“I have to wait four more days?”
I laughed at his expression. “I’d recommend it.”
He had me pinned beneath him before I could take a breath, his arms locked around my waist, his lips sealing over mine. I was breathless by the time he pulled back. His response was to grind his hips more suggestively against me, which of course, only made it worse.
“Want me to help you with something?” he asked.
I bit my lip so I wouldn’t nod. “No. In fact, I think for the next four days, no touching allowed.”
Flint guffawed. “What?”
I locked my legs around his waist, meeting his grinds, causing a tight intake of breath from him. “Okay, maybe touching only, but nothing more.”
“You do realize I probably won’t last more than a few minutes the first time, right?” he warned. “What has it been now? Seven months?”
“Don’t worry. With how I’m feeling, I won’t either.”
His eyes grew darker, his pupils dilating. “Damn, woman.”
By the time we showered and joined everyone else upstairs, a heavy need had settled in my belly. Four days felt like a long ways away.
“OKAY,” FLINT SAID. “Remember, even though this is a mock drill, use your powers to their full extent. We want this to be like the real thing.”
We stood in the backyard, the night sky above, the moon shining down. Flint had a breakthrough during the afternoon. He’d been able to hack into O’Brien’s system and find an original blueprint of the warehouse’s interior, including where the guard stations and cameras were.
We had set up the backyard to mimic the O’Brien warehouse. It wasn’t a perfect replica, not even close. In reality, the warehouse stood around forty feet tall with solid walls and a steel door entrance. We improvised on the wall. In other words, we imagined it. A straight line dragged through the pebbles by the twins’ shoes indicated where the wall would be. The “inside” of the building was similar. We’d run strings from posts Father found in the garage to indicate hallways. The blueprint allowed us to measure the halls accurately and set up where the stations would be. We used Father’s memory too. Overall, it wasn’t a perfect setup to practice a real life situation, but it was the best we could manage. It would have to do.
“What if Lena chucks one of us over the wall?” Jet asked.
I rolled my eyes. “I doubt that’ll happen.”
Amber bit her lip, her large brown eyes worried. “But it could.”
Flint grunted. I knew he hated that I was on the team that ventured into the warehouse, but despite his worry, I couldn’t sit on the outside. I had an ability that could be useful. I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased or worried that my family had such confidence in me.
We all wore black from head to toe, including ski masks. Nobody would be able to identify us. The only one not wearing a mask was Jacinda. We needed her smile and looks for our plan. The only downfall with what we’d worked out to get into O’Brien was that Jacinda wouldn’t be disguised. We’d discussed her wearing a wig, but in the end, knew that wouldn’t matter.
My abdomen tightened as another bout of menstrual cramps clenched my belly. I gritted my teeth and wished I’d taken some ibuprofen. I cocked my head as an idea came to me. Perhaps I should use my agitation and irritation when I try to form a ball. I’d never tried to summon other energies when I had so much energy of my own. Maybe it will help.
Di glanced at all of us. “Everyone remember the plan?”
Flint tensed. I held his hand as reassuringly as I could. I knew he worried for my safety, but I couldn’t let my family down. I needed to do my part whether he liked it or not.
“On my mark, three…two…one.” Di clicked the stopwatch. Despite this being our first mock drill, it was timed. Time could be our worst enemy. The faster we moved, the better.
Jacinda stepped forward while the rest of us stayed beside the house shrouded in darkness.
Father and Jasper played the security guards, standing stiffly, their eyes surveying the yard as if they were actually guarding something.
“Hey!” Father shouted. “This is private property. You’re trespassing!” His shout sounded through the quiet desert night. It sounded like it carried for miles.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Jacinda kept walking forward. “I was hoping you could help me.”
“No one’s allowed here, ma’am. You’ll have to leave,” Jasper replied.
I couldn’t see Jacinda’s face, but I knew she plastered on one of her supermodel smiles. Most men seemed to lose all coherent thought when she did that. Back at Hideaway Hills, it had been rather amusing to watch Jacinda wield her charm on the cowboys and guests.
Jacinda reached Father and Jasper and spoke quietly, distracting them as the rest of us moved into action.
Jet nudged Flint and Mica. “We’re up.”
Jet closed his eyes, channeling his powers at Jasper and Father. The twins had become more proficient at projecting their powers over distance, sometimes covering up to a hundred feet. Mica and Flint watched Jet, waiting for his nod. In the moonlight, beads of sweat appeared on Jet’s brow.
“Now,” he said tightly.
With a blur of movement, Flint took off, carrying Mica with him. When Flint moved like that, none of us, other than Mica, could see him. The next second, he appeared behind Father. Jacinda continued talking, but I’m not sure if Father or Jasper heard her. They both stood docile, smiles on their faces. Jet was definitely manipulating their emotions well.
I tuned into them. Their colorful clouds appeared while I worked to gather energy from every living thing in the area. I used my agitation and frustration over my damned period first. Surprisingly, I felt my own energy grow.
In the distance, the energy spheres appeared around plants and animals, like bubbles in the night. I focused on my own energy more. Irritation over my damned period, longing for Flint, fear of O’Brien, love for my family. I used it all and slowly channeled my own power into a ball.
Closing my eyes, I concentrated as sweat popped on my brow. A smile tugged at my lips as my power became tangible. I gathered another aura and pulled it to mine. It joined. I could almost feel it, like throwing a ball or dribbling a basketball. It pulsed. Without a doubt, I knew I’d be able to throw it if need be. I snapped my eyes open and let the energy dispel.
I grinned. It was the easiest time I’d had yet at forming an energy ball. I’d have to remember what I learned. Harnessing my own energy first, gave me greater control over other fields.
Ever so slowly, Jacinda inched her way toward the pretend guard station. Flint sneaked up behind Father while Mica crept up behind Jasper. It was like watching a movie unfold in real life. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until Flint and Mica reached up, their arms closing around Father and Jasper while pressing rags against their mouths.
In this drill, we were practicing for the worst. In other words, Jacinda couldn’t sweet-talk the guards and we all had to act swiftly and with whatever means necessary. The rags Flint and Mica held now were dry. In the real situation, they’d be soaked with chloroform. The guards would drop unconscious in seconds.
Jet’s breath expelled in a whoosh as Jasper and Father pretended to fall to the ground.
“Nice job,” Di whispered.
“Thanks.” Jet panted.
I clapped him on the back.
“Ready?” Di asked as Jet slowly recovered.
“Yeah.”
The four of us raced to where the others stood. Jacinda was busy stuffing her face and hair into a ski mask. Amber and Di stood guard, waiting to see if anyone else came to investigate. I focused on the energy and tried to form another ball while Mica and Flint got to work on the door. According to Father, with Mica’s ability to pass the retinal scan and Flint’s hacking abilities, we should be able to get in.
Once we entered our mock warehouse, we continued on, stealthily inching our way to the elevators. According to Father, the elevators descended to t
he subterranean levels. Flint and Di didn’t like the idea of using it to get down. An elevator could also be a cage. If something went wrong during the short ride down, it would be the perfect opportunity for O’Brien to capture us. However, there weren’t any stairs. Father said it was a safety measure. Nobody could get it and nobody could get out undetected. In other words, we didn’t have a choice. The twins again joked the warehouse didn’t meet fire code.
Since we had no other options but to use the elevator, Father didn’t want everyone in it. It was too big of a risk.
Because of that, we agreed that two of us would stay outside of the building, two would stay guarding the elevator at ground level and the rest would go down. That meant four of us would be in the underground levels. It was agreed that the most powerful were the twins, Flint, Di, Mica and me. As for which four would ultimately go down, that had yet to be decided.
We carried on well into the night, practicing our planned scenario again and again. In a way, when I wasn’t stressing about forming reliable balls, it was fun and exhilarating, like playing Ghost in the Graveyard, or Capture the Flag at night, but that was only because no actual danger was present. In the real situation, I could very likely pee my pants.
The next few days were filled with practice and drills. I used my new discovery and harnessed my energy first before attempting to control others. With Father’s help, I improved. I could usually form a ball within a minute or two if I concentrated on my own energy first. However, the balls varied in how powerful they were.
“We can’t practice much longer,” Di said after a particularly long session.
I panted beside her. “Why not?”
“December’s just around the corner. The weather grows colder every day in Chicago. We need to get there and stake out the warehouse before the weather really turns. Can you imagine trying to observe the warehouse in a blizzard?”
I swallowed uneasily. The effects of weather hadn’t entered my mind. “I hadn’t considered that.”
She nodded grimly. “We’re going to have to leave within the week. Our time’s up.”
We used our remaining few days to practice. From sunup to sundown, we practiced and practiced and practiced. Each night I fell exhausted into bed. Flint did the same. Even though it lurked in the back of my mind that my period was coming to an end, I couldn’t summon the energy to feel excited about it. I was too damned tired.
On the day my period finally ended, Father gathered us in the living room, telling us he’d made his jet ready for the trip to Minnesota. We all agreed that we were as ready as we’d ever be. No amount of practice could guarantee success in real life.
I only wished I had more time. Forming energy balls at a moment’s notice was still hard for me, and I still couldn’t guarantee one every time despite my newly learned skill to harness my own energy first. I could only hope we were prepared enough for whatever was to come.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Puffy clouds skimmed the jet’s wings as we descended into Minneapolis. My ears popped, and the coffee I’d had an hour ago left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Flint’s hand rested on my thigh. It felt warm, comforting, safe.
Safe.
I always felt safe in Flint’s presence. I wondered if that would still be the case at O’Brien, when we broke into the warehouse and anything could happen. It didn’t help that worry hung heavily in Flint’s cloud. He said he believed in me, yet with each passing second, the worry in his cloud grew.
I told myself it was only natural. Flint always worried for my safety, but I still wondered. Perhaps he questioned how safe I’d be because in reality, he doubted if I could defend myself.
The pilot came on the overhead speaker just as I began chewing my lip. “Please secure your seat belts. We’ll be landing shortly.”
Those of us that weren’t already buckled did as instructed. Clicks flowed quietly through the cabin in that muffled way that sound travels through aircraft.
“Nervous?” Flint asked.
I straightened in my seat. “I’m okay. What about you?”
“I’m good.” He stared straight ahead, his tone clipped.
We sat near the back of the plane. An entire row separated us from everyone else. His scent surrounded me. Spice, wood and tangerines. I leaned my head on his shoulder and inhaled deeply. My nerves automatically calmed. If only I could provide that kind of security for him.
We’d left the impenetrable fortress in Arizona earlier this morning. I had no idea if we’d ever return. Forever that home would be where we readied ourselves for O’Brien, where we became a family once again, and where my memories returned. It was hard to believe that living there for only three weeks could make me nostalgic for the place. I missed our real home in the Forbidden Hills terribly, but that life seemed eons ago. Now, I had no idea what the future held.
My stomach grumbled loudly, reminding me I’d passed on breakfast. I’d been too nervous to eat. I kept thinking about all that could go wrong, or if we were lucky, all that could go right. Three people could be joining us in the near future, in a way, becoming part of our family. It was ironic considering we didn’t know their names, if they were male or female or what special abilities they had. They were from Marcus’ group, we knew that. Father said Marcus conducted the animal genetic group, but we had no idea what that meant since the program was still in its infancy when we left. For all we knew, the new three could be complete freaks of nature.
Thinking about them always made my stomach churn. Fifteen years. They’d been kept in subterranean levels and experimented on for fifteen years. Bringing them into our family could cause huge dynamic changes. I could only hope we’d be able to help them. But that was only if we succeeded in rescuing them.
The worry that hung most heavily on my mind, though, was that we still didn’t have a plan to shut down Project Renatus. Father was hoping to gain more information from the new three. We were counting on them to help us understand how many people within the corporation were still involved. Even though Father had friends within O’Brien, he hadn’t contacted them. He felt it was risky enough to reach out to his inside contacts. Reaching further would only bring more attention to him and potentially us. However, if the newcomers didn’t have any answers, he’d have no choice but to call them.
It was yet another obstacle we’d have to overcome.
WE LANDED IN Minneapolis just after one in the afternoon. The late autumn breeze brushed long strands of hair in my face when the pilot opened the plane’s door. The fresh air smelled good especially after hours in the aircraft.
Sunshine streamed all around. I shaded my eyes so I wouldn’t trip on the stairs. Mica chatted excitedly while Flint’s shadow hovered at my side. The rest of the group disembarked, everyone stretching now that we could stand fully upright.
A new, black GMC Yukon waited for us on the tarmac. The windows were so tinted they were black. The pilot handed Father the keys. “Your vehicle, Conroy.”
Everyone pulled their luggage from the cargo. The pilot helped. I studied him while he worked. Father had given me his contact information, in the event one of us needed to call him, but I still didn’t know anything about him. Our pilot was tall, lean and wiry. Despite his trim, fit figure he didn’t appear young. Creases lined his eyes, and his skin had a rough consistency that only came with age. I guessed him to be in his late forties, even fifties.
I had no idea how he knew Father or for how long. The two seemed to have a long standing friendship. They talked comfortably but half the time seemed to communicate things with only a nod or a brief glance.
I vaguely recalled him from my trip to Washington all those years ago. He’d been younger then, but he had still catered to Father’s every request. I didn’t know if he was the sole pilot Father used or if there were others.
“What’s your name?” I asked him as he handed me a bag. His knuckles brushed mine when I took it.
A smile spread across his face. “Greg, and you’re Lena, r
ight?”
“That’s right.”
He handed me another bag which I gave to Jacinda. The damned Louis Vuitton. I practically dropped it, it was so big.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and eyed him curiously. “How do you know Father?”
Greg sealed the cargo bay and glanced over his shoulder. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Father nod.
“I met Conroy in my early twenties, right after my brother got out of Iraq.”
I cocked my head. I knew everyone else was packing the luggage in the vehicle and getting ready to go, but that familiar buzz I got when meeting new people strummed through me. Besides, this was the first time I’d heard anything about Father’s past.
“Did your brother work for him?”
Greg shook his head. “My brother, Brendan, was pretty messed up after the war. He’d lost an arm and tried to commit suicide twice. My mom reached out to a few charities. One of them was founded by Conroy.”
For a moment, I didn’t think he was going to continue, but then he said, “With Conroy’s help, we got Brendan the help he needed. It didn’t matter that it cost tens of thousands of dollars and years of therapy. Conroy paid for it all. And then when my mom called him with an additional problem, he talked to her personally and listened to the entire story.”
“What happened?”
Greg’s jaw tightened. “My dad left her just as Brendan finally started getting better. She hadn’t worked in years since all of her time was devoted to helping my brother, and with my dad gone,” he made a sound of disgust, “she had nothing. That month, she couldn’t make the rent.”
“So Father, err Conroy, paid for it?”
“Yeah. He sent money monthly until she got back on her feet. I tried to help as much as I could, but I was in flight school and in debt up to my eyeballs with tuition. If it weren’t for Conroy, she probably would have ended up on the street.” He glanced at Father.
Father was in the driver’s seat of the Yukon.
“I’ve never forgotten what Conroy did for my family,” Greg said quietly. “He helped us when no one else would. It’s because of him that my mom and brother are okay.”
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