snapped her bag shut, then joined Lizzie in the kitchen.
“Uh-oh,” Lizzie said. “Something happened, didn’t it?”
Nicole nodded. She told Lizzie about the note and calling Coolidge.
“At least he didn’t flip out, huh?” Lizzie said.
“He figured something like this would happen.” It made Nicole feel even worse, knowing he’d thought that far ahead.
“You know what?” Lizzie said. “Just ’cause we’re going on a potentially dangerous mission doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.”
Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Define ‘fun.’”
“Listening to good music, all of that. And if it goes fast with the guy, we could even see a movie.”
Nicole shrugged. “I’m good with that.”
The two girls headed out to Nicole’s car and piled in, buckling up. Soon, Lizzie had “happy tunes” blaring through the speakers, and the girls sang along at the top of their lungs.
It felt good to spend time together. They’d both been so busy lately, and Nicole didn’t have other friends at the moment. She forced herself not to think about Austin, instead enjoying the rare moment of simply being with her best friend.
***
About three hours later, Nicole and Lizzie pulled into Portland. It was nearly five in the afternoon. They decided to check into a hotel, then go visit the supplier. If they needed to visit him more than once, staying in Portland would be the easiest, but Nicole hoped they’d get away with just dropping by once. Maybe she and Lizzie really could go see a movie or do something else fun.
She still didn’t quite understand why platinum was such a hard-to-find metal, but supposed the kind you got in rings wasn’t pure enough or something. In either case, it most likely would require a lot of work to get it in the correct form for the recipe.
While at the hotel, the girls made plans, poring over the maps on their phones. It was hard to tell if the neighborhood would be safe or not . . . Nicole would need to keep her magic close by, just in case.
Not wanting to leave Nicole’s car in front of the guy’s place for any amount of time, they decided to take a taxi.
As the cab driver pulled up in front of the house, Nicole was immediately glad that they’d left her car at the hotel. She checked the address several times, just to be sure. Most of the house’s lower windows were boarded over. The small amount of grass in the front was dead, with garbage strewn across it. The neighbors’ places were all the same. The trees and flowers were dead, the street mostly deserted. Only a group of men a few houses down were outside. They sat on the porch, smoking and leering at Nicole and Lizzie as they got out of the car.
Nicole definitely did not want to be there after dark.
She poked her head back into the cab. “Would you mind waiting? We’ll tip extra.”
The cab driver agreed to do so, and Nicole turned back to the house.
She quickly pulled up Coolidge’s notes on her phone to make sure she’d be doing this right, then they walked around to a window on the side of the house and knocked on it three times. Without waiting for a response, they returned to the front, scaling the stairs to wait by the door. They were supposed to stand there for five minutes. Awkward.
Exactly five minutes later, one of the men down the street approached. Nicole felt a shiver of fear stab up her back. They’d followed Coolidge’s notes exactly. Where was the supplier? He was supposed to open up five minutes after the knock to the window came.
“How can I help you ladies?” the man said, leaning against the only section of chain-link fe
nce still standing.
Nicole eyed him. “You can’t.” She turned back to the house, folding her arms, refusing to show any sign that she was incredibly intimidated.
“I think I can,” he said. “This is my house. You’re obviously here to get something.”
Lizzie tossed her head, sending him a glare. “Right. And we’re supposed to believe you?”
The man laughed. “What do I need to do to prove it? You knocked on the window, then waited here. I came at exactly five minutes. If you really don’t need something from me, I’ll just go back to my friends, and we’ll call it good.”
Nicole rolled her eyes, exhaling in exasperation. “You’re Julius?”
The man tipped an imaginary hat. “Pleased to meet you.” Julius stepped closer, walking past the girls, and opened the unlocked front door, holding it for them. His eyes strayed to Nicole a few times. She tried not to dwell too much on that, noticing the beer and tobacco stains on his shirt and trying to ignore the smells coming off him.
The interior was dusty and dark. The little light that streamed in had so many dust particles in it that Nicole sneezed just looking at it.
Julius ignored her reaction and flipped a switch. An old fixture above them, hanging precariously by a thin cord, flickered into life. One of the bulbs burst, showering sparks on the people below it.
Nicole and Lizzie met eyes, then followed Julius deeper into the house. He shoved a few boxes out of the way, clearing a path through massive piles and mounds of stuff.
They entered a dark office. Julius tried to open the blinds, growling in annoyance when they broke away from the window, falling to the floor with a puff of dust.
He sat at the desk and leaned forward, abruptly very businesslike. “What can I do for you?”
Nicole was supposed to do all the talking. Suddenly, she had a very strong impression not to mention Coolidge’s name. She nearly ignored that feeling and opened her mouth, then realized it would be better to follow her gut instincts.
“I need a specific metal. I’ve been told you have it in stock.”
Julius nodded. “What metal is that?”
“Platinum.”
“How much do you need?”
“At least three and a half ounces.” Nicole glanced at Coolidge’s notes, wishing she’d memorized them completely before coming. It said two ounces. Oh, well. Perhaps asking for a different amount than what Coolidge would ask for would protect her and Lizzie.
Julius leaned back, putting his hands behind his head, and studied Nicole. He seemed to have forgotten that Lizzie was there.
“Who needs it?”
Nicole rushed through her thoughts as quickly as possible, trying to come up with something that made sense. “A man I work with.” She was grateful that Lizzie didn’t react to her pseudo-lie.
Julius didn’t answer. Nicole held her breath. She heard a clock ticking somewhere but resisted the urge to look for it.
Julius kept his eyes on Nicole, his hands still behind his head. What was he waiting for? Why wasn’t he saying anything? He just stared, not even blinking.
Nicole did her best not to fidget or look away.
Finally, after what felt like ten minutes, he dropped his arms, resting them on the desk. “I know who you are.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re Nicole Williams.”
Nicole blinked. “Do I know you?”
“No. But I recognized you immediately. What Tarian wouldn’t? You’re our new world leader. The person who is supposed to lead us to victory against Aretes everywhere.” He leaned forward. “And yet, you’re an Arete. Why would you give up your own people?”
Nicole nearly slumped in relief. This, she could handle. “You do know who my parents are, right?”
He waved her off. “One’s parents don’t change a person’s goals in life. Look at how many serial killers didn’t have serial killers for parents.”
Nicole didn’t know enough about murderers to know if they came from a long line of them or not. The Mafia, maybe, but . . .
She pushed those thoughts away, not wanting to get distracted. “You make a good point. I haven’t always gotten along with my mother. In fact, it would be safe to say that she and I rarely see eye-to-eye on anything.”
Nicole relaxed in the chair, trying to look casual. “But I do agree with her on this—it’s not fair for Aretes to have all the power and no one else anything. Aretes didn’t do anything to deserve it. And simply being a Fourth isn’t enough, obviously.”
Nicole narrowed her eyes. “Take my mother, for example. She had an identical twin sister. Neither was conceived before the other. Tiffany was raised believing she might be the Arete. Well, when she hit eighteen and didn’t Restart, it was difficult for her. Very difficult. As you know, only an Arete—and a descendent of Rebecca and Captain Price—can use the elixir to destroy Aretes. Tiffany wanted that honor herself. She was pretty upset that she wouldn’t get it.
“This might be why she and I never got along—she resented me for being the Arete who would be so honored.”
Julius’s eyes strayed to Nicole’s necklace, and she put her hand on it. “Yes, the elixir. In only a short while, I’ll use it to destroy Aretes. And be destroyed myself.” She released her necklace and looked him in the eye. “We need the platinum.”
“We who?”
“My chapter in Seattle. On Rebecca’s orders. You don’t need to know what we plan to do with it.”
Julius shrugged. “And I really don’t care. I never do. All I care is that I get my money.”
Nicole nodded. “How much?”
“Two thousand an ounce.”
She didn’t bat an eye. “Is payment due now?”
“Sure.” He grinned when Nicole opened her purse to pull out the bills. “But it won’t do you any good to give me your money, much as I’d appreciate it.”
Nicole put the money back. “Why not?”
“Because I sent all the platinum to Headquarters on Tiffany’s demand.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. She recognized she was on fragile footing, though, since she, as the Tarian world leader, should know why the platinum was at Headquarters. She glared at Julius. “And you did it?”
He held his hands up. “Hey, I had no choice. She was pretty implicit.”
“She came here?”
“She didn’t need to.”
“And you don’t have even a little left.”
He pulled open a drawer behind him and took out a large plastic container without a label. “This is where I keep my platinum. See for yourself.”
Nicole pulled the top off the container, looking inside. Only a smudge of metal remained, a worthless amount. “You don’t lock this up?”
Julius snorted. “Don’t need to. Everyone on this street knows me. They keep an eye on me and I do the same for them.”
“How long ago did you send the platinum to Headquarters? And what else were you required to send?”
“About a week ago. I also sent gold dust and sodium carbonate.” He steepled his fingers. “If it wasn’t for that professor of yours, I would’ve been able to keep it.”
“Who, Coolidge?”
“Yes.”
Nicole sighed in exasperation. “The idiot.” She hoped she’d never have to tell Coolidge about this meeting and what she’d just called him. “What’s he up to now?” she asked.
“It seems he’s found a way to block Andrew Meyer’s Alerter. No one wants that. It isn’t good for us not to know when an Arete is around.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Nicole leaned forward, preparing to leave.
Julius raised an eyebrow at her. “For being in charge, you don’t seem to know much about what’s going on.”
Nicole waved him off. “I’ve asked Tiffany to take care of the details, as I’ve only been in charge for a couple of months and have needed to get up to speed. I’ve got plenty of other things on my plate right now, working directly with Rebecca.” She stood, slinging her purse ov
er her shoulder. “Okay. We’ll head to Romania next, then.”
Romania was where Headquarters was located. Nicole really hoped Lizzie had a passport.
Julius shook their hands, wished them luck, then the two girls returned to the thankfully still-waiting cab.
“To our hotel,” Nicole said. She leaned back, wishing they could have just called Julius to find out about the platinum. Three hours to Portland and three hours back for a ten-minute meeting? Ridiculous.
***
Rather than drive back to Seattle right away, the girls decided to have some fun and see a show after all, spend the night there, then head back early Wednesday morning.
On the way to Seattle the next morning, Lizzie turned to Nicole. “So, Romania. Are you sure?”
“For as long as I’ve been world leader of the Tarians, that’s where it’s been.” Nicole smiled so Lizzie would know she recognized the irony of the situation. She’d only been world leader for a couple of months.
“But why Romania?”
“Probably because it’s desolate while still being accessible.” Nicole glanced at Lizzie. “Do you have a passport? Please, please tell me you do.”
“Yeah—I got one when my family went to the UK four years ago.”
Nicole slumped in her seat. “Good. You’re coming with, then. On my—er—Rebecca’s dime.”
Lizzie grinned. “You couldn’t make me stay home. When do we leave?”
“When we get a free moment—perhaps this weekend. We’ve got the meeting today, and I’m expecting to hear from Dave any time now. How about we set up the trip for maybe Friday or Saturday?”
“Sounds good,” Lizzie said.
She turned the music up and sang along while Nicole focused her thoughts on the meeting that would be taking place later that day. She wondered if any Aretes would show up. She hoped they would—their help was absolutely necessary.
***
As soon as the meeting had started, Coolidge pushed play on the video presentations. While they were going, Nicole glanced around the large auditorium, wanting to know if she recognized anyone.
Reclaim, Mosaic Chronicles Book Five Page 6
