by C. C. Bolick
He aimed the gun at me. “Do you know where your father is?”
“No.”
“Think before you make this decision.” His finger tightened on the trigger. We stared at each other through the rain, neither backing down. A shiver crawled up my spine as he shoved the nose of the gun to my cheek. Another moment and I’d be dead.
“When you realize there’s only one way out, come inside and we’ll talk.”
I watched in shock as he turned and ran up the stairs. Paleris disappeared into the house.
“Screw you,” I shouted, but he was already gone. Rain pelted my face and arms.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” yelled a familiar voice.
I spun to see Tyler emerge from the shadowed path. “Glad to see me?” Behind him, Pade stood at the edge of darkness. Both wore clothes to match the night.
“You’ve got no idea,” I said. “I thought Paleris was going to kill me.”
Tyler waved me deeper into the shadows. “We’re here to get you out.”
“I’m guessing you’re still powerless,” Pade said.
I struggled to see his face. “That serum was strong.”
“We get you out first,” Pade said. “Then we take down Paleris.”
“You plan to fight?” I asked Tyler.
He nodded. “There’s no other way to take him down. I’m hoping between the two of us—”
“Three of us,” I said.
Pade reached for my arm. “I zap you out and this is over for you. If you don’t have your powers, you can’t take him down.”
I stepped out of his reach. “Paleris plans to get the U.S. into a nuclear war with China. I can’t leave knowing he’s here with a finger on the trigger. What kind of agent do you think I am?”
“One of the best,” Tyler said. “But you dying is not worth taking him down. Not here. Not now.”
“I have to agree with Tyler,” Pade said. “It’s not worth the risk.”
Stopping a war wasn’t worth the risk? “I trained to fight anyone who threatens this planet. Powers or no powers, I gave an oath. I’m not leaving until he’s either dead or on a ship out of here.”
Tyler and Pade exchanged a glance. “It won’t be easy,” Tyler said.
Pade drew his gun. “I’ve got first shot at Paleris. After what he did to my family…”
“If you’re going that route, I have my reasons for wanting him dead.” Tyler pulled out the survival knife and removed the sheath. I could have sworn the serrated edges carried traces of blood, but it must have been the rain. “I fight him first, then you take your shot.”
“Why does this man want to wipe out humans?” I asked.
Tyler gripped the knife. “From what I’ve heard, Paleris was once a patriot. He took Charlene and trained her to use her power for the good of Golvern. For years he had everyone fooled. Then he went off the deep end and took his anger out on humans. He thinks by wiping out humans, all of Golvern’s problems will go away.”
“Doesn’t work like that,” I said. “If he’d read any of our history books, he’d realize. Does he have a weakness?”
“He’s obsessed with methods used to fight,” Tyler said. “I was close enough to kill him once. Wish I had.”
The rain thickened until the house became a blur. My body was completely soaked. If Paleris reappeared, it wouldn’t be easy to see him.
“Can you teleport in and kill him?” I asked Pade.
Tyler held up a tablet, which had to be waterproof with the downpour. On the screen was a figure shaped like the house, with markings around the perimeter of blue and red. “There’s a field surrounding the house. Have you seen anyone teleport in or out?”
I thought back over my visit. “When I first arrived, my dad led me in on foot.”
“The field is blocking anyone from teleporting inside,” Tyler said. “Cool tech but it’s keeping us out.”
Pade held up his gun. “We need a plan and we need it now.”
As I stared up at the house, Paleris’s words replayed. When you realize there’s only one way out, come inside and we’ll talk. He’d built tech to keep out anyone from space who might threaten his plans.
But not a human who could walk through the door.
Chapter Seventeen
Rena
As soon as Van landed the ship, he teleported Rachelle back to the base. He returned for me and Agent Dallas, taking us one at a time. On the med-level, I refused any care until I knew Rachelle’s status. My legs carried burns but I’d live. Van argued for me to get treated, but I crossed my arms and he gave up arguing and collapsed into a chair.
Angel and Skip arrived moments later. They stood outside the window to Rachelle’s room as doctors checked her, including Erin. Rachelle had burns on her body, which the doctors took care of with the re-generator wand. Several of the doctors backed away as Angel pricked her index finger and lowered her hand so that a single drop of blood fell beneath Rachelle’s tongue. Erin held Rachelle’s mouth open.
A drop of her blood saved Travis months before when no one thought he would survive after drowning. “How long did it take Travis to recover?” I asked when she moved away.
She wiped tears from her face. “Minutes.”
Hours later, the doctors continued their work with no word on Rachelle’s condition. They hooked her to a machine that breathed for her. They ran tests, including advanced brain scans and blood work. Her body was covered with sticky connectors from what seemed like a thousand wires converging in a harness larger than my fist. A machine on a cart next to her body showed her brain waves.
The waves were flat.
Rachelle’s parents—the people who raised her—watched her still form until Sylvia convinced them to get some rest. Sylvia opened her mouth, perhaps to tell me the same, but saw the look on my face and escorted them down the hall. With his heart issues, the man she called dad was in no condition to deal with the stress.
After leaving only to change my clothes, I found a seat in a waiting room down the hall. Angel sat next to me and looped her arm in mind. I didn’t mind the cold as her skin touched mine. Skip stood in the doorway talking with his dad.
“It should have worked,” she whispered over and over.
Dr. Greene approached and sat on the coffee table in front of us. He leaned forward and took one of my hands and one of Angel’s.
“There’s nothing you could have done,” Dr. Greene said. “We all knew this would happen eventually.”
My throat ached. “Maybe she’s just unconscious. Maybe the doctors can wake her up.”
Tears welled in his eyes. “I think we should have hope in all situations, though hope alone won’t shield us from the pain.”
Erin stepped into the room and everyone looked at her. “I’m sorry, but she’s still unresponsive. They’re going to do another series of scans to be sure.”
“Sure of what?” Skip asked.
Her hands shook. “I wanted to do something, anything to help…” Erin dropped into the chair on my other side and wrapped an arm around my neck.
“Can she hear us?” Angel asked. “Even if she’s unresponsive?”
“I don’t know,” Erin said.
“I might have a way,” I said. “Mama?”
Dr. Greene looked as if I’d lost my mind. Angel and Skip watched with no expression at all. Next to where Dr. Greene sat, Mama’s ghost-like form appeared.
“Can you talk to Rachelle?” I asked.
No one said a word. Erin put a hand over her mouth.
Mama shook her head. “I can’t reach her. It’s not the same as Bethany’s coma. I’ve walked the halls of Rachelle’s brain and there’s no presence I can feel. I’m sorry.” She faded, leaving me feeling lost and alone.
“Mama can’t reach her,” I said.
“I’m sorry,” Erin said again. Why did everyone keep apologizing? She pulled me into a tight embrace. “Rachelle used her power in a stronger burst than ever before. From what Van said—�
�
“No,” I cried. “Don’t repeat what he said. Rachelle saved all of us. She’s a hero.”
“I wanted to help her,” Erin said. “I couldn’t find a way to stop the damage.”
Dr. Greene took the empty seat next to her. “This isn’t your failure. Dozens of doctors have reviewed Rachelle’s case. There was little to no chance of you finding something new.”
“Sylvia insisted I could help. I think she believed in me more than I did.”
“You’ve got to learn to stand up to Sylvia,” he said. “Trust me, I’ve dealt with her personality for more than forty years.”
I reached across Erin and touched his arm. “I’m glad you’re here, Dr. Greene.”
“Here?” he asked. “I couldn’t be anywhere else. Rachelle was a student of mine back when I was principal of a school. I considered her as one of my own.”
Erin looked at him. “You’re a doctor?”
“Not a medical doctor. I’m a psychologist.”
“You’re not an agent?”
He shook his head. “I lived a normal life until this year. I took a job here to be close to my sons. Here my family was together for the first time until…”
Tyler left. I could see the pain in Erin’s face.
“I did stand up to Sylvia,” she said. “Agent Lockhart returned and I asked that she have him erase my memory tomorrow so I can return to Chicago.”
“Travis…” I said.
“No one’s seen him,” Dr. Greene said. “Your dad has a theory on where he is.”
I turned to Erin. “I won’t let you go back.”
“This agency isn’t for me,” Erin said. “I’m not this whiz doctor Sylvia thinks I am.”
“Actually, you are,” Dr. Greene said. “I read your file.”
Erin hesitated. “Sylvia only brought me here because of Tyler.”
Dr. Greene shook his head. “Tyler never mentioned you in any of his profiles. You were essentially a ghost until Sylvia met with you. Only when she realized your connection to Tyler did she have second thoughts about hiring you.”
“You knew who she was?” Skip asked. “Even during the interviews?”
He nodded. “Sylvia was tight-lipped about Erin’s past. It’s the reason she insisted all of the doctors remain anonymous. It was actually my suggestion.”
Skip laughed, a broken sound that brought tears to my eyes. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“Would knowing Erin’s history have made a difference?” Dr. Greene asked.
“That’s why she sent us away.” Angel slammed her head back against the wall. “Sylvia didn’t need us to take that mission at the school in Virginia. She could have sent more experienced agents.”
“She sent you there to punish me,” I said.
Dr. Greene looked at Erin. “When Sylvia realized your connection to Tyler, she feared Skip would do the math and figure out your connection.”
“I did,” Skip said. “As soon as I realized Erin was from Chicago. Plus, she freaked out when she saw me.”
“Because you look like him,” Erin said.
“All this time…” I shook my head. “I thought Sylvia was sending away people I cared about to make me agree to whatever she asked.”
“Don’t ever doubt Sylvia is a master manipulator,” Dr. Greene said. “But this wasn’t about you.”
“I’m going back,” Erin said. “It’s best for everyone and I won’t change my mind.”
Dr. Greene sighed. “That’s too bad.”
I’d find a way to make her stay. In our short time together, she’d started to feel more like a sister than any friend I’d known. Even though she had no power, Erin understood me in ways few ever would. No way was I going to let Erin forget me.
This wasn’t over.
* * * * *
Later that evening, I left the waiting room and walked to Bethany’s room. Alfie stood outside watching through cracks in the blinds.
He looked up as I stopped. “Do you think she’s Mama?”
I peered into the room. Inside, Bethany sat up on the bed, her face lit with a happiness that reminded me how bad my heart hurt. Dad sat next to her on the bed, gripping her hand. He smiled like he hadn’t in years.
“Yes,” I said. “I think she is.”
Alfie put an arm around my waist. “Do you think it’s okay if I talk to her?”
Looking down, I felt surprise. “You’re asking me?”
“If you say she’s okay, then I believe you.”
“She helped me stop the solar flares. I’ve seen her as a ghost. She’s Mama.”
“Good,” he said but didn’t move.
“Have you talked to her?” I asked.
With his eyes fixed inside the room, Alfie shook his head.
I opened the door and Dad and Bethany looked our way. I pulled Alfie inside, his arm still locked around my waist. “Someone wanted to see you.”
Bethany held out her arms and I dragged Alfie closer. Why was he holding back?
Tears slid down her face. When she spoke, I didn’t see her lips moving but Mama’s. “I dreamed of having my family again, but I never thought the dream could become reality.”
“Anything around here is possible.” Dad choked. “I never thought we’d be together again, but I’ll take every day I can get, even if it’s only this one.”
I thought of Rachelle motionless in her bed. Maybe not everything was possible.
Mama reached again for Alfie. This time he fell into her arms and she hugged him tight. Dad put his arm around me and drew us all together. “I don’t understand the science of how this is possible. I can only be thankful it is.”
Tears fell from my eyes when I thought crying was no longer possible. I’d left Rachelle’s room feeling dead inside. Now I felt amazed, happy, loved, and sad, all at the same time. The conflicting emotions made me pull away.
“Are you okay?” Mama asked.
“How long are you staying this time? You said before you’d give Bethany her life back.”
She loosened her hold on Alfie, but didn’t let him out of her arms. “I tried to leave. Bethany isn’t ready to come out of the coma.”
I shook my head. “You’re going to leave at some point, though.”
Mama put a hand on my arm. “Even if I leave Bethany, I’ll never leave you. My fearless girl, we will always be together.”
“Do you think I’ll be able to blow things up like both of you?” Alfie asked.
Dad ruffled his hair. “We don’t know if you inherited her power. We won’t know until you reach Rena’s age.”
For Alfie’s sake, I hoped he ended up normal.
* * * * *
When I returned to the waiting room, only Sylvia sat inside. She opened her eyes and studied me as I walked in.
“You should rest,” she said. “Tomorrow will be a busy day for all of us.”
I sat down next to her. “What happens tomorrow?”
“A delegation arrives from the planet Golvern. The queen is coming to discuss a possible trade agreement. Senator McCall will meet with her ahead of a summit involving world leaders. Our agency will provide security for the meeting.”
“Can’t we postpone this meeting? After what happened today—”
“We can’t postpone the future.”
“Is there any reason I need to be there?”
She laughed. “Now that you know ghosts exist, I thought you’d embrace the idea of aliens.”
“The only alien I want to ‘embrace’ is Travis. Do you know where he is?”
“I would wager a small fortune you’ll see him by the time this meeting begins. From what Agent Lockhart said, Travis is with his father. Noah Payne came to see me this afternoon.”
I jumped out of the chair. “His father came here? The same father who’s been missing since Travis was nine?”
“The same.”
“Where… has…” I stuttered.
“Nearly thirteen years ago, Noah saw a vision of
Earth’s total destruction. He said the destruction would emanate from Golvern. We agreed he would go deep undercover to learn the source of this destruction.”
I thought back to what Van said about the queen’s visit. She’s coming under the guise of a trade agreement. Her true purpose is to prevent a disaster. “All those years ago, you sent him away?”
“I never told Travis. Other than your father, no one else knew the truth about why Noah Payne disappeared.”
“If he’s back, does that mean he found a way to stop this destruction?”
“As usual, the odds are stacked against us, but he has a plan.”
“Was Travis with him?”
“No, but he’s not far away. Get some sleep. You want to be prepared for tomorrow. I have a feeling we all need to be prepared for anything.”
I dropped back into my chair. “I’m not leaving this room until Rachelle wakes up. Angel’s blood should have healed her by now.”
“Nothing is guaranteed, not even Angel’s healing power.”
“Except for dying. That’s from Agent Dallas.”
“She said you did agent-level work up there. In case I haven’t said the words, thanks for stopping the solar flares. The entire planet would thank you if they knew.”
“I wish we’d never gone. It’s your fault this happened to Rachelle.”
She stood. “Without her, you’d be dead.”
I glared up at her. “You put Rachelle on that ship.”
“For months the senator wanted to send you up there. I fought against his plan with every chance I had. When you promised him a favor, you sealed all of your fates.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “I… I didn’t want this to happen.”
“No one wanted this to happen.” Her voice softened. “Now is not the time for blame. Celebrate her sacrifice. It’s what Rachelle would have wanted.”
As much as I hated to admit, Sylvia was right. I stood and headed for my room. She didn’t follow.
Chapter Eighteen
Travis
Without a sound, I crept into the living room. The lights burned brightly but the room was empty other than the drone that sat powered down in the corner. That left the war room. I cleared my head and prepared for a fight. At the door to the war room, I reached for the handle.
