by Jamie Grey
Max nodded. “We can do that. Right, guys? Give him a break.”
Amy pouted, but she finally shrugged. “Fine. We’ll wait until next week. But I just want to go on the record that I think we should have told Danvers about this when Lexie first discovered the anomaly.” Her expression was more calculating than annoyed and made me wonder what exactly was going on in her brain.
“We’ve gone this long. Let’s let Asher do his thing. He’s never let us down before,” I said, hoping he wouldn’t get all smug and cocky at my compliment
She turned and tapped a finger against her chin. “That’s true. I mean, it’s not like he’s his mother, right? We can trust him.”
The color drained from Asher’s face. “Amy!”
“Well, I’m just saying. You’d never betray us.” She sank back in her chair while Max, Zella, and I exchanged confused looks.
Amy’s voice turned husky. “Want to go back to your place and see if I can find anything with those files? Your tutoring the other day was…useful.”
He stared at her for a long moment before shrugging. “Sure. It’ll be good to get another set of eyes on them.”
Amy got to her feet and wrapped a hand around his arm. “We’ll keep you guys posted if we find anything. See you later.”
He was careful not to look at any of us as he led Amy from the restaurant.
The three of us stared as they left Coco’s. I closed my open mouth with a snap.
“What the hell just happened?” Zella demanded.
Max shook his head. “Amy mentioned Asher’s mom, and it was like she’d punched him.”
Asher’s mom. Amy. I chewed my lip as something niggled at the back of my mind. “I think he got an email from his mom a couple of weeks ago. Amy read it.” Whatever was in that email must have been more serious than I’d thought.
Zella’s voice went up an octave, and she echoed my thoughts. “What did it say? I’ve never seen him like that before.”
I wished I knew. There were so many things Asher and I had never talked about, so many things I wanted to learn about him.
Zella got to her feet and slung her bag over her shoulder. “I guess we’re not going to find out sitting here. I’m going to run to the bathroom before we leave. You’re still dropping me at fencing practice, right, Max?”
He nodded, and I perked up. “You fence? That’s so cool. Is there someplace around here that teaches it? I’ve always wanted to learn.”
“Yeah, there’s a studio off South Street. I’ve been going for about three years. It’s fantastic.” She paused. “Let me know if you want to tag along some time.”
I blinked once in surprise before nodding. “Thanks! I’d like that.”
She nodded back and headed toward the bathroom.
Max watched her leave and shook his head. “Asher and I aren’t best friends or anything, but there’s something wrong, Lexie.”
I was still shocked at Zella being so nice, but I nodded, dragging my thoughts back to the earlier conversation. “Yeah, I got that impression, too.”
He paused, looked down at his cup. “Are you two dating?”
A heat crept up my neck, and I wasn’t sure how to answer. “No? Yes? I don’t know.”
“Amy doesn’t take no for an answer, does she? Though I suppose most guys wouldn’t mind that if they were dating someone who looks like Amy. She’s definitely not your typical science nerd.” He blinked once, and his cheeks went pink. “Not that you look like a typical nerd either, Lexie.”
I laughed. “Thanks, Max, but I have no illusions about the way I look. I’m perfectly average, and I’m okay with that.” Most of the time. “What about you, Max? Are there any girls you’re interested in?” I couldn’t stop my gaze from flicking toward the restrooms.
He grimaced. “Not really. Besides, who’d want to date me anyway?”
“Max, any girl would be lucky to date you. And I can think of at least one off the top of my head who’s very interested.”
Max’s eyes widened, and his voice sounded strangled. “Who?”
“Uh-uh. I’m not telling. But seriously, if you can’t figure it out, I’m going to have to deduct some guy points.”
He looked slightly panicked. “But I don’t know how… What do I do…?”
I leaned across the table and put my hand on his arm. “Max, just be yourself. And try not to be so clueless.”
Zella approached the table, eyes narrowed. “Did I interrupt something?”
Max yanked his arm away from my hand like Asher had done with Amy, and I bit back a smile. He shot to his feet. “There you are, Zella. Ready to go?”
I could see the wheels turning as she jumped to the totally wrong conclusion, and I shook my head. “Just giving Max some advice. Any girl would be lucky to have him, right, Zella?”
Our gazes locked, and I willed her to understand. I wasn’t poaching her territory. I was trying to help her. Finally, her shoulders relaxed, and she nodded. “Definitely. Max is a great guy.” She chewed her lip and looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes.
He bumped her shoulder with his. “Well, thanks, but you have to say that. We’ve been friends since we were three.”
I tried not to groan. “Whatever, you two. I’ll see you later.”
Friday. Tonight I was going on a date with Asher.
The thought made the zit on my chin feel the size of Mt. Olympus. I spent hours that morning staring at the clothes hanging in my closet and finally settled on the one pair of jeans that fit my curves without looking baggy and a pink ballet-neck shirt. I found a pair of gold flats, then studied myself in the mirror. The pink brought out the gold tones in my dark hair and gave some color to my cheeks. Not bad. And at least it wasn’t raining. Dealing with Hermione hair today would have killed me.
We were leaving right after school. Asher wanted to drive into Knoxville and go to a quiet restaurant he’d found downtown. I didn’t know how I was going to get through the rest of the day.
I paced my bedroom, tugged at my shirt, stared out the window, messed with my hair. “Stop that, Lexie,” I ordered, shaking a finger at myself in the mirror. “It’s just dinner. With a guy you go to school with. You can handle this.”
My email dinged, and grateful to have something to do while waiting for Dad to finish getting ready for work, I plopped down in front of the computer.
And almost fell out of my chair.
It was from Major Grant.
Lexie,
I sincerely apologize for how things went when we met in person. The situation got out of control. My intent was not to scare you but to convince you that Branston is your home. Obviously, drugging you was not the right tactic. However, we are fast approaching the apex of our plans, and I have run out of time to be subtle. You belong to us, and we will do what we must to make sure you return to Branston. Including using those you love.
Major Timothy Grant
A whimper escaped my lips, and I whipped out my phone, hands trembling. I hadn’t heard from my mom in days. What if they had her? Three rings later, her cell phone went straight to voicemail. I left a frantic message and then darted into the hallway.
Dad was pouring himself a cup of coffee, but he set down the pot the instant he saw me. “Lexie? What’s going on?”
“Dad. Major Grant emailed me. He said you were in danger.” My voice trembled.
“Everything’s fine. I told you QT security will make sure nothing happens.” He led me toward his laptop. “Let me read his email.”
I pulled it up and watched as his face grew grim.
“But what about when we’re not at QT? What if he finds us here? What if he finds Mom?”
“Relax, Lexie. We are all fine. After Grant’s last attempt, QT upped their security protocols. And your mother is fine. Branston likes to threaten, but they never take action.”
“Could have fooled me. What about Grant trying to kidnap me?”
“They thought they could get to you before we were aware. The
y won’t have a chance like that again. Now, go get your things. I’ll alert QT security to be extra-vigilant when we get there.” He patted my shoulder reassuringly. “We’ve got you covered, Lex. Everything’s going to be fine.”
I flashed him a disbelieving look but went to get my tablet and bag. I didn’t have any choice but to trust him.
Grant’s email squashed the excitement I’d felt at going out with Asher. But I didn’t want to tell him about it. He’d go all protective and say leaving Oak Ridge wasn’t safe. And there was no way I was letting Branston break this date. I headed toward the library, expecting to see him and the others, but when I logged into a computer, I spotted an email from him.
Working at Amy’s house this morning. She wasn’t feeling well, and we needed to get these calculations finished. But I will still pick you up at four. Can’t wait to see you.
Asher
I sighed and pulled up my own ultraviolet catastrophe calculations. I still needed to figure out how they fit into Avery’s experiment.
Except instead of doing my homework, I spent most of my time staring at Major Grant’s email.
Whatever it meant, whoever he thought he was going to target, the guy was batshit crazy. I gritted my teeth and buried my head in my hands.
A huge boom made the library walls vibrate. The floor swayed, and the lights went out with a surge and a pop as the bulbs burst. Books tumbled off the shelves. The computers went black. A sharp, acrid smell filled the air, making me cough and choke.
Then the alarms started.
“Everyone to the emergency exit please.” Joan waved her arms. Lights shot from her palms like flashlights, illuminating the room and showing us the way out. Smoke swirled in the beams like ghosts, and I pressed my shirt to my mouth so I could breathe.
“What’s going on?” someone asked.
The other scientists chimed in until their voices blended with the sirens. “Where was the explosion? Is anyone hurt?”
Joan shook her head. “My sensors say the explosion occurred in Division Seven. But this is not the time for questions. Move!” She hurried us out of the library and down the corridor. I shuffled into the crowd, my heart kicking in my chest.
Dad was working in Division Seven today.
Scientists poured from their labs into the hall as the alarms screamed overhead, and we moved in a river of white coats toward the exits. The world narrowed until there were only jostling bodies and terrified voices and the smell of fear mixed with ash.
And I could only think one thing: Branston.
When we finally spilled out into the cool, fall air, I sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the panic making my legs refuse to move. I searched the crowds for Dad or Dr. Rosen or anyone I knew at all, but it was a sea of strangers. My hands went clammy as panic took over. The logical part of me knew there were several exits from the building and they could be somewhere else, but the other part of me wanted to scream and cry and beg for news of my dad.
“Lexie!” Asher’s voice cut through the black panic as he shoved through the crowds toward me. “Are you alright? What’s going on?”
I stared back at the smoking building, and my whole body started to shake. “There was an explosion. My dad’s down there.” My voice broke, and he pulled me into his arms. I buried my head in his chest.
Dad was okay. He had to be.
Scientists still streamed from the building, and I felt Asher quiver. “Dad!” he called. “Over here!”
I pulled away as he hurried toward us. Soot streaked Dr. Rosen’s face and hair, and his dark eyes were rimmed with red. “Asher, what are you doing here? I thought you were at home.” He spotted me and froze. “Lexie.” A gust of wind lifted his hair, and I caught the scent of acrid smoke and chemicals.
“Have you seen my dad? What’s going on, Dr. Rosen?”
He avoided my eyes. “The project team was ordered to do a pre-test on the wormhole machine. It looks like someone rigged it to explode when it was fired it up. You’re dad’s been seriously injured, and Life Flight is on the way. I’ll take you to him.”
I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt paralyzed, my whole body unable to move. “Was anyone killed?”
He frowned but shook his head. “Another ten or so were injured, but none as badly as your dad.” He nodded toward the back of the building. “Let’s get you over to him.”
I glanced at Asher, and my face must have betrayed my fear because he pulled me even closer and rubbed my shoulder. My brain wasn’t working. Dr. Rosen’s words did cartwheels as I tried to focus.
My skin went icy, despite the sunshine. We were right. Branston had someone on the inside. Oh my god, this was all my fault. We should have told someone.
Asher took my hand and led me forward. “Come on, Lexie.”
The Rosens pushed through the crowd toward the far end of the building where three scientists streaked with smoke struggled to put up a tent over the people stretched on the ground.
I had to turn away from their bloody faces and sobbing moans. “Where is he?” I whispered.
Dr. Rosen led me to a shady spot where a stretcher was set up beneath a tree. Two doctors I recognized from the medical wing worked over him, strapping him down to his stretcher and trying to stop the bleeding. Blood had soaked through the thin fabric of the blanket covering him, turning it rust-red where it had started to dry. I bit back a sob and dropped to the ground beside him. I was terrified to touch him, but he was so still, so pale I needed to make sure he was alive.
My fingers trembled as I brushed some of the dust from his face. I let out a breath of relief. His skin was still warm, though his eyes were closed and his breathing harsh and labored. “What happened?”
Dr. Rosen shook his head. “We don’t know yet. Jordan said one second everything was going according to plan, and the next the machine was overheating and just blew. Your dad was closest to it.”
The throb of a helicopter grew close, kicking up wind and debris, and I tried to shield Dad’s face with my hands. I wanted to curl up against him, to protect him with my body, but I felt so helpless and alone. Tears welled, but I wouldn’t let myself cry, not until I knew more.
A stray piece of paper skittered across the ground, and I froze. It flapped for a moment, stuck against a piece of grass, and the image of the Branston logo seared into my brain. Then it was gone in another gust of wind from the chopper.
And I wondered if I was going crazy.
“What can we do, Lexie? What do you need?” Asher asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I couldn’t look at him, couldn’t let him see how scared I was so I shook my head.
“I don’t know. I just need to focus on my dad right now.” A thought surged through me. Mom. I needed to tell her what was going on. But I still hadn’t heard from her after leaving my panicked voicemail this morning.
“Lexie, the medics are here. Let them get your dad on board, and I’ll drive you to the hospital.” Asher pulled me away, and I got to my feet.
Three men sprinted toward my dad, carrying medical kits and a stretcher. They started working on him immediately, trying to stabilize him and stop the bleeding. They were fast. In a matter of minutes, he was hooked up to an oxygen machine, stuck with an IV, and pumped full of drugs. And then they were wheeling him away to load him onto the helicopter.
“Come on — let’s get to the hospital.” Asher tried to put an arm around my shoulder, but I shrugged it off.
“I have to stay here and help until the rest of the crew is stabilized,” said Dr. Rosen. “I’ll get to the hospital as soon as I can.” He smiled encouragingly, though the lines around his eyes had deepened and his skin was pale. “Hang in there, he’s going to be all right.”
I nodded and let Asher lead me to his car. He opened the door for me, and I slid inside, automatically snapping on my seatbelt. The sleek car jumped into gear, and we sped toward the hospital. Asher paid no attention to the speed limit, and we took the curves down from QT faster than the speed limit but no
t nearly fast enough for me.
“What were you doing here? I thought you were working at home this morning.”
He slanted a look at me but didn’t take his gaze off the road. “I don’t know. I just had this sudden urge to come find you.” He shrugged. “Yeah. Weird, I know.” Another pause before he asked, “So, do you need to call your mom?”
I sniffed. “Yeah. I just don’t know what to say to her.”
“Tell her she needs to get here. That’ll be enough.”
I dialed her number and was almost happy when I got her voicemail again. All I had to do was leave a short message. Dad’s in the hospital. Not sure what’s going to happen. Get here as soon as you can. Not the most cohesive message, but it was about all I could manage. I didn’t know how I was going to do this. I needed her here with me.
Asher glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “Hanging in there?”
“I’ll be better when I know my dad’s going to be all right.”
The car surged forward as Asher stepped on the gas.
Asher spent the entire afternoon with me in the surgery waiting room. I didn’t want to think too closely about the fact that his presence helped more than I would have expected. As the hours went on, time stretched into an unendurable nothingness where it no longer had meaning or feeling. Where there was nothing else but the TV blaring on the wall and the comforting feel of Asher’s thigh against mine.
Max and Zella showed up mid-afternoon, rushing into the room with worried faces and cups of coffee from Coco’s.
“Have you heard anything yet?” Zella asked, sitting across from me in one of the cushioned chairs.
I shook my head. “The OR nurse checked on me about an hour ago. They were still working on him. Evidently, there is still shrapnel from the machine in his abdomen. He’s lost a lot of blood.” I gratefully took a sip of the coffee and cradled the warm cup in my icy fingers. “What have you heard about the accident? How’s everyone else?”
