“Councilwoman,” I started.
Victoria shot me a warning look, but I plunged forward before I lost my nerve. Speaking in front of this many people was new for me, and I found it extremely intimidating.
“Is the goal to capture as many of the operatives as possible so that they can be questioned?” I asked innocently.
Victoria’s smile was for the cameras. Inside she was seething; I felt her annoyance like a slap across the face. “Only the high-ranking officials. Those are the individuals UNITED is most interested in interrogating.”
“So we are to kill all the foot soldiers?” I asked like I was throwing down a challenge.
“Talia,” Crane warned in my head.
I ignored him. “The Council is researching a reversal drug, right? So, we could conceivably uninfect those who’ve been infected. Not all of them chose this fate.”
Murmurings from the soldiers in the command center, as well as the people on screen, filled the room.
“Good job,” Erik sent, patting my leg under the table.
I wasn’t sure if he was being sarcastic.
“The research is far from complete. The containment facilities are not equipped to handle the thousands, possibly tens of thousands, who have been infected.” She met my gaze across the table and tried to stare me down.
I almost laughed. For all the notes Victoria had on my life, she’d failed to see the common thread: I was not easily intimidated. I opened my mouth to argue that she hadn’t actually answered my question, when Crane and Erik invaded my head.
“You’ve made your point, Talia,” Crane said.
“Don’t start a fight, Tals. This isn’t the time,” Erik sent.
“Any other questions before I turn the floor over?” Victoria asked. “Ah, yes, Councilwoman Saito.” The live feed from UNITED HQ took the center of the display, and I knew my window of opportunity had passed.
That was when I realized Victoria hadn’t addressed me by name the way she had with everyone else. I studied her, wondering if that had been a tactical decision on her part. I knew why she’d refrained from containing me, but had she told her colleagues? Was she afraid if people knew who I was that she’d be forced to defend her actions? The Council was basically ordering the extermination of the created, with the exception of Erik, Penny, and me. Harris was being taken away to be studied, which might sound to some like good fortune, but it wasn’t. His future looked bleak from where I sat.
After several more questions about TOXIC and Mac and whether the created could be killed – like we were invincible or something – Victoria introduced Captain Brand Meadows, who began a lengthy explanation of the underground metro system. I was keenly aware that he seemed to know a lot more than Erik had told him in our brief meeting beforehand. That’s when I noticed Erik concentrating on Brand as the Captain spoke. Erik was feeding him the information mentally.
After Brand laid out the plan for both our ground attack and airstrike, Victoria introduced the men and women who would be leading the individual teams. She left Erik out. Again, I wondered whether the oversight was intentional. He’d be leading a team from here, so only the Coalition soldiers had cause to know who he was and what he was capable of.
My mistrust for her grew by leaps and bounds.
Days seemed to pass while I was stuck in that command center. Not that poring over blueprints and debating strategy wasn’t important, or anything new for me; I just wanted to go already. I was ready to face Mac. I wanted to be the first one to reach him. Once UNITED had him in custody, the time for vengeance would be over. I wasn’t sure what the penalty for his crime was, but a quiet, painless death was too good. Maybe that made me a monster. Maybe I was a monster. Maybe I didn’t care.
Finally, we were dismissed with nothing to do but wait. Patience wasn’t my strongest virtue, or one I had at all. My fingers twitched and my foot tapped the ground when the elevator didn’t appear the instant I pressed the call button.
“Tals, it’s almost over,” Erik told me, placing a hand at the center of my back. “Just try to relax. I know it’s hard.”
“Relax?” I snapped and immediately felt bad about jumping down his throat. I sighed and tried to regroup. “I’m sorry. I just … it’s just –”
“I know, Tals. I know.”
The elevator arrived, and the two of us boarded. I pressed the button for the medical sublevel, and the doors closed.
“Maybe we could take Alex to the beach? I haven’t been outside yet,” Erik suggested, drawing me into his arms. He rested his chin on top of my head and worked my shirt up just enough so his hands were on my bare skin. “I bet Henri will want to come, too,” he added.
The elevator arrived on our sublevel, but neither of us moved when the doors slid open. I tilted my head back and stared up at him through my lashes. Erik’s eyes were hooded as he bent to kiss me. My lips parted as his touched mine, and the moment was starting to get a little intense when I heard, “Get a room!” echo down the corridor behind me.
I broke the kiss and turned to see Frederick jogging towards us.
“How’d you get down here so fast?” I asked grumpily.
“I wanted to see Henri before I return to being Victoria’s personal Viewer,” Frederick replied breathlessly. His cheeks were flushed, and he looked like he’d been the one caught making out. “Glad I ran into you two. Cadence and Randy have been relocated. They're in San Lolito. It’s not far from here. I know there’s a lot going on, but I bet if you wanted to go for a visit this afternoon, Ian would approve it.”
“Really?” I asked hopefully. It was almost pathetic how excited seeing Cadence made me. “Wait, is she okay?”
Frederick shrugged noncommittally. “Physically, yes. Her injuries are healing. She’s been through a lot and could really use a friend.”
Suddenly I was desperate to get away from the cottage. War was everywhere here. The soldiers in residence rarely wore casual clothes, favoring fatigues and boots despite the hot summer air. Few people I encountered on a daily basis were devoid of physical reminders of the raids and attacks. I knew Cadence was probably still heavily bandaged, and Randy was definitely still too thin. But their new home wouldn’t have constant reminders of what was happening throughout the country.
“You’ll have to ask Ian,” Frederick repeated. “He’ll want to send an escort with you. Tensions are high, and we can’t be too careful.”
“Tal, I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” Erik said.
“You’re the one who wants to get out,” I insisted. “Don’t you want to see them? We can take Alex and Henri. It’ll be good for us.”
Erik hesitated and I continued to plead with my eyes.
“Yeah, okay. I guess if Ian thinks it’s okay,” he finally relented.
I squealed – actually squealed – and threw my arms around Erik’s neck.
Crane thought the outing was a good idea. He thought it would prevent Victoria from trying to question Erik further and that I, too, should be kept at arm’s length after my outburst in the meeting. Janelle and Marcel were tasked with escorting our entourage on the journey. Crane said he didn’t expect any trouble, and the guards were merely for protection.
I found Marin and collected Alex and a bag of snacks for the short trip. Henri decided to stay behind on the off chance that Frederick was able to extract himself from Victoria’s claws long enough to spend time with him. Penny also declined my invitation, being evasive about the reason. A quick swipe of her mind told me she already had plans. Brand had asked her to spend the afternoon with him, and she was giddy at the prospect.
They’d been friends for as long as Penny could remember. Her crush on him dated back to early childhood. She worried his proposal of an afternoon hike and picnic was just a distraction for him, and not the date she was envisioning. I considered telling her Brand was head over heels for her, but decided she’d find out the truth soon enough.
I was happy for her. It warmed my insides to see thei
r relationship going somewhere. Besides, maybe spending a little quality time with Penny would loosen Brand up and make him more pleasant to be around.
Hugging Penny, I told her to have fun. Her cheeks flushed pink as images of how she wanted to spend the afternoon filled her head. Exercise was on the agenda, but my best friend hoped it wouldn’t come in the form of hiking.
Erik, Alex, and I stopped by to say goodbye to Mr. Kelley, who was getting ready to leave on his scouting mission. The three soldiers assigned to protect him were not names I recognized, but Mr. Kelley assured us they were competent. I had my doubts about how his leg would survive the expedition. Apparently Dr. Patel did, too, because he stopped by while we were there to reiterate his displeasure.
“I’ll be fine,” Mr. Kelley assured us. “I’m in good hands, and President Crane’s contacts in Virginia are expecting us. There won’t be any trouble.”
“I could go instead, Dad,” Edmond insisted.
“No, son, they need you for the hard stuff. You need to lead the soldiers in. That is more important.”
“Then I’ll go,” Evan offered.
“You’re too young,” Mr. Kelley said sternly. “Besides, I know the tunnels best.”
I hugged Mr. Kelley and wished him luck. He made me promise to keep Erik safe and to make sure he made it home alive. I heard him ask Erik to make the same promise about me.
All of us, Mr. Kelley, Edmond, Evan, Erik, Alex and I, rode the elevator upstairs together. In the cottage driveway, we said our final goodbyes. I watched Mr. Kelley board a small four-seater hovercar with his escorts and their pilot. Then Erik, Alex, and I crammed into the backseat of another small craft with Janelle and Marcel in the front.
Janelle took the pilot’s seat, dark shades covering her marble eyes. She’d been sitting with Harris when Crane had called her away to go with us. The shades were more to hide her red-rimmed eyes than to block the sun. She kept sniffling and wiping her cheeks. From her mind, I learned Harris was being transported ahead of schedule, that evening in fact. Guilt gnawed at my insides. Janelle had wanted to stay with Harris until he left. Instead she was ferrying me around and all because I’d been somehow both too bored and too anxious to sit in the cottage for another minute.
Supposedly Marcel was there for our protection, but he kept eyeing Erik over his shoulder, and his thin finger never strayed far from the trigger of the handgun tucked into the back of his pants. He was terrified of Erik. He’d seen him attack the medic. Rumors had been circulating throughout the cottage, growing more and more absurd as they passed from one ear to the next. The soldiers thought Erik a living legend, a highly-trained, extremely dangerous one they preferred not to get too close to, but a legend all the same. Marcel was even convinced he couldn’t be killed. Images of Mac’s Created filled his head; he envisioned them all looking exactly like Erik, each one a carbon copy of the next. As attractive as I found my boyfriend, seeing him that many times over, all fierce and cold with dead eyes, made me shiver.
“Are you cold?” Erik rubbed his hand up and down my goosebump-covered arm. “It’s like a hundred and ten degrees outside.”
“Cold chill. Weird, right?” I laughed it off since I didn’t want Erik to pry into my head and see what I’d seen in Marcel’s. He didn’t need to know the other guy was terrified of him.
Upon arriving in San Lolito, Janelle brought the hovercraft low and wound through the center of town, pointing out various shops and cafes like a bored tour guide. Soon the quaint downtown gave way to a stretch of barren earth that time had forgotten. The earth was dry and cracked, with wisps of grass sprouting up in random places. It reminded me of my math instructor at school; he’d been going bald since forever but was determined to hang on to the three hairs he had left.
Several miles of hopelessness later, the world brightened and came back to life as a small city materialized. Unlike cities such as D.C. that had been retro-fitted to account for global warming, exponential population growth, and the technological breakthroughs of the last two centuries, this California city was being built from scratch. Tall glass buildings lined the main street, which was cleverly named “Main Street.” Solar panels were affixed to the top of each one to provide power to the inside. Oddly, I wondered what effect an Electrical Manipulator had on solar power.
Construction crews were hard at work, sweating their asses off, lifting beams into place and digging up earth. Only there was very little heavy machinery. All the workers were Talents, and they were using their abilities to build the new structures. This was truly using our gifts for the greater good.
Apparently Erik thought so, too. He whistled long and low.
“Impressive, huh?” Marcel asked from the front. “This is one of the first new communities President Crane has commissioned in a long time. Monies from some of the wealthier families on the other side of the border wanting to get their talented children away from TOXIC paid for it. Those folks have deep pockets and are willing to use them.”
“Wow.” Crane really had been busy. Mac had painted him as the anti-talent, when really he was a proponent of freedom and choice.
“This is us,” Janelle said as she maneuvered the hovercar between two finished apartment buildings. The alleyway was narrow, and the car barely fit through. In the rear, there was a square parking lot with a handful of numbered parking spaces that I assumed correlated with the apartments they belonged to. Janelle parked in one marked “visitor” and turned off the engine.
Erik perched Alex on one hip and offered me his free hand. Janelle took the lead and Marcel brought up the rear. Neither soldier had any weapons visible, but both remained vigilant, constantly scanning the area for threats. I thought them a little paranoid, yet that didn’t stop me from sweeping my gaze across the parking lot and checking over my shoulder.
The lobby felt a lot like the school dorms. A matronly woman with wispy gray hair and big brown eyes greeted us from behind a circular desk set off to one side. She was pleasant enough when she asked us to sign a guestbook. Janelle took charge, writing only her name and Marcel’s in the visitor spot. Even in her beige sundress and shades, the matron seemed to understand that Janelle was a soldier, and didn’t question her about Alex, Erik, and me.
The five of us rode the elevator to the third floor. Janelle led the way to apartment 315 and knocked. It was Randy who answered the door an instant later. His face, now clean shaven and slightly fuller, broke into a smile.
“Talia!” he exclaimed. Then he peered past us, his expression becoming anxious. “How did you know we were here?”
“President Crane knows everything,” Janelle answered mysteriously and pushed past him into the apartment.
“I’ll be out here,” Marcel said, taking up a post next to the door.
I stared at him questioningly as I passed. Was that necessary?
“Can’t be too careful,” he said mildly, repeating the catchphrase I’d heard what felt like a hundred times that day.
Erik and Alex were a step behind me. The little boy had been silent most of the ride, munching on the dried fruit Marin had packed for a snack. He was shy and clung to Erik or me instead of interacting with anyone else.
“Did I hear you say Talia?” a female voice called from somewhere within the apartment.
“I’m here, too, Cadence,” Erik called back.
“Erik, is that you? You’re alive? You’re okay?”
“Hold on, Cadence, I’ll come get you,” Randy called back to his sister. To us, he gestured towards the small living room and politely invited us to sit.
While Randy went to help Cadence, Erik and I sat on the sleek leather couch to the left of the entranceway, pushed up against the back wall. Erik tried to settle Alex between us, but the little boy whimpered, and Erik pulled him onto his lap.
Two matching chairs were arranged opposite the couch. Each had a folding table set up in front of it. The interior of the apartment was sparse and decorated in all neutral tones. Very calming, I decided
. Thin walls made it easy to hear the neighbors discussing the merits of working for some shopkeeper named Rhea or Ray versus trying to get a job on one of the construction crews.
“This is temporary housing,” Janelle explained in a soft voice. She’d situated herself in front of the window next to the couch. She drew the blinds closed and was using one finger to separate two slats just enough that she could keep an eye on the street in front of the building. “The residents are only allowed to stay here for three months. Gives them enough time to find work and secure permanent housing.”
I nodded. That explained the dorm-like feel of the place.
“Can’t this thing go any faster?” Cadence’s impatient voice drifted into the living room.
“The wheels don’t move so well on carpet,” Randy responded calmly.
“Good to see a few broken bones haven’t damaged her spirit,” Erik sent, sounding amused.
I was glad we’d come. Maybe the visit had been silly in light of the upcoming attack, but Erik seemed to need this. I needed this.
“Cadence!” I exclaimed upon seeing my friend emerge from a short hallway. She was looking worlds better than the last time I’d seen her. Gauze no longer covered her face, and the cuts it had been hiding were scabbed over and healing. Randy stood behind her, pushing the wheelchair she sat in.
“It’s great to see you, Cadence, really,” Erik told her.
She actually blushed. It had to be a first.
Randy maneuvered his sister the short distance to the living room and got her situated next to the couch. I made introductions between Janelle, Alex, and the Chois. Alex had never been overly fond of Cadence, and he shied away from Randy, electing to bury his face deeper in Erik’s neck.
Janelle made polite conversation with Randy and Cadence, asking them how things went at the induction center and whether they were comfortable in their new home, all the while keeping one eye glued to the outside world. Cadence had found the experience humiliating and degrading, but she was too uncertain of her place. Randy, on the other hand, had welcomed the large sleeping rooms with their bunk beds. Even the communal bathrooms and cafeteria-style meals were like heaven to him. After living in a damp, dank prison cell for years, I’d have agreed with him.
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