Looking closer, I saw keys in the ignition. Still, it was doubtful the ancient thing would start. It had the basics; four fully inflated tires and a steering wheel, but it had to have been towed here. I glanced around again. Still no one was in sight. I turned back to the truck. I thought about leaving. After yesterday, who wouldn't? Then I thought about Adil – and his crying mother at the funeral, and all of the disasters I had caused. If I left, would it all happen all over again? Had I learned enough control over my powers? Had I learned any control at all? The kitchen dishware would tell me no, along with the greenhouse.
I barely heard the soft footsteps approach from behind, and turned around to see Alex advancing with that goofy smile he always wore.
He came up beside me, and removed the keys from the truck through the window. Damn. "Micah thought you could use a friend."
The mere mention of his name put me in a foul mood.
Alex ignored my scowl. "Come on, let’s talk."
"I don’t feel like talking."
"Fine. I’ll do the talking, you do the listening." He motioned with his head, moving away from the truck.
I huffed, seriously considering letting him walk away without me, but followed him anyway.
We walked to the patio and sat side by side on a gliding chair. My feet didn’t quite reach the ground so I tucked them up under me. Alex maintained a consistent, gentle rock, pushing off the ground with his toes every few swings.
After a few minutes of silence, Alex asked, "How are you doing?"
I just raised my eyebrows at him. Did he really want me to answer that?
Alex cleared his throat and started over, "Okay. I’ll just say it. We are leaving today for the assignment."
"Today? Why?"
"Well…Cato moved it up."
"Because…" I prodded.
"Cato feels it’s better for the upkeep of the Chakra and the safety of everyone in it if you…" he drifted off.
"If I…what?"
"If you…left," Alex mumbled.
I heard it all the same. I sat back in the chair, processing the news. A lump began forming in my throat.
Alex looked at me and began rambling, "You have to understand we must be very discreet about this place, and everything that goes on here. It is difficult to find staff that can be trusted. If anyone leaves, they’re hard to replace." He paused to look at me again.
I stayed silent, fighting back tears.
"After yesterday, most of the staff has already gone," he said softly. "They’re refusing to return until you leave."
It had been difficult to accept life here, and as soon as I’d become adjusted, I was no longer welcome. Even worse, everyone seemed to be against me. It wasn’t turning out to be the team atmosphere Cato and Micah had described. Once I entered the picture, apparently everything just fell apart.
Alex put his arm around my shoulders, "Oh, Katie. It’s not like you are getting kicked out for good, or even getting kicked out of your home. Your home is where your family is, and we are your family. We’ll be with you."
"That is not really comforting. I am not exactly on good terms with Shawn and Micah right now."
"Nonetheless, we are family. One big, dysfunctional family." That made me smile. I leaned into Alex; he always had a way of making me feel better. We sat together a little longer, swinging in silence until he just had to break it.
"You know, Micah only did what he did to help you."
I pulled back sharply. "Don’t tell me you are taking his side. Do you even know what happened?"
"Yes, there were, um, video cameras."
I looked at Alex in horror. "How many others were watching?"
"I sent everyone out of the room, just Cato and I stayed."
I jumped out of the seat and turned on him. "Well, I hope you enjoyed the show!"
"It’s not like that. We were only monitoring to make sure it didn’t get too out of hand."
"So at what point, exactly, would you have considered it out of hand? Before or after he raped me?"
He shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I actually meant we were making sure you didn’t get too out of hand."
"What!?" I gave up trying to think rationally, turned on my heel and walked purposefully toward the truck. I was out of there.
"Wait!" Alex ran to catch up with me. "It wouldn't have gone that far. I mean – right?"
I turned around, with Alex almost on my heel, and pushed him in the chest, hard.
He fell and cried out, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out the keys, having landed on them.
"Serves you right," I muttered.
"Katie—"
"Don’t Katie me." I snapped.
Alex took a deep breath. "Kaitlyn. Since you have arrived, you have thrown us all for a loop, especially Micah. You are stronger, more stubborn, and completely different from any Gaia that has come through here. We don’t know how to deal with it. It is like we are learning how this works all over again."
I let him continue.
"I’ll admit that some of Micah’s techniques went overboard; but so did your solutions. He was just matching your intensity level."
"That is a weak excuse for rape," I replied, forcefully calming myself down. "Can't you understand that? I really, really need someone to understand. It is not something that can be forgiven, or forgotten. Ever."
"I know," Alex said. "But for what it is worth, Micah is truly sorry."
I didn’t answer.
He glanced over at the truck. "Oh, I owe you something." He pulled a bluish-purple paper bill from his pocket and handed it to me. "Twenty Euros."
I raised an eyebrow, "Payment for the show?"
"For our bet on the race – you made it to the lake first. I think with the exchange rate that actually translates into more than the twenty dollars I promised."
I stuffed the bill in my pocket. "I’ll be sure not to spend this all in one place, you know, with all the strip malls out here and all."
"Quit with the sarcasm." Alex shook his head. "We’re flying to Spain today – that could come in handy."
"Spain?" Perhaps the day was going to improve.
"Costa del Sol," he said. "You can buy yourself a few Sangria’s with that. We are leaving in a couple hours, so you might want to pack."
I helped him up off the ground and began walking back. I could at least let Alex escort me off this God forsaken place, and consider my next move later.
Alex stopped me before we parted ways. "Oh, Katie, pack as much as you can. We’ll be gone for an indefinite amount of time."
I rolled my eyes silently cursing him for the reminder.
A large suitcase sat on the bed in the middle of Micah’s room. Looking around, I noticed most of Micah’s things were already gone. He was taking care to avoid me, which was probably for the best. Packing went quickly – I had only a few stain-free outfits that fit me well, plus some necessities from the bathroom.
I was zipping up the suitcase when Alex came in to help me carry it out. "It’s just us, travel buddy. Micah and Shawn already left and Cato will join us later in Spain. He has to supervise some repairs."
We walked out of the room and I didn’t turn around for one last look. I had no idea if I would ever return, and I wasn’t sure if I cared.
After several attempts at starting the truck, the old engine miraculously coughed to life and Alex and I were driving away. I glanced back into the bed of the truck to check the security of our luggage, and realized there wasn’t even a back window, or side windows for that matter. At least there was a windshield.
I eyed Alex and he answered my thoughts, "It’s the reuse part in reduce, reuse, recycle."
"I guess I am just the 'use' part." I mumbled under my breath. Alex either didn't hear or chose to ignore it.
A ten minute drive led us to a large gate Alex opened with a remote control. The Chakra was much bigger than I had even imagined. I silently thanked myself for giving up my escape attempts. I leaned forward in my s
eat as we waited for the gate to open.
I could see Alex out of the corner of my eye trying to hide his smile. "Do you want me to just tell you where we are?"
"No, no, no – don’t. I want to guess." I might as well entertain myself somehow. Outside of the compound, the flora was very similar to what was inside. The forest grew thicker as we went. There weren’t many signs of settlement once the gates of the Chakra disappeared from view. Occasionally I did see something that looked like a small buffalo, and perhaps farmers’ fields. I couldn’t identify what was being grown. Tea, maybe? Still, there were no signs and no people. I shook my head. "I give up. Middle Earth?"
Alex laughed. "We’re on the island of Simeulue."
"No bells are ringing here," I said. "How come I can’t hear the ocean if we are on an island?"
"The trees block most of the sounds; we got as close to the center of the island as we could. You will start to hear it in a moment." Alex paused and sure enough, after a few more minutes of driving, the sound of waves hitting a hard rocky shore could be heard. Alex navigated the truck through a shallow but rapid stream that intersected with the dirt road. A loud clunk shook the back as our luggage slid around. I slumped down in my seat lest I get a suitcase in the back of the head.
"Simeulue is part of the province of Sumatra." Alex ignored the suitcases. "We’re right off the northwestern coast of Indonesia."
"Sumatra! Why didn’t you just say so?" That was a name I recognized, at least. I paused. "Isn’t it kind of…dangerous here?"
"On the island we stay off the radar so we aren’t affected by the civil wars. The Chakra used to be a coconut plantation, owned by a friend of Cato’s. He was sympathetic to our cause and left Cato everything when he passed away. We’ve had other locations, but his place has been the least amount of hassle by far, considering what we do."
No wonder Cato was so protective of the Chakra. Maybe it was best I leave after all. Alex continued talking but I tuned him out. I was still trying to sort through recent events, and despite my best efforts, I was beginning to understand why certain things happened the way they did. Besides, maybe Micah wouldn't have gone through with it. There is no way to really know, now.
"What?" My attention snapped back to Alex.
He glanced at me, "I said we’ll have to take a boat to Sibloga, Sumatra, and we’ll fly out from there."
I groaned and slid further down in my seat. "I hate boats." I had yet to take a boat ride that I didn’t get sick on. I even needed a quick exit from the ‘It's a Small World' ride at Disney World.
"You did okay on the ride here."
"Probably because I was knocked out cold with whatever drugs you guys pumped into my system."
"Oh yeah, I remember now. Well, if you want, that can be arranged."
"Oh, would you please? I'd like to end up kidnapped and shackled to a strange bed again."
He rolled his eyes, and I huffed, crossing my arms. "I’ll take my chances with the sea sickness."
After a few more bumps down the road, the trees cleared out and we could see the shore. A port came into view; its only occupant was a small charter boat. I already began to feel the familiar flip-flopping in my stomach as Alex parked.
Insisting a full stomach helps ease the more unpleasant symptoms of seasickness, Alex left me to deal with the luggage, and went off in search of food. I managed to lug everything on board myself. The driver was gracious enough to pull the small charter boat closer to the pier so I didn’t accidently toss our luggage straight into the ocean. That, and he managed not to laugh at me. Quite the gentleman. I chose a bench seat as close to the middle of the boat as I could get, figuring it would be the most stable spot. Impatiently, I squinted into the sun’s glare on the water and searched the shore for Alex. I spotted him making his way to a small fruit stand. He paused to look over the trash piles nearby, a deep frown forming on his face. Then he surveyed the large field behind the stand containing rows of different kinds of trees and vines. Two minutes from the vine to the store once plucked; can’t get any fresher than that. He immediately engaged the man behind the counter in an intense conversation. Using wide sweeping movements, Alex spoke loudly, as if he were giving the man some sort of instructions. The man sometimes looked confused, and sometimes nodded his head in sudden understanding. After ten minutes or so I began to worry if Alex would miss the boat, and I’d be stuck on the dreaded ride by myself. Then I realized I was the only one on the boat, and we were most likely the driver’s only customers of the day. Alex made his way to the pier, and the boat’s engines roared to life.
He emptied the contents of his jacket pockets into my lap. I couldn’t identify much of what I bit into, but it was cool and invigorating.
"Make a new friend?" I spoke through a full mouth.
"What?" Alex asked, looking back to the shore. "Oh, him? Under new management. He's not taking advantage of something we built for the place last year. I had to explain it to him."
"And what was it, exactly, you built?" I slurped up an especially sloppy bite of fruit, attempting to keep it from spilling over onto my chin.
Alex straightened his back. "A compost bin."
The answer caught me off guard. I laughed, accidently inhaling some of the fruit as a result. Alex hit me hard on the back as I half-choked, half-laughed.
"It’s not that funny, Kaitlyn. In the US, yard and kitchen waste account for around 30% of landfill refuse. Can you imagine if everyone had their own compost piles?"
Still giggling, I responded, "I can imagine what the world might smell like."
Alex didn’t find it humorous at all. "The man could benefit greatly, creating compost not only to decrease his trash but also as a fertilizer for his fields." He glanced at me sideways. "It doesn’t have to smell bad if you do it right."
I tried my best to put on a straight face while Alex, caught up in the excitement of his own values, explained the process to me. Besides, the conversation was keeping my mind off the rocky boat ride.
After a very long-winded, somewhat Cato-like explanation, Alex grinned sheepishly, "I don’t think he understood my English too well but he’ll figure it out."
I smiled, "So easy – who would have thought?"
"That’s right." He smiled at me, happy I was buying into his environmentally friendly attitude. "Just to give you fair warning, you’ll see us do this thing quite a bit when we are away from the Chakra. In fact, I think Micah has something planned on the way to Spain."
"Oh, can’t wait." My face darkened just at the mention of Micah, but I tried to discard the thought. "We’re almost there. Want to take the time convince the boat driver to replace his gas-guzzling engines with environmentally-friendly sails before we dock?"
"I’d love to," Alex said, ignoring my sarcastic tone. "But he doesn’t speak any English, I've tried talking to him before."
"Of course you have."
"Come on; let’s get our suitcases." Alex looked at them for a moment before looking back at me. "You did a fine job of organizing them." Alex criticized me as he went to collect the bags, spread all over the deck of the boat.
"Hey!" I defended myself, "They were heavy. What did you pack anyway?"
"Just enough to be prepared, Katie. Always be prepared."
"Ok, Boy Scout. Next time I’ll get the fruit and you handle the bags."
Chapter 22
Bodyguards
The boat pulled into the pier on Sumatra. I had made it the whole way without incident. A taxi was waiting for us. Alex handed the driver a piece of paper. The driver nodded and had us at a small airport before I knew it. I looked around to see if I could spot Micah or Shawn. It would have been easy in the sea of darker skinned people. Alex stuck close to me, his arm around my shoulders most of the time. It was odd behavior for him.
"What is wrong?" I asked, shrugging off the burdensome weight of his arm.
He looked around wildly for a second, scrutinizing everyone close to us in fear and suspicion. Barely mov
ing his lips, he whispered, "Act natural. We are supposed to be siblings."
I crossed my arms and teased, "You are way too goofy looking to be my brother."
Since no one apparently cared, or even noticed us, he let out the breath he had been holding far too long. "I’m not too good at this incognito thing. Freaks me out." He pulled out a passport from his backpack. "Here."
I opened it. "Laura Henson?"
"Couldn't have you traveling under your real name, in case someone is still looking for you."
I smirked at the thought. If only my fica had access to the internet, and fingers.
Alex pulled out his passport and flipped it open. "Alexander Henson. But you can call me Alex."
I stuck out my hand, "Nice to meet you, bro."
"You too, sis." He shook my hand.
We continued walking toward the boarding gate. "We are flying from here to Jakarta, Jakarta to France, and France to Spain."
"How long is our layover in France?" I asked.
Alex pulled out a folder full of paperwork and flipped through it. "Four hours, why?"
"Because I might have a chance to practice my high school French."
Several hours later, after the wheels touched down in France, I was making a beeline for the women’s restroom at the Charles de Gaulle Airport. My stomach was finally calling it quits and I had to hurry if I was going to spare myself the embarrassing effects of motion sickness. I pushed people out of the way, ignoring what I was sure were curse words in several different languages. Alex tried to keep up but, hindered by our carry-on luggage, was soon lost in the crowd.
By the time I was finished, the restroom had emptied of women; likely not wanting to be anywhere near what was happening in my stall. I rinsed my mouth and looked at myself in the mirror with a critical eye. My hair was a frizzy mess and my face was pale. I fixed myself as best I could and walked out of the restroom. Alex was nowhere in sight.
Water Page 13
