by Belle Malory
“Good morning. I didn’t think anyone else would be awake this early.”
He shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep much.”
“Me neither.”
Kennedy wondered if Oz was anxious about what was planned for today. It wasn’t unreasonable for him to have second and third, and maybe even fourth, thoughts. Regardless of what his father had done, he was still Oz’s father. Anyone would question their decision to betray their own flesh and blood.
Kennedy looked over at the small kitchen. “I was thinking about making everyone some breakfast. You hungry?”
“Sure,” he replied, standing up. “I’ll help.”
Kennedy found a waffle maker in one of the cupboards. She hugged it to her chest before setting it out on the counter. Waffles reminded her of lazy Sunday mornings at home, happier times before she lived on Olympus. Matilda made them for her all the time, claiming that her mood levels improved as soon as she smelled the syrup. With some luck, maybe it would do the same for Nika.
Oz scrambled up some eggs while she prepared the waffles. They were cleaning up the mess just as they heard the wooden stairs creak.
Nika’s blonde hair was braided tight to her head, and she was dressed in black from head to toe. She wore a mask of determination, leaving no doubt that she wasn’t backing down. She still had every intention of carrying out the plans they made last night.
“Mmm, that smells good,” Eva said as she rounded the corner into the kitchen.
Kennedy set a stack of plates on the table. “I hope you don’t mind. We were up early and figured we’d make everyone breakfast.”
“Not at all,” Eva said, taking a seat at the table. “It’s nice to have someone cooking for me. My husband did all the cooking up until he died. I miss it.”
Kennedy frowned. She hadn’t realized Eva lived here by herself. “I’m sorry,” she said. “How long ago did he die?”
“About six months ago, and thank you.” She gestured to Nika, patting her arm. “That’s why it’s nice to have this one around again. Living in this house can be lonely sometimes.”
Nika smiled at Eva and took a seat beside her. They were all each other had. Kennedy could see that now. On paper, Eva wasn’t Nika’s aunt anymore, but that’s what she was, and maybe more. She was a mother figure and a father figure for Nika all in one. It was nice to know they had each other.
The four of them ate together while chitchatting about the weather and other trivial subjects. Apparently the heavier stuff was being saved for later. When they were done, Eva shooed them all out of the kitchen. They tried to help her clean up, but she wouldn’t let them.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Kennedy headed to the wall where her jacket was hooked and pried the tiger necklace from the inside pocket. “Lexie wanted me to return this. She said it was important to you.”
Oz stilled when he saw the necklace. “Let me get a look at that,” he said, peering over her shoulder. “A tiger, huh? Why is it important?”
Kennedy shrugged. How was she supposed to know the answer to that? Nika was standing right there; he should ask her. “Lexie said it comforts her or something.” She held out the necklace.
Nika and Oz exchanged a long look Kennedy didn’t understand. A few awkward moments passed, and then Nika cleared her throat. “I think it’s pretty. That’s the only reason I like it so much.”
One corner of Oz’s mouth pulled into a smile. “You’ve held onto it for a long time, Nikki. The person who gave it to you must’ve been special.”
Nika snatched the chain from Kennedy, rolling her eyes. “Please. I can’t even remember how I got it.” She stuffed the necklace in her pocket, looking up at both of them expectantly. “Don’t you think we should get going? We do have plans today, remember?”
Oz’s smile faded into a frown. He looked down at the time on his brace, then traveled to the far side of the living room, away from Eva’s earshot, signaling them to follow.
“Are you sure you’re still up for this?” Nika asked, scrutinizing his expression. “It’s better if you tell us now, rather than changing your mind at the last second.”
“You guys think I’m worried because he’s my dad?” Oz asked them.
Nika cast her eyes away. That was all the answer he was getting from her.
“I did wonder about it,” Kennedy admitted.
No point in beating around the bush. Being honest and getting this out of the way was best. They couldn’t afford for something to go wrong while they were in the middle of breaking into Maxwell Ryder’s home.
“Biologically, he’s my father. But he’s not my family. My mother and sister are my family.” Oz continued speaking to her, but looked at Nika, who was still staring at the floor. “Nikki is more family to me than he will ever be. She deserves this. I want to do this.”
Kennedy believed him, but something was bothering him, and she didn’t know what it was. “So you’ll be okay today?” she asked skeptically. “You’re not worried at all?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” He swallowed, his eyes troubled. “He’s a slimy bastard. The things he’s done…are unspeakable. He’s going to find out someone broke into his house. He won’t do anything to me, but what if he finds out Nika’s involved?”
Nika clenched her jaw. “I wish he would,” she said. “If he came anywhere near me, I would obliterate him.”
By the look on Oz’s face, hearing that didn’t help ease his mind. Kennedy imagined it sounded overconfident to him, but she didn’t doubt Nika could obliterate him. Probably send a tornado or something to rip him apart.
Oz shoved his hands into his pockets, letting out a long sigh. “That’s the thing, Nikki. He doesn’t operate like that. He’ll send someone else to do his dirty work. I think it would be best if I go in alone. Besides, I need someone to stand guard and watch the street.”
It surprised her to see Nika considering what he was saying. She figured this would be something Nika would want to do firsthand.
“Okay, fine.” Nika nodded towards Kennedy. “She can go in, and I’ll be the lookout.”
Kennedy opened her mouth to speak, but Oz cut her off.
“You don’t think he’ll recognize her and put two and two together? He’s not an idiot, Nikki.”
“That’s what I’ll agree to. Not because I don’t trust you, even though I’m not all that sure I do, but because you shouldn’t go in alone. Period.”
The two of them stared at each other stubbornly, each of them at an impasse.
“I can wear a ski mask or something,” Kennedy offered, not really sure why she was going along with this plan. You’d think breaking and entering was becoming her new favorite hobby with as many times as she’d done it lately.
Oz shook his head. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with. He’ll have every detective in the city combing his house looking for evidence. A strand of hair. Pieces of your DNA. He won’t stop until he finds something.”
Kennedy glanced at Nika. “He’s got a point.”
Nika groaned. Loudly. She turned away from them, looking out the window behind her. “Okay fine,” she said after a long moment, then turned back around. “We’ll stand guard while Oz goes in. But we still have a problem. Ryder will know someone was there. Why wouldn’t he add me to his list of suspects?”
“He could make it obvious it’s him,” she suggested, looking Oz’s way. “You said he wouldn’t do anything to you, right?”
Oz stopped and stared at her, blinking several times.
“Actually, that’s a good idea,” Nika said, nodding. “Make it look like you’re the bitter son, Oz. Drink from his milk carton, leave your prints everywhere. Heck, blow kisses to the security camera. He’ll think you’re only trying to piss him off.”
Oz chuckled, some of the tension leaving his brow. “I suppose that could work. He’d never think I’d actually turn him in for anything I found.”
Nika narrowed her eyes on him. “Why didn’t you ever turn him in?”
&nb
sp; That was a loaded question, and Oz knew it.
“I didn’t have hard evidence. I pieced it together on my own, based on the design I found for the communicator your father built. I didn’t copy the file, and I should’ve, but…” Oz rubbed the back of his head, sighing. “Honestly, it was because of my mom. She was still married to him, still worshipped the ground he walked on. I hated him for what he did, but I didn’t want to tear my family apart. In the end, it didn’t matter. She figured out what a dirtbag he is and divorced him a few years later. I should have turned him in, Nikki, and I’m sorry for that. I really am.”
She nodded, accepting his answer, but Kennedy noticed that her whole body had gone stiff. “Okay.”
“Can you forgive me?”
“I…I don’t know.” She looked like she was struggling with what to say. “Today could help though.”
Oz nodded, looking like someone twisted a knife into his gut. As strange as it seemed, he truly did care about Nika. Ten years later, and he still cared about her deeply. Earning Nika’s forgiveness wouldn’t be easy; she was one of the most closed off people Kennedy knew, but at least he was trying.
The three of them drove to Ryder’s house in silence. Their plans were set, and all they could do now was hope they went off without a hitch. Once they arrived, Kennedy stared out of the car’s window in awe. She remembered thinking Penelope Little’s house was extravagant, but that house had nothing on this one. This looked like something out of a Russian fairytale, all triangular gables and oval windows packed alongside a high curved staircase that led up to the front door. It was so massive, she couldn’t even see all of it from where they were parked.
A place like that required a large staff. Kennedy wondered how Oz was planning to get by unnoticed. “Does anyone work there?” she asked.
Oz nodded. “Yeah, but no one is in the east wing where his office is. He has an entirely different security system for that section.”
Wow. Guess his dad really was paranoid, which made her wonder what they would dig up on him.
A few moments passed while they all stared at the house. It was the big, ugly monster they had to defeat. Kennedy wished there was something she could do, but unless there was heaps of water around, her talents weren’t going to come in handy. It was ironic to think their hopes rested on one average human, while two keepers with extraordinary abilities could only stand by and wait. Strange how the world worked sometimes.
Oz slapped his gloved hands against his thighs, distracting her and Nika. “Guess it’s show time.”
Nika looked like she was about to say something, but Oz left the car before anything came out of her mouth.
“You okay?” Kennedy asked.
Nika adjusted her sunglasses, watching Oz head to a side gate. “I’m fine. You watch the south end of the street, and I’ll watch the north.”
Kennedy nodded and turned to look out the back window. They weren’t in a neighborhood, but this was a wealthy residential part of town. The street stayed fairly quiet.
Every now and then, she glanced at her brace to check the time. After a few minutes went by, it seemed safe to assume Oz successfully managed to deactivate the alarm, just as he’d promised he could.
“Last night you said this was the right thing to do,” Nika mentioned aloud, keeping her attention locked on her end of the street. “Do you still believe that?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you think so?”
“What Ryder is doing is illegal. He’s not above the law because he has loads of money. Only government officials are permitted to communicate with other planets. We need to find out what he’s up to. This is the only way we can do that.”
A BMW drove by, heavy music blaring from its speakers. Nika waited until it was gone before she spoke again. “That may be true, but I’m doing this for my own personal reasons.”
“Totally valid personal reasons, if you ask me.” She didn’t feel any remorse for being there, didn’t feel bad about what they were doing. Not even a little. “Ryder deserves whatever is coming to him.”
“I don’t want him dead,” Nika said in a constricted voice. “I want so much more than that. I want to make him suffer. I want him tortured. I want…revenge.”
Kennedy pressed her lips together, unable to blame Nika for how she felt. She’d rather see Ryder caught and held accountable for his crimes. But if it were her, and it was her family he’d murdered, she’d probably feel the same way Nika did. She’d probably want to kill him too.
“I think we’re here for a reason, Nika. You’re here for personal reasons, but in doing so you could be keeping the world safe from whatever Ryder has planned. You could be saving billions of lives. Which means the lives of your family weren’t taken for nothing. You can bring them peace and stop an injustice at the same time.”
Nika looked like she was on the verge of tears. Upsetting her hadn’t been Kennedy’s intention, and she felt bad for mentioning her family.
Their screams fill my dreams at night.
She wondered if that’s what Nika was thinking about, if she kept reliving it inside her head.
Distant shouts caught their attention. Kennedy scanned the area to see where it was coming from.
“Oh my God,” Nika said, pointing. “Is that…”
“The gardener,” Kennedy filled in the rest. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of Oz frantically running towards the car, shouting at the top of his lungs. The guy chasing him held a hoe in the air, ready to clobber Oz with the thing as soon as he caught him.
Nika acted fast, hopping into the front seat. “Engine, start! Initiate manual drive!” She shifted the car around and across the lawn to the front gate.
The door swung open, and a breathless Oz jumped inside. “Go, go, go!” he said, slamming the door shut behind him. “That man is crazy! Tried to tell him who I was, but he didn’t believe me!”
The tires squealed as Nika reversed the car back onto the street. Kennedy tightened her fingers around her seatbelt, feeling her muscles stiffen. She wasn’t used to manual driving, much less the speedy getaway kind.
“Did you get the file?” Nika asked as soon as she turned the corner.
Kennedy caught one last glimpse of the gardener out the back window. In a fit, he threw his hoe down on the ground, did some enraged stomping, and pressed buttons on his brace. Calling the police, no doubt.
“I downloaded everything I could find to my brace. Didn’t have time to look through it though.”
“That’s okay. We can look at it when we get back to Eva’s.” She glanced at the rearview window. “You see anyone back there, Twelve?”
“The coast looks clear.”
Nika’s brow smoothed. She switched the car back to assisted drive, thank God. Experiencing Nika’s version of driving was not something Kennedy ever wanted to do again.
Once they were safely back on the freeway, she relaxed into her seat. So far, so good. Now all they had to do was sift through Ryder’s file to see what they could dig up on him.
“We did it, Nikki,” Oz said, looking at her from the passenger seat. His breathing had gone back to normal.
“Thanks, Oz.” She lifted her sunglasses, showing the sincerity in her eyes. “It means a lot.”
“I know what it means,” he said in a soft voice. He reached across the console, squeezing Nika’s hand. “I only hope you find something to nail him with.”
“Me, too.”
Apprehension consumed the car, leaving Kennedy wondering what they would find when they got back to the house. The fact that Ryder was communicating with outside worlds was eerie in the sense that there had to be some ulterior motive. Not for one second did she believe he was simply curious about extraterrestrial life.
Interplanetary communication was still sort of a taboo topic. Unless the government was involved, it didn’t happen. Olympus was the only place where aliens were permitted, but she hadn’t had much interaction with them since moving there. A Nonan council member ha
d visited their classroom a handful of times for Culture Studies. His name was Frohan, and he spoke English fairly well after years of dealing with humans. To this day, that was the only alien she had met in person.
“What’s going on here?” Nika asked, signaling their car to slow.
Kennedy looked out the front window, trying to see over the bank of snow that lined both sides of the road. They were pulling up to Eva’s house. Black cars surrounded the place. Her heart stopped when she saw the men in suits gathered around the porch. Obviously agents—they had to be DOE.
Nika looked back at Kennedy, wearing a murderous expression. “If you’re behind this—”
“It wasn’t me!” she said, before she was blamed for something she didn’t do. “I swear to God, Nika, I’m not responsible for this. They must have tracked me somehow.”
She leaned forward in her seat, looking out on the scene that encircled Eva’s home. Blonde hair caught her attention. Her eyes zoomed in on the sharp features beneath a dark pair of sunglasses. “It’s Phoenix.” Her jaw dropped at the sight of him. “I can’t believe he actually found me.”
“What’s he doing here?” Nika asked sharply.
“I-I don’t know.” Kennedy felt her shoulders droop. She didn’t understand how this could happen, how could he do this. “He may have talked to my android. She found your aunt’s address for me, and she was the only one who knew where I was going. But…” In her heart, she knew Matilda wouldn’t betray her. “She’s loyal to me. She wouldn’t just give that information to him.”
Nika threw her fists against the dash, cursing. Their car had already been spotted, and several agents were treading through the snow to get to them.
Oz looked down at Kennedy’s wrist. “Is there a tracker in your brace?”
“Yes, it’s linked to my android. I disabled my homing device though.”
“Let me see.”
She unsnapped the clasp and handed it to him. He punched in a few buttons, searching for something. “Ah, yep. Here it is. You’re being tracked, but it’s not through the homing device. Where did you get this?”
Kennedy narrowed her eyes on Phoenix, who was busy talking to an agent. “He gave it to me.”
