by C. C. Bolick
“Our parents both worked for the government. They knew where and when the massacre would happen.”
“I don’t think they were trying to kill him. They were after me.”
Chase gripped my shoulders. “What did you say?”
“The man with evil eyes…he was trying to shoot me that night. Our father pushed me out of the way and died instead.”
“That man was not part of the Lucha Noir.”
I shrugged off his grip. “How can you know that?”
“Trust me, Jes. The Lucha Noir would never hurt you.”
His confidence didn’t make me feel any better.
* * * * *
“Ready?” Chase asked as we stood before the door to Evelyn’s office.
“No,” I said.
He smiled and pressed the square handle. The door opened to a scene of Evelyn sitting behind her desk and Renora leaning across the polished surface, almost into her face.
“She must go back,” Renora insisted.
“No,” Evelyn said. “I cannot lose her again.”
Renora lowered her voice. “I understand your struggle, but you must make the logical choice, not the emotional one.”
Evelyn raised her head. “Logical is my daughter never leaving my side.”
Looking back at me, Renora’s face remained neutral. “If she were my daughter, what course of action would you suggest?”
Evelyn’s eyes darted across each item on the desk before she answered. “A search for the truth.”
Renora nodded. “The only way to ensure Kayden’s safety today, as well as tomorrow and the next day, is to deal with the problem at hand.”
“What if they hurt Kayden?”
“If they planned such vulgar action, do you not think twelve years would have offered ample time?”
“Sometimes I hate when you are right.” Looking over me, Evelyn nodded and addressed Renora. “You are dismissed. Make the arrangements.”
“Understood,” Renora said and left the room.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“They’re sending you back,” Chase said.
“Back?” I asked, as the walls began to tighten around me. “To Credence?”
“Now you know the truth,” Evelyn said. “You must confront your abductors so we can understand their motive.”
“Wait,” I said, backing away. “You want me to face my parents?”
Evelyn pressed her lips. “They raised you and we shall find out why.”
“I don’t like this,” Chase said.
Evelyn folded her hands in her lap. “The preparations are underway. We will complete this mission within twenty-four hours and return home.”
My head spun. She wanted me to go back. How could I face my parents knowing they took me from my family and hid the truth for twelve years? “What time is it?”
“Three-thirty in Credence,” Chase said.
I rubbed my eyes. Had I really stayed up all night? “They’ll be up. They’ll know.”
Chase put his hands on the desk and leaned across. “I’m going with her.”
“Too dangerous,” Evelyn said, her steely eyes boring into Chase.
“I won’t let them take her again,” he said.
More words flowed through the room, charged with a steady stream of anger, but I blocked out the meaning as my fear transformed into a bright star of hope. My parents—I could see them again, talk about everything. No matter how dangerous Evelyn or Chase suggested they were, Justin and Lorraine were still my parents. I sighed as the truth settled into my heart.
I would see them, then I’d ask why…they would tell me or lie, oh god it didn’t matter. Tears burst from my eyes. I covered my face with my hands. Mom’s arms would be around me. Dad…I didn’t care who he really was. Pade…I could see Pade again, and Bailey.
Feeling like such a jerk, I slapped at the tears under my eyes. I was crying for people who took me from my family and all I wanted was a few more hours with them. Through my glossy eyes, I noticed Chase and Evelyn’s stares.
“Okay,” I said, but the words didn’t feel like mine.
“I’ll help her get ready,” Chase said, pulling me out of the door, but not before I felt the flay of pain from Evelyn’s eyes.
* * * * *
“What is she not saying?” I asked.
Chase guided me into a dark room and closed the door behind us.
“Lunas,” he said.
I jumped as the room flooded with light. The first thing I noticed was the green comforter, almost the same shade as the one on my bed. “Is it cold in space?”
He grinned. “Nothing like New York.”
“What is she not saying?” I asked again.
Chase crossed the room to sit in a desk chair, slowly as if gathering every additional second he could find before answering.
“How do you know so much about the Lucha Noir?” I asked.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” I said and took a seat on the bed.
He shifted in the chair, unable to get comfortable. “I joined the Lucha Noir.”
I opened my mouth, but shock held me frozen as he stared.
“If you plan to turn me in, please do it now. I don’t want to live in fear of you betraying me.”
“I’ll never turn you in,” I said, without hesitation.
His face relaxed, but only slightly.
A knot formed in my stomach. “Why would you join them?”
“By accident, last spring. Remember when I said I was in prison?”
I nodded.
“I guess in Earth terms, you could call me a hacker. Growing up on Golvern, I was never allowed access to a computer, and I never thought to question why. When the computer stuck me in Mom’s class last year, I decided to learn enough about computers to make sure that never happened again.”
“Hacking sounds pretty serious,” I said. “Why go that far?”
“Our government takes a tough stance against people who try to expose their secrets. I wanted to know why. When I was busted, I’d covered my tracks so well only Mom knew who I was. She got me out and suppressed all of the files, but she has no idea I met someone there who brought me into the Lucha Noir. They needed my skills, and I couldn’t hate the government more. No one knows but you.”
Would the secrets ever stop? “Why are you telling me this?”
“There’s so much I should tell you, but there isn’t time. Before you go back, I want you to understand the Lucha Noir aren’t what you think. They’re not some horrible disease affecting our people. They want freedom, and who can argue that point?”
“Are my parents really involved in this?”
Chase raised an eyebrow.
“My parents on Earth. I can’t forget twelve years in one night.”
“There’s no way for me to know for sure. The Lucha Noir work in secrecy. Most members at my level don’t know if the person standing next to them is a supporter of the group. They follow the First Principle.”
“Which means?”
“When discovered, they claim to work alone.” He cleared his throat. “Punishment should never involve family.”
“So all of this might just be a story someone made up?”
Chase shook his head. “Mom’s information is better than even she realizes. I’m not sure how she found out, but she was right about Justin Delaney. To the Lucha Noir, he’s important.”
“What if she catches you working with them?”
“She must turn me in. In history class, you completed a unit about George Washington. I was there that day.”
I nodded.
“That’s how the Lucha Noir see Justin Delaney—as the leader of their revolution. No one knows for sure if he’s still alive, but if he is, I’d give anything to meet him.”
Laughing, I laid back on the bed, staring up at the black glass. Would I ever get used to not seeing my reflection? “Ten thousand humans could have the name Justin Delaney. There are probably sixteen in
Alabama.”
He considered. “But how many are raising Kayden Draigon, the Honra Ril? If he’s George Washington, you’re the girl in that show who played a singer while trying to attend high school. I watched it when I first came to Earth. You must have seen it—no one ever seemed to recognize her.”
I sat back up. He and Bailey were so alike. “That’s a little old school.”
“But in the show, she lived a double life. You’re living a double life without even knowing.”
“Yeah, but she was a famous rock star. I thought you said Honra Ril means leftover girl.”
“To most of Golvern it does, but to the Lucha Noir, Honra means honored.”
“So, I’ve gone from leftover to honored?” I laughed.
“Mom frowns at the term but, like you, she doesn’t understand.” He stood. “Dawn is coming. Your parents will be up soon.”
“How do you know they haven’t already discovered my bed empty?”
“Technology,” he said. “They’re still in bed.”
“Are you watching my house?” I asked, feeling creeped out, but pushed the thought aside.
“No,” he said, “we haven’t approached the house for fear of alarming them. If they are who we think. Heat sensors can show us their location from above. Do you have the charm I gave you?”
I patted the golden ‘K’ that hung from my neck. “I’ll never lose it.”
“Good,” he said. “There’s a tracking device inside. Press it and I’ll appear wherever you are within twenty seconds. Don’t be scared.”
“I’m not. They’ve never hurt me.”
Chase nodded. “The ship should be above Credence by now. I’ll take you back.”
“No,” I said. “I need the practice.”
“Press the stone and I’ll be there.”
I nodded and closed my eyes, picturing myself back in my bed, under my green comforter.
Home Again
I woke to darkness, lying perfectly still as my eyes adjusted to the outline of the window. A surge of emotion sped through my veins, and I recognized it as happiness. I was home. For months, I’d thought of Chase, of when he might come back to take me home. But that ship in the sky wasn’t home.
For an hour or more, I snuggled against the comforter, relishing the warmth of lying in my bed once more. The floor below me remained silent. Chase was right. The treasures on my dresser began to take form as light grew until the window glowed with the hazy orange of morning. My room looked exactly as when I left, only hours before. Somehow it felt like a year had passed.
Sleep came, but not as fast as I wished. My mind wandered through the night—our flight to New York City, the shock of standing in the Naples’ house after imagining that visit for so many years, our talks on the ship. Chase’s betrayal. Stunned at his confession, I wondered what could be so bad about life on Golvern to make him risk everything.
Hours passed as the nightmares showed no mercy.
When my eyes opened next, the clock by my bed showed two o’clock in the afternoon. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, amazed since I’d never slept that late.
Yawning, I walked down the stairs. The smell of coffee penetrated the air, along with bacon probably cold in the fryer, both of which reminding me I would soon lose everything. Mom sat at the kitchen table, shelling peas she pulled from a brown paper bag. She tossed the peas into a stainless bowl and the empty shells into the trash can, which she’d moved next to the table. Dad flipped the newspaper in his hands to a new page.
As I stood in the doorway, staring at this perfect view of a happy family, an avalanche of feelings overwhelmed me.
Hate. How could they steal me away from my real family?
Shame. I felt real shame for not realizing they lied. Twelve whole years of lies.
Love. I wanted to hug them both and never leave.
Pain. Why did they do this to me?
Happiness. I could have my old life back. We could leave for Atlanta…
Guilt. What would Chase and Evelyn think about me wanting my old life back?
Betrayal. Did these people ever love me?
Fear. What if they tried to hurt me? No, they would never hurt me.
Confusion. What did all of this mean for my future? For our future?
Strength. I’d confront them. They’d tell me everything.
Weakness—
“You must have been tired to sleep so late,” Dad said.
If he only knew. “I stayed up reading all night.”
“Bailey’s been over three times already,” Mom said.
Fresh guilt grew inside as I thought of the night before. If I had not returned, what would Bailey be saying now? I took my usual spot at the table. Weakness won out. For now, I’d be me again, until I had the nerve to confront them. How long would Chase wait?
Dad glanced over me and lifted the folded section of comics that sat in front of him. Underneath the paper was a book, which he slid across the table as I dropped into the chair. It came to a stop next to my hand.
Stunned, I could only stare at the copy of Pride and Prejudice given to me almost a year ago.
“Where did you get that book?” he asked.
Pain caught in my throat. “You guys went through my stuff?”
“This morning,” Mom said, “while you were sleeping. I wanted to know if you had any more of those articles about the Naples. I think it’s about time we put the whole box in the shredder.”
Did they know about last night? “Bailey found the box in the shed. It was an accident, but you know how Bailey insists on investigating everything. She brought the article to school, to convince me I’m not Jessica Naples.”
“And just how did she figure that out?” Mom asked.
My stomach rumbled. “Not from me. She noticed a birthmark in the picture.”
“Enough about the Naples,” Dad said. “I’ll ask again. Where did you get the book?”
“I got it for a book report last fall.”
His face tightened as he almost lost his patience. “Who gave it to you?”
“Mrs. Pearson.”
Mom looked up from the peas. “Chase’s mother?”
And mine, I wanted to say. “She accused me of cheating in her class. She gave me an F on a test, but let me do the book report to make up the grade. I think she felt sorry for me after the wreck.”
Dad narrowed his eyes and pointed at the book. “Mrs. Pearson gave you that book to read?”
“She loaned it to me for a book report, but disappeared before I could give it back.”
His voice was focused, with a dangerous glint. “Did you read the whole book?”
“Yes sir,” I said.
He stood and reached for the book, opening to the first page. Pointing at the handwritten notes, he looked at me. “You read this?”
It was the perfect time for me to tell him the truth, ask the tough questions. I would start with—who was I kidding? “I couldn’t understand the notes. She said it was an old style of English.”
He frowned and sat back in his chair. “Did they ask for anything else before they left?”
Yeah, a sample of my DNA. “Anything like what?”
“Did they ask you to give them anything?”
“No,” I lied.
“What were they doing in Credence?”
The smell of pound cake began to fill the air. I shrugged as my stomach rumbled again.
Dad’s hand slammed against the table. His next words came out in short bursts. “You will tell me what I want to know.”
I tried to picture him as a dark fighter. Truthfully, I couldn’t picture him fighting anyone. Was he really who Chase claimed and would he tell me the truth if I asked? “They were looking for a kidnapped girl from New York. They thought I might be her.”
“Dear god,” Mom whispered. “They told you that?” Her hands shook worse than my voice.
Thinking fast, I recalled the night they left. “I told them the truth about the Naples. They saw the
articles online and realized I couldn’t be her.”
“You told them the whole story?” he asked, as the shock of my words played across his face.
“It was the only way to get them to leave me alone.”
“Did they threaten you?” Dad asked.
“Why would they do that?” I asked.
Dad stared at me. For a second or maybe two, I thought he might give an honest answer.
Mom finished the last of the peas. “While all of this is interesting, we need to focus on your father’s upcoming treatments. The hospital is ready for us.”
Nodding, Dad pushed away from the table. “We’ll have a good dinner tonight and first thing in the morning we’ll get on the road.”
“We are coming back to Credence, right?” I asked.
“Sure honey,” Mom said in a tired voice. The stove buzzed and she collected the peas, placing the bowl on the counter as she removed the cake and turned off the oven.
Dad opened the porch door, as Danny and Collin burst through.
“We’re leaving first thing tomorrow,” Dad said. “Go upstairs and start packing.”
“What? You’re giving us more than twenty minutes?” Danny blasted and swung around to face Dad. “No, we’re going to the lake tomorrow. One last time—you both promised we could take Sam.”
I hadn’t noticed how tall the boys had grown in nearly a year until I watched Danny almost standing toe-to-toe with Dad.
Collin pushed himself between them. “Dad’s sick,” he said to Danny. “Fighting isn’t right.”
Danny balled his fists. “Making us move again isn’t right.”
“Danny Delaney,” Mom said, rising from the table. “Take that back.”
“No.” Danny got in Dad’s face. “First you make us move to every city in the U.S.A. so Jes can be safe. Safe from what? Those stupid reporters you talked about from New York?”
Dad took a step back. “Where did you hear that?”
“You think we don’t listen to what happens around here?” Danny crossed his arms. “Oh, then you get sick and make us move again.”
Mom placed the cake on the table and reached for Danny. “You know that’s not fair.”
He shrugged away. “We want to stay in Credence.” Danny looked at Collin.
