I don’t know.
Beth says, “Calli, are you going back to college for the fall term?”
“Crimson told me I should.”
Jonas says, “What about the convenience store robbery? What ever happened with that? Aren’t you two still in trouble?”
“I don’t think so. We are only persons of interest.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. That means the police want to question you. This isn’t going away that easily.”
“I’ll talk to Crimson about it.” I sound less than enthusiastic, I realize.
“I wish I had such a personal relationship with her.” Beth dips a celery stick in some hummus. “You’re lucky!”
Jonas says, “I’ll look into the situation with the police when I get back to the island. I know my way around the Internet and can access internal computers.”
Chris scoots forward in his chair. “You’re a hacker?”
“No, well, not really. If there’s something to find concerning you two and the robbery, I’ll find it.”
Brand says, “So you’re an Internet Guru or something?”
“We’ll call you Guru, for short,” says Chris.
“How is that shorter than Jonas?” Anika laughs and wipes her eyes again.
“If I find anything on you two, I’ll let you know, A.S.A.P.”
“What about you, Chris? What are you going to do?” Beth asks.
“I’m going to see if I can get a job at the Pentagon. I already have low-level clearance. Merlin says he might be able to pull some strings.”
“What kind of job?”
“No idea.”
“Well, that kind of sucks for you two, being so far apart.” I see Brand elbow Chris’s arm. Chris doesn’t respond.
Instead, Chris changes the subject. “Anika, when is your parents’ funeral? Calli and I would like to come support you.”
Her eyes brighten momentarily, then darken again. “The day after tomorrow, but you don’t have to go to the trouble.”
Brand says, “That’s soon. Why so soon?”
Chris elbows Brand this time.
I say, “We want to come, Anika. Where will it be?”
Anika writes down an address and gives it to Chris.
Chris turns to Beth. “What about your parents’ funeral?”
“Oh, you really don’t need to come.” Her eyes shoot downward to her hands as she twists a napkin mercilessly. Please don’t come. Please don’t come, her mind pleads.
Beth is embarrassed. She doesn’t want us to learn more about her family life. I wonder what could be so bad that she wants to keep it hidden.
Beth flips the conversation back on Chris. “When is your father’s funeral?”
Chris’s shoulders stiffen and he sits a little straighter. “There won’t be a funeral.” His voice holds no emotion, his expression shows no sadness. “Who would go? Anyway, he’ll have been cremated by now.”
Everyone is quiet. I figure they are unsure how to respond. I say, “Everyone grieves in their own way. Beth, if you don’t want us to come, we won’t. Anika, it’s no trouble to show our support. And Chris, I’m sure we can all get together later and help you scatter some ashes, if you want.”
Crimson comes over to our table, bringing a welcomed change of subject. “Maetha has arranged rooms for everyone tonight. She has the keycards. Tomorrow morning, Maetha’s plane will depart for North Dakota to take Anika home. Jonas, you will be going with Mary back to Bermuda. The rest of you can go with Anika if you wish.”
Jonas’s expression turns downward.
Crimson adds, “Jonas, you must learn immediately how to harness the full diamond’s power now that you have it. Besides, the only reason you are here instead of on the island already is because Rolf knew where the island was located. He could have directed a military attack to that location if you remained in place.”
Brand says, squeezing Beth’s hand, “Beth and I will go with Anika.”
Beth nods.
I ask Crimson, “What are you going to do?”
“I’ll be going wherever you and Chris go. We have some training to do.”
Chris says, “We’re going to North Dakota.”
Crimson smiles. “Great. I’ll meet you there.”
“You aren’t going to fly with us?” Brand asks.
“No. I don’t use airplanes.”
Brand is intrigued. “Then, how are you gonna get there?”
“I’ll let Calli know when I have arrived. Good night, everyone.”
As Crimson walks away, her voice enters my mind. Calli, always keep your topaz charged with mind-control power in the event you’re around obsidian and need to appear invisible. Tell Chris to keep a topaz charged with running. Oh, and tell Chris to take the battery out of his cell phone when not in use. Cell phones can be activated remotely if the battery is inside.
I ask, Crimson, what do you think about the other Bearers who are unhappy? I’m sure you heard them grumbling.
Yes, I heard them. Their futures are not clear. Remember to keep this ability of reading Bearers’ minds to yourself.
Okay. I will.
After Crimson is far enough away, Brand wonders aloud, “What did she mean when she said she doesn’t use airplanes?”
Jonas responds, “I think you’re on a need-to-know basis, Brand, and you don’t need to know.”
Everyone laughs. I enjoy hearing the laughter, especially in this dark moment of life for Beth, Anika, and Chris. The adage is right—laughter is the best medicine.
Chris speaks to my mind. I’d say it’s the second-best medicine. Your kisses are number one in my book.
His words cause me to blush. I’ve really got to work on blocking my thoughts.
* * *
Chris accompanies me to my room after Maetha gives me my room key. He walks inside first, checking for anything or anyone out of the ordinary. I follow him into the room. When he’s satisfied, he closes the door.
I take off Chris’s jacket and lay it on the bed next to a bag full of clothing Maetha has provided. She probably had one of her many connections go shopping. I suppose someday I’ll have access to her long list of helpers and be able to snap my fingers and have someone purchase and deliver whatever I need, too.
Chris walks over and stands behind me. “Earlier, you said you had a lot on your mind. What did you mean?” He places his hand on my back. A million nerve endings fire simultaneously and a shiver wracks my body. He pulls away as if he’s hurt me. “Sorry.”
I turn to face him, feeling bashful. “You startled me, that’s all.”
“How about you change into something that’s not ripped and bloodied?”
“Good idea.” I look through the assorted clothes in the bag and find a pair of sweat pants and a tee-shirt.
Chris eyes the clothing choice with one eyebrow up. I resist reading his mind.
“I’ll . . . um, change in the bathroom.” Not waiting for a response, I hurry to the bathroom and strip out of my torn running suit. As I do so, the tinkling of the twelve clear crystals sliding around in my front pocket pull my attention away from the possible intimate situation on the other side of the door. I’d forgotten Chris and I had removed them from the machine at his father’s government compound. I decide to leave the crystals in the zipped pocket where they’ll be safe for now.
Exiting the bathroom, after changing into my decidedly non-formfitting clothes, I walk past Chris to the two chairs by the window and say, “Let’s sit down.”
Chris doesn’t follow. Instead, he sits on the bed with his back up against the headboard and his legs crossed at his ankles. He pats the bed beside him, indicating he wants me to sit by him.
Flutters of excitement speed through my body. I walk over to the side of the bed and sit carefully on the edge near his feet. He’s taken his shoes off, exposing his feet. Strands of light-brown hair peek out from under the hem of his jeans. My eyes travel slowly up the length of his ideally designed Runner’s body, past his
narrow waist and across his flat stomach, up to his broad shoulders. I blurt, “I can hear the other Bearers’ thoughts.”
“I know.” He smiles seductively.
“I was hearing them talk about us, earlier. That’s what was on my mind.”
“They were talking about me and you?” he asks.
“No, yes, all of the younger people. Some are not happy with Crimson for picking us to be Bearers.”
“I didn’t get ‘picked.’ And neither did Jonas. So, what’s their problem?”
“My thoughts exactly. I’m not sure who’s against us, though. I can’t tell who’s talking when they communicate. I could only tell there were four different individuals.”
“Jie Wen, for sure,” Chris assumes. “He’s got an attitude a mile high. Probably Kookju and Chuang too. They seem to group together. And we shouldn’t leave out Yeok Choo. There. That’s four.” Chris acts proud of himself.
“Now you’re just being racist.”
He pulls his head back slightly and brings his brows down. “Why do you say that? They all hang out together, they happen to be Asian. That’s not racist. Look at our group. We sat together tonight: you, me, Brand, Beth, Jonas, and Anika. We’re all white. You said the Bearers’ thoughts were against the younger group. Well, we all happen to be white Americans. Does that make them racist for grouping us together?”
“I get your point, Chris. But I think we should be careful about drawing conclusions. Besides, none of them have gone against nature yet. They’re not really helping nature, but they’re not against nature either.”
“That’s good, at least. Did you happen to pick up on the regions where the different Bearers are stationed?”
“Huh?”
“Maetha said the Bearers are stationed all around the world. So, I looked into their minds to see where.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of doing that. You’re clever, Chris.”
He ignores my compliment. “Marketa is stationed in the Czech Republic and Alena is nearby in Russia. Jie Wen and Chuang cover China, and Kookju’s in Korea. I had a hard time reading Yeok Choo’s mind at first, but then I found she’s stationed in Malaysia. That’s all I figured out.”
“Well, we know Maetha is basically over the U.S., and Amenemhet and Mary seem to be joined at the hip with Maetha. Neema too, before, well . . . anyway, Merlin is definitely stationed here. Who does that leave?”
“Amalgada, Duncan, Ruth, Avani, Aernoud, and Fabian.”
I’m a bit surprised he’s picked up on everyone’s names so quickly. “Well, Duncan told me he’s from Romania originally, but I don’t know if he’s stationed there. Fabian sounds Spanish, but that could place him in Spain or Central America. Amalgada’s Irish lilt is pretty cool, however that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s stationed in Ireland. Avani looks like she walked right off the cover of a Taj Mahal travel brochure.”
“Aernoud is a little harder to place. His accent is European, but I don’t know if he’s Swiss, or Dutch, or German. Maybe Danish.”
My hands instinctually clasp together. “Ooh, Danish. That makes me hungry.”
“You didn’t eat much tonight,” Chris reminds me tenderly.
I ignore him and ask, “So why do you suppose there aren’t any Diamond Bearers in Africa or the Middle East?”
“Or Australia? Or the Pacific Isles?” he adds before I can.
“Or Central or South America?” My competitive side surfaces. “Oh wait, Fabian might be.”
“I know there are Runners in those parts of the world. There are probably representations of all powers in the other countries. Maybe the answer is simply that there aren’t enough Bearers to cover every region. They probably go where the most trouble is occurring.” Chris pats the bed again and says to my mind, Come here. I want to hold you.
I move up to his side and sit next to him. He pulls me into a hug and I rest my head on his shoulder. He inhales a large cleansing breath and lets it out slowly. “We’ve been through a lot today,” he sighs.
I think about pointing out it’s 2:00 a.m. so, technically, everything happened yesterday, but decide against it. Instead, I say, “Everything has changed for you. You’re an Unaltered and a Diamond Bearer now.”
“And right where I want to be . . . next to you.”
“Me too.” I wrap my arm across his chest and snuggle my head further into his shoulder.
Chris rests his hand on my shoulder and asks, “Why do you think Beth doesn’t want us to know more about her parents?”
I’m surprised with his subject change. “I’m not sure. Probably for the same reason as you. She wants us to look at her as she is today, not where she came from.”
Chris tenses up. “That’s not the same as me at all, Calli.”
“What do you mean?” I lift my head off his chest and look up at him.
“Everyone already knows about my father and that I was spying for him. It’s common knowledge. I’m not trying to keep my past a secret. I just want to forget about my past, that’s all.”
“That’s what I just said. You and Beth want everyone to see you as who you are today, not where you came from.”
“I disagree.” Chris pushes off the bed and starts to pace, obviously agitated.
“Then tell me how you’d explain it.”
“I think . . . well, first, look at how Anika is reacting to the loss of her parents. She loved them, and they must have loved her or she wouldn’t be so broken up. Beth isn’t visibly upset like Anika. I think Beth had a different home life than Anika and me. Beth probably hasn’t had much love in her life from her parents. She doesn’t want us to know that. She probably thinks that makes her weak in our eyes. She’s in mourning because she just lost the two people who define who she is—rebellious, strong willed, and independent. As for me, my mother loves me and has done the best job of raising me that she could. I loved what I thought my dad could have been if he hadn’t been so power-obsessed. The man Deus shot was the shell of the man I wanted to be my father. I have no reason to pay any respect to his passing. I don’t plan on scattering his ashes, except for maybe down the toilet.”
“Okay, I think I understand your point of view.” I pat the bed next to me, hoping he’ll relax and put his anger aside.
Instead, he says, “It’s late and we have an early start. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“All right,” I say, let down. “Good night.”
He opens the door to leave and says, “Make sure you flip the latch after I leave.”
“I will. You do the same on your door.”
He doesn’t respond. The next sound I hear is the door closing.
I get up and flip the latch. My mind keeps replaying our conversation, wondering if I should have said things differently. I didn’t mean to upset Chris. I wanted to give him companionship and support, which I know he needs in his vulnerable state. His father’s death is definitely a touchy subject, no matter how much he tries to convince himself it isn’t.
I decide I’ll keep my opinions to myself and give him support and try not to read too much into the conversation we just had.
Chapter 2 – Cautionary Counsel
The next morning, I change into fresh clothes and gather my others off the bathroom floor. The crystals jingle as I open the front pocket to remove them. I take an elastic band and bind them together so they won’t rattle around. Then I try to stuff the bundle into my pocket, but they’re too bulky and my pockets are too small. Instead, I bury the crystals deep in the clothing bag, thinking I’ll keep the bag close to me. The last item I pick up is Chris’s jacket from the night before. I bring it to my nose and inhale his unique scent. It has lessened without the wearer nearby, but . . . oh no! Chris is Unaltered now. He shouldn’t have a unique scent anymore. His jacket still holds what may be the last of his amazing smell. I’ll never wash it, ever.
I really must be in love to be thinking this way. I don’t know whether to be happy about that or not. I’m reminding myself too much of the
giggling girls from high school. Perhaps I was too hard on them.
I find the rest of the group in the breakfast room of the resort. When I enter the room, my eyes seek out Chris. He’s not here yet. I grab a plate and load a blueberry muffin and sausage links on it. I pick up a small carton of milk, then sit down with Brand and Beth. They’re snuggled intimately close to each other, making me uncomfortable.
I look around the room as I take small bites of sausage. At the door, Mary is receiving orders from Maetha. Anika and Jonas sit alone in the corner, holding each other’s hands. Anika’s lips reveal she’s saying goodbye. Jonas is incredibly kind and compassionate. I’m pleased he has been able to continue living and develop into such an awesome guy. It’s what I wanted for him from the moment I first detected his cancer at Cave Falls.
“Why are you staring at Jonas?” Chris asks from behind me, making me jump.
“Oh, Chris, I didn’t see you come in. I’m thinking about when I detected his cancer for the first time.”
“Oh.” He sits beside me and clears his throat to get Brand and Beth to break up their lovey-dovey fascination with each other. It works.
Wait a minute. Chris was able to sneak up on me because I didn’t smell his aroma. Dang. It’s true. He has no scent. I can’t help but feel let down.
* * *
Standing next to Maetha’s private plane as our luggage and boxed information from General Harding’s compound are loaded into the cargo hold, I inhale a deep breath of Indiana air to try to clear the cobwebs from my mind. So much has happened in the last few days. It’s hard to keep everything straight in my head.
Brand walks over and holds his hand out to me, topazes cradled in his palm. “I don’t think these topazes are charged, Calli.”
I take the stone he offers me and confirm his suspicions. “You’re right. They’re empty. That’s too bad. I would guess you can’t charge topaz with power stored in quartz. I’ll have to be sure and pass that along to the group.”
“Yeah,” Brand adds, “Crimson will be bummed. She wanted to test out my power.”
Captain Rutherfield gives the okay to board the plane. Anika claims the bench seat. She wants to read in peace. I catch a glimpse of her book title and see the words “death” and “what happens.”
The Diamond Bearer's Secret Page 2
