The Twelfth Keeper Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Belle Malory

  “I see that you’re humble, and it’s also your downfall. You don’t see how special you really are. Kennedy, if you let yourself become what you’re supposed to be, those qualities would only magnify—”

  “Stop.” She held her hand out, sighing. She couldn’t keep this up any longer. “Just stop, Phoenix. There’s something I have to tell you.”

  “So tell me. I’m listening.”

  Kennedy sank back into the bench. After hearing that speech, she really didn’t want to disappoint Phoenix. He saw someone who wasn’t there. He saw potential in what didn’t exist.

  “Whatever it is, you can tell me.” Phoenix sat down beside her, waiting patiently.

  It was so easy before, renouncing a title that didn’t belong to her. Why was it hard now?

  One day, this life would disappear. DOE would realize she wasn’t who they thought she was, and would send her away for good, And that was perfectly fine.

  In fact, it was more than fine. She would be ecstatic to go home. But here, in this moment, she really wished she was the person Phoenix saw. She wished she could be that for him.

  Lying, however, was not an option. Phoenix deserved to hear the truth. So she took a deep breath, and let it come out. “Phoenix, I’m not the twelfth keeper.”

  She looked into his beautiful onyx eyes and waited for his reaction.

  “I know that’s what you believe.”

  “And yet you still think I am? After watching me almost drown? You still think I’m the twelfth keeper?”

  “Listen, just because keepers can do extraordinary things, it doesn’t make them invincible. We’re human. Watching you live through what Dr. Sigly put you through only reaffirms my belief.”

  She didn’t understand him. How could he think that way, after seeing everything she went through? Didn’t he think if she could control water, she wouldn’t have let herself drown? It’s not like she had a death wish.

  “Look, don’t you think I would know if I was?” She pressed her palm against her chest, over her heart. “Don’t you think I would feel it, the way you do?”

  “I think you’re in denial, and I’d bet anything your fear of the water has something to do with that.”

  Kennedy felt her shoulders tense. She was getting fed up. He wasn’t her psychiatrist and didn’t know her well enough to analyze what went on in her head. “Let’s just agree to disagree.”

  “What if you’re wrong, Kennedy?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not wrong.”

  “Just do me a favor and think about it for two seconds. What if you’re wrong? Think about what you’d be doing to the world if you are.”

  Kennedy held Phoenix’s gaze for a few seconds, feeling the weight of his words. “I haven’t felt anything to prove me wrong.”

  “What would it take to make you believe one way or another?”

  The image of General Vickard’s manila folder flashed in Kennedy’s mind. He seemed so positive, so absolute when he said he knew she was their twelfth. Whatever was in there must be pretty convincing. “There’s a folder.” She twisted her brace, staring at it thoughtfully. “In General Vickard’s office. There’s stuff about me in it.”

  “They keep files on all of us.”

  “I’d really like to see mine.”

  “Okay,” he said. “We’ll break in tonight.”

  Thirty-Three

  “You want to break in?”

  Phoenix couldn’t help but grin. She was getting all self-righteous, like breaking into General Vickard’s office was an impossible feat.

  At least she wasn’t glossy-eyed and upset anymore. He felt like an asshole seeing her that way, and knowing he was mostly to blame with his heavy accusations…and his yelling. He felt like she needed a wake-up call, but he might’ve taken it a little too far.

  “You do realize it’s a crime, don’t you?”

  Phoenix rolled his eyes. “So is attempted murder.”

  He thought about the way Level 3 was designed, trying to remember what types of locks were built into each door. The entire level would be locked down tight, especially at night, but he was convinced he could still break through.

  “This is crazy.” Kennedy stared out at the lake, chewing on her lip in that way she did when she was thinking. “Hypothetically, let’s say we did though, how would you go about it?”

  “I’d have to melt the locks.”

  “Oh, that’s all.” She waved her hand mockingly. “Incredibly simple.”

  “It is for me, and it wouldn’t be the hardest part.”

  “And that would be?”

  “Making sure we don’t set off any alarms.”

  “Ah yes. There’s always that.”

  He ignored her biting sarcasm. “I’ll figure it out.”

  “And what if something goes wrong? What if we end up locked away in a jail cell by the time this over?”

  “That sort of stuff only happens when you get caught.”

  She let out an exasperated groan.

  He watched her fidget with the frays on her scarf. “You need to trust me, Kennedy.” The desire to reach out for her hand shot through him, but he resisted, remembering how she freaked out the last time.

  He would have to calm her with words. Somehow. “I can do this.” He tried to make his voice sound as reassuring as he could. “Just trust me.”

  “You sure have a lot of confidence in yourself,” she mumbled.

  “You would too, if you had ever seen me in action.” A note of accusation slipped in there. He hadn’t meant for it to sound that way, as if she should’ve taken the time to watch him train. Or taken the time to learn a thing or two from him.

  She’d done neither.

  And God, he didn’t know what it was. He was used to the others looking to him for guidance, as if he knew what the fuck he was doing. Everyday was another guess, another moment spent in preparation. And he had no idea what he was getting ready for.

  Kennedy encompassed this apathetic attitude towards her life here. It bothered him. Way more than it should.

  Even now, she had this look about her, like she was debating whether or not this was all worth it. Like facing the consequences weren’t worth sneaking into Vickard’s office, because her mind was already made up about who she was and who she was meant to be.

  One way or another, he was determined to change her mind. Make her see the things she was overlooking. Help her to see the girl he saw.

  In the best way he knew how, he tried to explain what was at stake. “Look, Kennedy, you would be making a colossal mistake not to know for sure. Not only for Earth, but for yourself too. Going back home to your old life might feel comfortable at first, but trust me when I tell you, your heart will never feel as full. I know this because I didn’t feel that way until the day I met you.” He looked over at her, wondering if anything he said was making sense. She was listening to him, at least. “And if you try everything you can think of, if you make damn sure you’re not the twelfth, I’ll take you to the airport myself, put you on the first rocket back to Earth. I would hate it, but I would do that for you.”

  The color of her eyes shifted to a stormy blue as she watched him. He liked how expressive they were, and at the same time, unreadable. The emotion was there, but too powerful to define. “Why?”

  “Because…” His eyes fell to the ground, then on the lake, and finally back to her again. “Because you will never become who I believe you are. Not unless you believe in yourself first. If whatever’s in that file accomplishes that, I’m going to get it for you.”

  Phoenix met her intense gaze, daring her to argue with his reasoning.

  “You really care, don’t you?” she asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  Whatever it was that they were, Phoenix felt the importance of it. He felt it within every bone, every vein, and every vessel in his body.

  “Okay,” she said, nodding. “Let’s break in.”

  ~ ~

  Once they were both back in h
er apartment, Kennedy drew a layout of Level 3 in her notebook.

  Phoenix looked it over, making sure she got it right. He pointed to the right side of the drawing. “There’s a side entrance here.”

  She adjusted the lines, adding doors along the wall. “Like this?”

  “Yes, perfect.” He scratched his chin, trying to visualize it in his mind. “I think we’ll go in that way tonight.”

  Together they created a plan, mapping out the route they would take to get inside General Vickard’s office. Phoenix told Kennedy to label the locks on each of the doors and mark each motion sensor and security camera.

  The cameras would be easy; he could fry the cords from inside. The sensors, on the other hand, would prove trickier. He wasn’t sure where all of them were, and if he missed one, it would set off the alarms and lock down the entire floor. He and Kennedy would be trapped from inside. An avoidable circumstance, he hoped.

  He was putting on a big front, acting like this was no big deal. Truthfully, he had no idea what would happen if they were caught. Trespassing and breaking into classified military records wasn’t something that would be taken lightly.

  Either way, General Vickard wasn’t stupid. He’d have his technicians analyze every nook and cranny of Level 3 in order to figure out what happened. When they saw the melted locks, Phoenix would become their first suspect, which was fine as long as he wasn’t caught in the act.

  They could accuse him all they liked, and no doubt would. But if they had no proof, they couldn’t pin him with it.

  When Kennedy was finished, Phoenix looked the drawing over. He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at her.

  She watched him, twisting her pencil back and forth between her fingers. It definitely made the situation harder knowing she was counting on him.

  This plan needed to be fail-proof. He had to get it right. For her.

  They changed into their uniforms since the black material would help them stay unnoticed. And when midnight came around, Phoenix folded up Kennedy’s drawing and slipped it into his pocket. “Ready?”

  She slid off her seat atop the kitchen counter, sighing. “About as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Matilda, who thankfully hadn’t asked any questions while they were busy mapping out their plans, moved to open the door. “You two have fun tonight.”

  She said it like they were going out for dinner and a movie.

  Kennedy glanced at him, her brows subtly raised. “Um, thanks, Matilda.”

  Once the door was closed behind them and they headed towards the elevator, Kennedy whispered, “Do you think she knows?”

  “Does it matter if she does?”

  She pursed her lips. “What if she’s required to report stuff like this?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe that’s why she didn’t ask us any questions. So she wouldn’t have to.” They stopped in front of the elevator, and Phoenix pressed the brightly lit number three. “There’s no point in being paranoid,” he told her. “We’re already doing this. Let’s stick to the plan.”

  She nodded, letting out a deep breath. “You’re right.”

  “About time you thought so.” He nudged her, trying to get her to loosen up. “Now if you would only believe me about everything else.”

  She snorted. Loudly. “Let’s not jump the gun, buddy. We’ll see what the file says first.”

  Phoenix shook his head. He didn’t need the damned file to know what his heart told him. Her presence filled his core, and he’d never felt more connected, not just to her, but to all of the keepers. For him, that was all he needed to know.

  But if it took a few pieces of paper to make her see it too, then he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to give her that reassurance.

  As the elevator ascended, he wondered why he wanted so much for her to believe. Other than the obvious need to stay united, he knew there was something else urging him. Something he couldn’t define, not right now.

  The elevator beeped and its doors slid open. Phoenix reached into his pocket and pulled out matching black ski masks. He handed one to Kennedy. “Here goes nothing.”

  She tugged the mask on, staying close to him.

  In the dark, Level 3 transformed into a pitch-black cavernous labyrinth of hallways and voids. Their eyes didn’t have an ounce of light to adjust to. Lucky for him, Phoenix practically grew up here. He knew every inch of the place. Getting around without his eyes shouldn’t pose a problem.

  Something knocked into his side, and Phoenix stopped in his tracks, realizing Kennedy had stumbled into him. “Sorry,” she whispered.

  Apparently the dark would be a problem for her though.

  “Hold onto me,” he said, his voice echoing. “Or do you still have an issue with the hand holding thing?”

  A moment later she latched onto his arm. “No need to bark at me. Sheesh.”

  Phoenix smiled into the dark and led the way towards the side entrance. He paused at the door. Reaching into his pockets, he felt around for the square box of matches he always kept with him. Once he found it, he struck one against the box and watched the flame come to life.

  Kennedy watched, her eyes transfixed on the fire he held between his fingers. This would be the first time she would watch him manipulate fire, during a breaking and entering. Not exactly the best environment to study manipulation, but he’d take what he could get.

  He willed himself to concentrate on the orange flame, bent it with his mind, and sent it straight inside the lock. He held his palm against metal, and felt it heating up from inside. A few moments later, they heard a light clicking, and the door opened.

  Phoenix pushed it open and slipped through. Kennedy reached for his arm again, pressing against his side. The scent of her surrounded him.

  When he was young, Phoenix used to take naps in his grandmother’s lavender garden. After a fresh rainfall, that garden’s aroma was incredible, and identical to the way Kennedy smelled. It made him want to forget what they were doing, push her up against the wall and bury his face into her neck. Maybe do some other things that would make holding hands become the last thing on her mind.

  He groaned, trying to stay focused. At this point, he wished he hadn’t convinced her to hold onto him.

  The cameras were next. Phoenix worked on them before ever stepping into view of the lens. They proved easy, and he disabled them quickly enough.

  Turning off the motion detectors was the most difficult, just as he predicted. He couldn’t tell if they were disabled until they passed them. Each time he walked by one, he could hear his heartbeat pulsing in his ears.

  They crept through a few more hallways, and then they’d made it to Vickard’s office. Phoenix reveled in the sound of the last door giving way.

  “We’re in,” he told Kennedy. “You can breathe now.” Hell, so could he.

  She did, letting out a long sigh of relief.

  “You weren’t worried, were you?” He asked the question like he’d been composed and relaxed the entire time.

  “Not at all,” she said, the sound of a blatant lie in her voice. “You told me to trust you, didn’t you?”

  “Exactly. Next up on the list is proving I’m always right.”

  He could almost see her rolling her eyes in the dark.

  Thirty-Four

  Kennedy heard every shaky breath that came out of Phoenix’s mouth as they passed the motion detectors. He was lying through his teeth about not being the slightest bit worried, but she didn’t call him out on it. She figured she’d let it slide, considering he’d gotten them this far. And when she really stopped to think about it, she realized nothing was really in it for him.

  All of this was for her. She would analyze that to pieces later; for now, she had a file to find.

  “I’ll stand guard while you search.”

  She nodded, before remembering he couldn’t see her. “Okay. It’s in the back somewhere.”

  Pressing a few buttons on her brace, she prompted her flashlight. Once it lit up, she wal
ked around General Vickard’s wide desk, heading towards the filing cabinets.

  Since she remembered which drawer he opened, it didn’t take her long to find the manila file with her name on it. She pulled it out and sat down at the desk.

  It was hard to believe they were really here, and she was holding what could be the key to understanding everything. She swallowed.

  Time to get some answers.

  Carefully, she opened the file. Inside there were a few pieces of paper and an electronic document. Kennedy scanned the papers first. Most were medical records, listing terms she didn’t understand, like the compounds of her DNA. The rest were copies of her birth certificate, social security, school history, and other mundane official things.

  Only one of the medical tests caught Kennedy’s eye; it was the water sample from the Medi-Care center. Her sample listed elevated levels of electric currents. She was no expert on the way electricity worked, but she was pretty sure those were only created when water was actually moving.

  Frustrated, Kennedy skipped the remainder of the records and plugged the electronic doc into the slot on her brace. There has to be more proof than medical records, she thought, as hologram images popped out at her.

  The first page was a news article about her father’s death. Kennedy’s stared at the screen.

  Why would they put this in here?

  She scanned the article, noticing key paragraphs were highlighted in yellow. Her eyes locked on one of the highlighted paragraphs, reading each word carefully.

  Nathan Mitchell’s body was never recovered. His daughter, Kennedy Mitchell (14 yrs), was found washed up on the beach late the next day in Port Orange, FL. Nathan Mitchell’s sailboat was found floating approximately five miles outside of Jacksonville, FL. Investigators are unable to pinpoint the means of Kennedy Mitchell’s survival. Jacksonville Police Detective Dan Giordano states, “We ask the media to respect the Mitchell family’s loss. Kennedy has endured a very traumatic past few days, and is currently receiving treatment at Shands Medical Center. Once she has recovered, we hope to learn more about her story. Until then, I think it’s safe to say that we all consider her survival a miracle.”