“Where did they take you?”
“I'm in a safe place. I cannot tell you where, or I'll put you in danger.”
“Danger?” Tabita seemed more dismayed than before. “Why? Evelyn.” She extended her hands to Eve's shoulders and gave her a faintly lacerating look. “What happened at your house?”
Evelyn could not tell her the truth, and it was the most painful of all. Between them there were no secrets.
“I'm sorry, Tabita,” she said simply. “I'll tell you everything, once this is over, I assure you; keep in mind that my survival and that of my father depends on my silence. I'm fine. It is the important thing.” She could barely contain the tears. “I came because I need...”
“Your father showed me a rock,” said Tabita.
“What?”
“Yes.” Tabita nodded urgently. “Yes, Yes. Mr. White showed me a dark, shiny rock, which he found in the midst of the damage, and asked me if I had seen it before. I had never seen it before. We thought, at least your father, that it could be some clue to the criminals who took you.”
Rock. Dark and shiny. Evelyn knew almost immediately what it was about. The dark rock that was really a pyxi, had fallen out of her hand when Tadhg activated his weapon and the light emitted tried to make her blind; Eve had covered her sight with the back of her arm shortly after releasing the rock, to protect herself from the intense luminosity, and then she had forgotten about it.
“I do not know what rock...” She lied. Late, she rambled a little about what she was going to say next, and continued, “Tabita, I need you to do something for me. It's very important.”
Tabita was disturbed for a moment, then blinked and nodded several times.
“Tell me.”
“I know it will sound weird,” Eve began. “But I need the two invitations you got for the inauguration of the edom. And also, Pellet's address.”
Tabita wrinkled her eyebrows.
“Why?”
“I told you: it's complicated.”
They remained silent until finally Tabita gave her what she asked of her: the invitations from edom that he had gotten for her and Evelyn and Pellet's address, whose new abode corresponded to Manhattan. While doing what Evelyn asked, she had to endure the persistent attempts of Tabita to get information about what was happening. Eve did not yield. The less she knew, the better.
“Look, Tabita, I know this all seems crazy,” Eve told her as her friend handed her the note with Pellet's address and the pair of bright access cards on the first night of edom. “But it is more than that.”
“Yes, I know,” said Tabita monotonously. “It is more complicated than it seems.”
Evelyn laughed.
“Please, do not say it like that... You make me feel like I'm a terrible person.”
“Maybe,” said Tabita and fixed her eyes. “Evelyn, talk to your father. Really, I've seen him very worried.”
“I will,” she assured her.
They looked at each other for a moment. And they smiled, like a couple of girls. Then thunderous thuds were heard against the door. Both were startled. Evelyn became defensive and pulled the paralyzing weapon from the back of her belt, where it had been hidden by the jacket. Tabita looked at her with such tribulation, that Eve could not decide if her fear was due to the weapon that the girl carried or to the blows that rammed the door.
“What do you do?” Tabita screamed.
Evelyn motioned for her to stay behind. Her heart was hitting her chest so hard, it was painful to move at the slow speed she was doing it. She advanced with firm determination to the door, took a deep breath, and opened it.
Tadhg, tall and stocky, and about to give his next attack on the door, was quiet at once.
Evelyn calmed down and lowered the gun.
“What the hell do you think you're doing?” She released.
“Evelyn.”
That was Tabita's voice. Evelyn turned, and there she was, stiff behind her, and with a deep impression on her face.
“We must go,” Tadhg said.
Tabita was already at his side.
“Who is he, Eve?” She looked at Tadhg up and down as if the sight pleased her instead of chasing her away. Evelyn heard her swallow hard before speaking, this time to Tadhg. “What is your name? Are you dating Eve?”
Tadhg wrinkled his face, as if the idea horrified him.
“She?” He said. “She does not. Absolutely not.”
Evelyn felt a twinge in her chest, very deep. Yes, Tadhg was older than her, about ten years old at the most. But she had caught him watching her discreetly, when he thought she did not notice. And that's why she had allowed herself to harbor a bit of hope. And yes, Tadhg was incredibly attractive, much more than incredible —but there was something else about him, mysterious and reserved that captivated her.
Tadhg turned his attention back to Eve and spoke, this time with more urgency.
“We must go, Evelyn. Now.”
“What happen?” She asked, anticipating that something was not right.
“They come,” he said, with much emphasis on them. “We must go. Now.”
“And Tabita?”
“I?” said the alluded girl.
“She'll be fine,” said Tadhg.
With the assignment already stored in the inside pocket of her jacket, Evelyn became Tabita. She embraced her briefly and passionately as she had done to meet her, because she did not know if that would happen again, and she left the house with Tadhg on her heels.
They were in the car, crossing Church Avenue, when Evelyn noticed that Tadhg was more relaxed than usual. Before getting into the car he had wondered how Tadhg had anticipated the arrival of the pyxis.
“How?” She asked.
Tadhg looked at her for a moment and raised an eyebrow.
“What are you talking about?”
“How did you know they would come? The Pyxis?”
Tadhg, facing forward, shrugged.
“I did not know, I did not know it.”
Evelyn angered. A lot.
“Was it a deception?” She snapped.
“You were delaying,” she apologized. “It was a necessary hoax. We have a long day, and an even longer night ahead. Did you get the address?”
A couple of hours later, in a suburb of Harlem, Evelyn was in front of Pellet's house. This time Tadhg had got out of the car, and was behind her. Evelyn could feel a tingling at the nape of her neck, as if his gaze was fixed on that spot.
Eve made a gesture to ring the bell for the third time, but suddenly the tiny hole in the peephole in the door glowed red and they heard a voice coming from within.
“Password,” the voice asked.
“Pellet,” Eve said in a monotonous voice, and adopted a haughty stance. “Open now, yes?”
An instant of silence.
“Evelyn?” Said Pellet at last. Eve noticed a bit of surprise in his voice. “Is it you, Eve?”
The little red light shining through the peephole quietened, and before she could answer, the door opened.
Pellet had his eyes open for milestones. He was as white as cut milk. He wasn’t exactly handsome, but his pallor and short blond hair had stolen the sigh of many girls during his student years at Saint Savior. Even Tabita had succumbed to his charms. Pellet had once been the most popular boy in high school; In addition, he had left a legacy to be the student who repeated the most times last year: four times. He looked Evelyn up and down and then did the same with Tadhg, behind her.
“Who is he?” He barked. “He’s a police?”
Tadhg wore jeans and a white shirt, but it was the black jacket that gave him that rude and inflexible aspect that characterized the police and the security men. Besides, Tadhg did not have the face of many friends, and anyone, criminal or not, would have been frightened when he saw him in front of his house, tall, stout and stony as a column... a very attractive column.
Eve smiled to calm the te
nsion.
“Did not.” She say. “He's my…”
“Bah!” the bellow came from behind.
Before Eve realized it, Tadhg forced his way into Pellet's house and carried the subject inside, strained by the collar of his shirt. Eve swallowed and looked to the sides. Silence and calm. No witness. Then she entered and closed the door.
* * *
Later, after their incursion into Harlem, Evelyn and Tadhg returned to the Agency. Pellet gave false credentials to her and Tadhg; Eve's argued that she was twenty-one, although anyone who looked at her would think twice and even three times before she believed it. Eve was a girl of medium height, slender and a little graceful, at least in appearance. She was sixteen, and that was how old she was. Maybe if she fixed her dark hair a little more, or put on some makeup, then maybe she would look a little more adult. Only a little.
After leaving the Pellet house, she became curious about Tadhg. He had been very suspicious of his credential, he had not even allowed her to see it. Maybe the picture would grieve him, although it would be a real surprise if something bad had come out of it; an unplanned grimace, for example. Maybe he did not want her to see his real name, or how old he was, in case he had not falsified that data. After all, that was the true purpose of false identifications.
Once at the Agency, they heard a slight noise from the training room. Tadhg and Evelyn looked at each other and then started walking. There they met Dawit and Rhys playing Twister with Jim and Hailee.
“Right foot, green,” Rhys said, laughing.
She and Dawit were in a locked position in which the sick Jim was busy. Hailee turned the thin arrow of the premises and Rhys quoted them aloud. At that time, the three of them did their best to put their right feet in the green circles. Dawit did not reach the closest circle; he collapsed backwards on Rhys, and Rhys, in turn, pushed Jim forward. The three fell like a pile of bodies one on top of the other, laughing and sputtering. Even the shy Hailee participated in the laughter and even applauded.
“Well,” Tadhg interrupted. His arms were crossed over his chest, one eyebrow raised and half smile on his lips. “I see how they have fun when I'm working.”
“You can play now,” said Dawit painfully. “I feel like I've injured my spine. I'll go see the doctor.”
“I do not think I can...” Tadhg began.
“Oh, well,” Rhys said, satirically, “my little brother is afraid.”
“Rhys. No.” Tadhg glared at his sister.
Rhys began to cluck like a chicken, waving her arms at her sides like wings. Jim started to laugh and emulate Rhys, just like Dawit, but with a hurt gesture. Hailee just laughed below. Eve kept still and trying to contain a loud laugh. Finally, Tadhg relented.
“Its fine,” he said, and turned to Evelyn. “Only if she plays with us.”
“I do not think,” Rhys said. “Given the event they will have tonight, the professor has asked me to let Evelyn know, as soon as she arrives, that he will be waiting for her in the lab for her lesson today.” She grinned sideways. “He mentioned some chemical potions.”
Evelyn nodded.
Dawit was able to stand, with a torturous gesture, and his hand on his back. He walked towards Eve shuffling.
“In that case I'll accompany you,” he said to Evelyn. “So I'll have someone to support me while I get to the doctor's office.”
Evelyn let Dawit put his arm around her shoulders, dropping part of his weight on her. It seemed really painful, maybe it was very serious. However, she had her doubts. They turned and walked, limping, toward the threshold of the training room until the Rhys voice stopped them.
“Evelyn,” she called.
She turned on its side.
“After the lesson, meet me in my room,” Rhys said. “We have to do the dress check for tonight.”
“Dress check?”
“Yes.” Rhys raised an eyebrow. “You would not have believed that you would attend an event of such importance with the uniform of the Agency, right?”
“No, of course not,” thought Eve, embarrassed.
Instead, she shook her head.
When Evelyn and Dawit were outside the training room, he moved slightly away from her side and adopted a more relaxed posture. As Eve had supposed, all this had been a trap to get out of the game.
“Why?” She asked.
“Well,” replied Dawit, shrugging and laughing from ear to ear, “If you spent an hour playing the same game and in all that time you turn out to be the loser, I think you would understand my reason, right?”
Evelyn smiled. They were walking through the white corridors of the Agency.
“I think I understand it,” she said.
“I thought so.”
They walked in silence. However, Evelyn's curious mind threatened to blow her brain if she did not take advantage of the moment she had with Dawit. Dawit had been more cordial and less mysterious than the rest of the agents. There, walking alone at her side, he was as vulnerable as a ship adrift.
“Can I ask you something?” she said.
Dawit smiled.
“That's something.”
“Do not. Another thing, I want to say.”
“Maybe,” Dawit extended those words, “you have not heard that our Agency has laws...”
“Yes. I know,” Evelyn cut him off. “What I want to ask you is something more than... personal character.”
Dawit straightened and composed an enthusiastic smile, all at once and without stopping.
“So release it!”
Evelyn did not want to sound indiscreet by any means, so she spoke as carefully as she could.
“You and Rhys...?” she started.
“No, no,” Dawit denied almost immediately, smiling; his laughter relaxed Eve a little. “Rhys is like my family, Tadhg too; beyond our commitment to the Agency. Our parents are good friends. Although my sister...” He fell silent.
“What happens?” Eve looked at him with a frown.
Dawit had a distant, troubled look. Maybe he had said something he should not.
“What happens?” She repeated.
“Nothing,” he said.
Evelyn noticed that he was trying not to look at her, but he could not. He said goodbye and hurried the step.
* * *
Professor Kerr was waiting for her, as Rhys informed, in the laboratory. He was not alone. Like the first time, she found him with Juno, very concentrated in some plane, spread over the desk, too complicated for Evelyn to understand at first sight.
“Oh, Evelyn,” Kerr said cheerfully. “Here you are.”
That time he stood up, without crutches, and Evelyn got a real surprise. He had a metal prosthesis in his missing leg. Evelyn could barely conceal her amazement. Juno, quite serious, looked at her with a gesture of indifference.
“Yes, this is my new acquisition,” the professor continued, strutting comically for Evelyn's delight. She smiled; Juno, on the other hand, made an unsuccessful attempt to avoid it. “How about?” He raised his eyebrows several times.
That gesture took another smile from Eve.
“It's look, professor,” she said. “That color goes with you.”
Kerr smiled.
“No doubt,” he said later, and signaled to the other girl. “Juno, honey, bring here the instruments for today's lesson.”
Juno obeyed diligently; she approached a glass showcase, full of hundreds of small metal cans and tubes of the same material; she took one from each shelf and brought them to the desk as the professor removed the drawing, possibly the model of Sally's thirty. Finally, Kerr turned to Eve and motioned her to approach. She came closed, of course.
Once by the desk, she counted four tiny aerosol cans and an indelible metal tube similar to toothpaste. The professor made another hand signal so that she was free to take whatever she wanted. Eve took the metal with the blue stripe on the cylinder, and Kerr began to explain.
“This is
ettalim,” he said. “It serves to erase the memory of humans, although in a few months there will not be enough ettalim in the world to avoid forgetting what is about to happen.”
“What do you mean?” Evelyn looked at him with a frown.
“No, I'll explain that to you in the next lesson,” Kerr said, and leaned forward to take the next vial: it was similar to the one Eve held in her hand, except for the strip, which was red instead of blue. “This is littium. It serves to neutralize humans and pyxis'avalh, leaving them in a state of unconsciousness.”
Juno took the next one.
“This is nettali,” she explained. This time the metal vial had a green stripe, “and it serves to produce chronic blindness and hearing loss, depending on where you spray it.” She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, sure, and it can also be used in humans and pyxis'avalh alike.”
The professor lowered the ettalim and picked up the following bottle: metallic, naturally; taller than the others, and with a purple stripe.
“This is callsium,” he explained. “It serves to immobilize the avalh; although, of course, it can also be used on humans. It causes an effect similar to the paralyzing weapon you used against pyxis'olrut, according to Tadhg.”
“And the callsium does not work with the olrut in the same way as with the avalh?” Eve asked.
The professor, smiling, threw a glance at Juno.
“There are at least about twelve Pyxis types,” she explained. “The pyxis'avalh are the most dangerous, because they have human bodies; in an unconventional term, it is like a demonic possession.”
“Good analogy, Juno,” Kerr said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. “But a little sinister, do not you think? You will end up scaring our dear Evelyn.” He turned to Eve. “You will wonder why an avalh is more dangerous than its brothers, given its composition; and I will answer you: imagine that one day one of those pyxis'avalh will take over the mind and body of the president of the United States; the chaos that could be caused by being in command of the leading nation in nuclear energy... Catastrophe!” He exclaimed.
Evelyn started. Goosebumps rose and her heart began to beat very fast.
“Juno, bring the capsule,” the professor asked.
Days of Fury Page 7
