by C. C. Bolick
“I will.” The elevator doors opened. “But it’s classified. You’ll have to take the job to find out. Then you might think you’re even crazier.”
For some reason, teasing Erin made me feel better. She smiled and I knew my jab at her mental state hit its mark. Friends had been scarce since leaving Florida. Maybe having someone to talk to who wasn’t a career agent would be useful.
Chapter Six
Travis
Dad teleported me off the ship and to a lighted area on the planet’s surface. It appeared like the heart of a city, like the square of a small town, but with blue lights illuminating every storefront and the same sleek black glass from the ship. Glass with no reflection.
Next to me, Dad stood as we looked up at the building that rose before us against the black sky, so tall my neck cramped as I found the top. Again, the black glass covered the building in a continuous sheet. I couldn’t make out dividers for windows or floors. Dull white lights illuminated each corner of the building.
Beneath our boots was a stone platform. We stood at the center of a spotlight that cast white light in a circle around our feet. At the entrance to the building were five doors, each a different color: blue, red, green, yellow, and purple.
On the horizon, other tall buildings reached for the dark sky. Unlike the building in front of us, the glass faces of those buildings were lit with an array of bright colors, like a light show on Independence Day. The colors formed shapes, spun and merged, then flashed and became a different image.
Dad checked his watch; I felt shock to see he still wore the same gold watch as me. He’d bought us matching watches on my ninth birthday. I glanced at my wrist, for the first time noticing the bare spot where the watch usually stayed. No doubt the doctors on the isolation floor removed it. When I returned to the base, I would make sure they gave it back.
Behind us, a wide stone stairway led down to a street. Lights lined the streets where only a handful of people walked. To my right was a stone path leading to an area of trees like a park. Lights seemed to float in the air as the path faded between the trees.
“Where are the cars?” I asked. “Or the spaceships?”
“Most people here can teleport,” he said. “There’s no need for machines to provide transportation, though people here do enjoy flying over the city in an open-air ship. The lights shining on the black glass are beautiful at night. Sometimes it turns into a competition to see which building can put on the best show.”
I glanced down the street. What seemed to be stores stretched along the other side of the road. Beyond the park on our side of the street was another row of buildings in the shape of stores or restaurants.
If I ran, how far would I get? I hadn’t seen any place here so teleporting would be useless. If I could reach Dad’s ship… but how would I fly it? Did I have any chance of getting back to Earth without his help?
“Don’t even think about running,” Dad said.
I stared down the street while I thought of Rena. Was she still on the run with Erin?
“Where would you go?” Dad grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at him. “Don’t embarrass me. I’ve got an audience with the queen and she has asked to see you.”
“Embarrass you?” My blood ran cold. “Just because you’ve got an audience with the queen doesn’t mean I have to meet with her.”
“If you cause trouble here, it will make us both look bad.”
“That’s not my problem. I’m sorry if all you’re worried about is me causing trouble. I didn’t ask to come here.” When I turned away, he swung me into a choke-hold with more strength than seemed possible.
“Let me go,” I yelled. “Why are you acting like this?”
Dad released me and lowered his voice. “You will go inside and play nice for everyone who’s watching.” He gripped my shirt and yanked me close enough I had no choice but stare at his face. “If you try to escape, I’ll make you wish for that cell back on Earth. If you use your powers to hurt anyone, I’ll make sure your powers are taken away.”
On the ship, I’d felt thrilled to finally see him. Now the look he gave me cut me deep. How had things fallen apart? I shoved him and pulled off one of my gloves. “Don’t threaten me.”
“Think before you act, Travis. You’re on a planet more than a trillion miles from Earth. I control your escape. I can make sure you never see your girlfriend again.”
It felt like the air had been knocked from my chest. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I need you here. I need you—Travis Payne—to help stop a disaster. I’m willing to do whatever it takes and I need you on my team.”
“Did you see something bad in the future? Is that what this is all about?”
“For now, I need you to follow along and keep your mouth shut.” He checked the watch again. “I need you to trust me.”
“Trust goes both ways. I don’t answer to you. You lost that right when you left.”
Dad’s voice filled with remorse. “I’m sorry.”
“You still haven’t told me why you left.”
“I’ll do better than tell you. I’ll show you.”
“When?”
“Do what I ask tonight. Play nice for the people you meet inside and help me build trust. Tomorrow I’ll give you a tour of Golvern and before the day is over, you’ll understand why I left.”
“Promise?”
His eyes watered. He’d always kept his promises while I was growing up. If he couldn’t keep a promise, he wouldn’t make it—would that change now? “I promise.”
I faced the five doors. “How did you get an audience with this queen? I can’t figure out how she knows anything about me.”
“My brother died to save her life. Our power to see the future is respected here.”
“I heard she can see the future too.”
Dad stepped up and reached for the yellow door. “Yes, but she’s not as powerful as you.”
“Me? What about you?”
He laughed. “She wants someone who can work for her guard, who can help protect her. I’m not the first choice for anyone’s payroll. But you, the career agent—”
“Not going to happen.”
“Then meet with her. Act as if you are entertaining her offer but take your time. We have work to do before returning to Earth.”
I followed him to the door. “You’ll take me back? Promise?”
Dad didn’t hesitate this time. “I promise. A few days is all I’m asking. This will help clear up some old debts.”
“Van said people are standing in line to take shots at you.”
“Yes.” He smiled and opened the door. “Nothing like being able to see a future where everyone wants you dead. You can help change that. I’ll no longer have to hide.”
As I walked through the door, I wondered if he’d really been hiding for the last thirteen years. Dad never seemed like the kind of person to run from his problems.
Except he did run out on me.
Inside the door, the room opened to a ceiling taller than an airport terminal. The room felt large, not just tall but wide. Ten guards dressed in dark green uniforms stood before us. Their backs were straight and their heads up as they stood in a practiced formation. Tyler was one of them.
“What’s with the uniforms?” I whispered to Dad.
“All of the guards wear green,” he said at a normal level.
I stopped in front of Tyler and looked over his outfit. “You’re a guard here?”
“The queen offered me this job and I accepted. Not like there was anything waiting for me back on Earth.”
“What about your family?” Few people knew how much Tyler’s family mattered to him. Finding his parents at eighteen meant everything. Unlike the other agents, he understood why I never gave up on finding Dad.
“They’re fine without me,” he said.
Two of the guards stepped forward and used some type of hand-held scanning device, which flashed a red array of lights over us. They punched
buttons on the device and the field changed to green and then a white so bright I had to close my eyes. When the light stopped, they said words I didn’t understand and moved back in line.
“What was that?” I asked Dad.
“They were checking us for anything that might pose a danger to the palace and its occupants. You can’t understand the language yet, but you will soon.”
“Palace?” I turned to him. “Did you say palace?”
“Yes, we’re at the palace. Golvern’s queen resides here.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I didn’t realize we were getting down to business that quick.”
Charlene stepped into the room and walked toward us. “I’m sorry, but Agent Lockhart isn’t feeling well. Seeing the prison was more than he could handle. I’ve called a doctor to check him for any serious damage.”
“Coming here was a bad idea,” I said with a glare in Dad’s direction.
With a wave from Charlene, the guards broke formation and left us standing in the room alone. The only guard remaining was Tyler.
I put a hand to my head, suddenly feeling as if the room spun.
“The nausea will pass,” Charlene said. “The air is thinner here and your body needs time to adjust.”
“It won’t take long,” Tyler added. “If you’re hungry, I can find us some dinner.”
“Here at the palace? No one will mind?”
“No.” He and Charlene exchanged a glance. “The queen allows us the space to honor guests here, even if you’re not on Golvern for an official function.”
“Speaking of your queen,” I said. “Where is she?”
“The queen isn’t feeling well,” Charlene said. “She won’t be joining us until tomorrow.”
“What about your agreement with Agent Lockhart?” I asked. “Why is he here?”
“It’s late,” she said. “We’ll prepare you a room, along with Agent Lockhart. Hopefully, a good night’s sleep will put him in a better state. You’ll both be welcome to stay as long as you like, but we’ll get to the reason for your visit tomorrow.”
“You want him to erase someone’s memory,” I said.
“We have technology that can erase memories,” she said.
“Then you need him to bring back someone’s memory.” I glanced around the room. “Is that person within these walls?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry to say he’s currently located on Levendar.”
“You want Agent Lockhart to visit the prison? After the meltdown he had earlier? I don’t think that’s such a great idea.”
Charlene nodded. “I know the trip will be difficult for him. If necessary, we can bring this person here, though it’s safer for us all if Agent Lockhart agrees to go there.”
“You should have told him where he was going before leaving Earth.”
“I apologized to him already,” she said. “We were desperate for his help.”
“How long is night here?” I asked. “I noticed you have two suns.”
“Our days are the same length as Earth’s,” she said. “Because of the binary suns, our nights only last six hours.”
I glanced at the door behind me. Dad shook his head and gave me an evil look. Maybe this was my chance to escape. A palace was the last place I wanted to be. Dad left me thirteen years ago and maybe it was time to leave him with his problems. I thought of myself outside on the stone steps.
Nothing happened. I looked down at my hands. “What did you do to my powers?”
“You can’t teleport out of this building,” Dad said. “Technology keeps this place restricted so only a select few can enter and leave through the doors.”
“They have technology to prevent people from teleporting into a building?” I asked. “Could they block the whole planet?”
He nodded. “The government could enforce such a restriction, but the people here would revolt if this freedom were removed.”
I laughed at how easily I’d been trapped. First by Sylvia and now by my own father. I pulled off a glove and everyone backed away except for Dad.
“Replace your glove,” he said in a firm voice.
Tyler raised his hands and stepped forward. “You don’t want to do this. I vouched for you.”
“Because your word means so much,” I said.
“Here it does,” he said. “These people don’t deserve your anger. They’ve done nothing to you.”
“Nothing but lock me up.” They’d trapped me and I felt the walls closing in. The fact my father was in on this scam hurt me worse than Tyler’s betrayal. I spun and reached for the exposed skin at Dad’s wrist. It was the wrong response, but in that moment all I could think of was hurting him like he’d hurt me. “This is what I think of you using me.”
A sharp pain shot through my neck. I turned around and Tyler slammed my chest, knocking me on my back with one blow. Dad put a foot on my chest to hold me down. Above me, Tyler held a needle in his hand.
I glared up at Tyler, filled with anger. Anger at myself for losing my temper. Anger at not being able to reach Rena. I tried to shove Dad’s foot away but I’d lost all strength in my arms. It took every ounce of energy to form words. “What… did… you…”
“I’m sorry man,” he said. “You left me no choice. I can’t let you use your power to hurt anyone here.”
“Instead you keep me trapped here?” I yelled. “I thought you were my friend.”
“I am your friend. That’s why you’re not dead.”
A buzzing started in my head, like a swarm of hornets. The feeling faded from my body; my head felt as if reality was slipping away. “What did you give me?”
“A serum like what you got back on Earth,” Tyler said. “This will take your powers for a few days so you can’t hurt anyone.”
“A few days?”
“Don’t fight it,” Dad said. “The serum is already taking effect.”
“It will also knock you out for the night,” Tyler said. “Don’t give me that look. You’re the one who was searching for a way to get rid of your powers. Now you’ve found it.”
“Rena needs me,” I said with a groan. “I need my powers to save her.” My head filled with a thick fog. “I’ve got to get back to her.”
“She’s safe,” he said. “Van is looking after her.”
“That makes me feel worse,” I said as the room around me faded.
Chapter Seven
Rena
After taking a hot shower and changing into a pair of jeans and the yellow Pac-man shirt Travis gave me, I walked to Angel’s office. I wouldn’t wear black today because I no longer considered myself an agent in training.
I wanted no part of being an agent. If Sylvia wanted my skills, she’d have a fight on her hands. As soon as I found Travis, I’d convince him to run away from this place. Maybe we could disappear somewhere together, a place where Sylvia and Louis and aliens like Van didn’t exist.
A place where I could start over as a normal person. I thought about Erin coming to the agency with the notion of starting over. She got the job but as long as her questions about Tyler remained unanswered, starting over was out of the question.
Maybe for her this wasn’t about starting over. Maybe Erin and Tyler still had a chance.
I knocked on the door to Angel’s office. She opened the door, waved me inside, and closed the door behind us. Her desk was an old-style wooden monstrosity unlike most of the modern metal desks I’d seen at the agency. She pulled up a chair next to hers and I sat down. Skip sat across from her, typing on his laptop. He barely looked up as I entered.
On her desk were several files but the computer screen was dark. “Where did you find this desk?” I asked. “The carvings on it look like they were made by hand.”
“They were,” she said. “I inherited this desk from my mom. She loved antique furniture, especially wood.” When I raised an eyebrow, she added, “The woman who raised me. She was an agent here before she died.”
I thought back to her conversation
with Van. “She was Van’s sister, right? That’s what he meant when he said you were family.”
“Thank god there’s no blood relation. She raised me but died saving the planet from a volcano.”
“She was a nice woman,” Skip said. With a pointed look from Angel, he added, “When she wanted to be. At least she didn’t try to keep us apart like my parents.”
The last thing I needed was more drama. “Did you guys find out anything on Travis or my brother?”
“Travis left the base with Agent Lockhart,” she said.
“How did Agent Lockhart get him out?” I asked.
“He had help,” Skip said. “No way did he spring Travis from the isolation floor and carry him out with no one noticing.”
“Tyler helped him,” I said.
Skip’s hands froze over the keyboard. “What did Van tell you?”
“Nothing beyond what Tyler said. I talked with him on Van’s phone or whatever you call that device. It had a screen like a phone.”
“Did he tell you where they went?” Angel asked.
I shook my head. “Van said they were in a place Sylvia couldn’t find.”
Her eyes drifted to the ceiling. “If that’s the case, there’s no way we can contact him. We’re wasting our time by searching.”
I followed her gaze. “You think Tyler took him into space?”
“It would be the perfect place to hide.” Skip sat back and looked at me. “I’m sure Travis is safe. I don’t believe my brother would hurt him.”
“I hope not.”
“Does Erin…” Skip started.
“She heard Tyler on the phone, but she didn’t talk to him. He probably has no idea she’s here. Did you find my brother?”
Angel leaned across the desk. “Sylvia doesn’t want us working on that case, but we believe he and Agent Mason are being held at Louis’s house in Spain.”
“Any idea how I can get there?”
“I hate to admit this,” Angel said, “Van is your best chance.”
“Glad we finally agree,” said a deep male voice.
I spun to see Van leaning against the door.
Angel shuddered. “Would you quit sneaking up on me like that?”
