With a rapidly beating heart, he stood in front of Emery’s house with Alexis right behind him, his hand raised and ready to knock on the door. He paused as his nerves went into hyper-drive. This is a bad idea. It’s too soon. I should come back later.
Alexis stepped in front of him, ignoring his state of panic, and rang the doorbell.
“I wasn’t ready yet,” he mumbled.
“If I’d waited for you to knock, we would have been standing here for ages,” she teased. “Stop freaking yourself out. It’ll be fine.”
It’ll be fine. He repeated the words over and over again in his head until the door opened. There stood Emery in flannel pajamas, her hair thrown up in a bun. Messy, casual, but still breathtaking.
She stepped forward to give her sister a hug, but as she stepped back, she paused. It was clear that she was unsure how to greet him. Honestly, he didn’t know either. An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment, so he gave her a small nod, hoping she’d understand. To his delight, she nodded back, then stepped aside to let them inside the house.
The scent of lavender and cherry blossoms was almost overwhelming as he entered the living room. It reminded him of the last time he’d been there with her, on their hunt for Sandra’s unfeasibly hidden clues.
“Wow,” Alexis breathed as she surveyed the house. “It looks way different here than our house in Dormance.”
Emery shrugged. “Yeah, it takes some getting used to, but after a while, you start to forget what our house in Dormance even looked like.”
“Not me,” Alexis said as she tapped her index finger against her temple. “I’ll always remember.”
Emery laughed. “We’ll see about that.” He was happy, and a little surprised, to see she was in a good mood. She sat down on the couch, gesturing for them to do the same. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
Hw couldn’t help but feel confused. She’d been so angry the last time he’d seen her that he figured she’d still be on edge, emotions blazing. But there she sat. Tranquil and calm.
“Uh, well,” he stammered, “I wanted to formally apologize. Face to face.”
She chewed on her lower lip, almost as if she were trying to keep herself from responding.
“I’m sorry,” he added. “I should have told you about your mom and sister the minute I took them into my apartment. I should have told you at St. Augustine.” Sadness clouded her eyes at the mention of the cemetery, so he quickly changed the subject. “I was hoping to share some of the test results on your mom’s condition, as well as give an update on your sister and her condition.”
“Right here,” Alexis waved.
“Sorry.” He felt his cheeks warm. “I just want all of us to be on the same page. You may know something that we don’t. Something that could help us figure this out.”
Emery tapped her fingers against the arm of the chair as she considered this. “I doubt that,” she confessed, “but I’m game. What do you have so far?”
Her willingness took him by surprise. He hurriedly fired up his holopad, then took her through Sandra’s results first, moving onto Alexis next. She seemed to listen intently, given the frequent questions. The conversation didn’t last long, seeing as he’d only started monitoring Sandra a little over a week ago, and Alexis just a few days prior.
“ . . . And that’s why Alexis’s results are still inconclusive,” he finished. “So, what do you think?”
She looked back and forth between the two of them before heaving a loud sigh. “I think there’s something I need to show you.” He watched with concern as she slowly pulled off her gloves to reveal grey-tinged skin.
“Holy smokes,” he muttered as he scooted closer to her.
“Hey, we match,” Alexis joked, clearly trying to make light of the situation.
Emery ignored her feeble attempt. “I wonder why the discoloration is on my hands while hers is on her legs,” she wondered aloud.
“That certainly remains a mystery,” he replied. “Alexis, has the grey spread anywhere else?”
She shook her head. “Just my legs.”
“But your other symptoms,” Emery interrupted, “feeling tired and lethargic, moving slowly . . . is there anything else?”
“Not that I’ve noticed. The exhaustion comes in waves. There’s no pattern.” She shrugged. “I never know when it’s coming or when it’s going to go away.”
“Odd.” Emery scratched her head. “My experience with the symptoms has been infrequent.”
“Mine’s once every four days,” Alexis whispered.
The sisters looked at each other, trying to find any dots that might connect. But there weren’t any.
After a few minutes of typing notes into his holopad, he came to a decision. “I need to run some more tests. Two sets of symptoms are better than one. We might actually be able to detect a pattern, or at least understand what the differences are and what may be causing them. What do you think?”
Emery tilted her head from side to side. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. If we’re going to get ahead of this, then we need to start now.” She gave him a small smile, and as much as he wanted to smile back, he couldn’t.
He just didn’t have the heart to shatter her optimism.
14
Operation Revive had been active for exactly three weeks, but they were still no closer to determining the root cause of the illness. No deaths had been recorded, but Byron had a sickening feeling it was only a matter of time before people started dropping like flies.
Naia had been working like a madwoman in the lab, in addition to having her hands full training new personnel how to properly use the equipment and record and analyze the data. The number of volunteers for Operation Revive had been outstanding, much greater than he’d expected. He just hoped they were doing enough . . . and doing it fast enough.
Just as Naia entered his office to give him a status update, his phone rang. He shot her an apologetic glance, then answered the phone without looking at who was calling. “Commander of the Seventh Sanctum, speaking.”
“Wow, how formal of you. Emery Parker, daughter of the Commander of the Seventh Sanctum, speaking,” she teased.
“Sorry, Em. I didn’t see it was you.”
“No problem. I hope you’re not busy because I have some good news. Guess who finally decided to come home?”
He gulped, hoping that the sound wasn’t audible over the line. “Alexis?”
“Yep. I was thinking you could come over for dinner tonight around seven o’clock. Does that work for you?”
He hesitated as he took note of the time. It was already five o’clock in the evening, and his workload hadn’t slowed down in the slightest. His daughter’s request was terribly last minute, not to mention he was curious to hear the most recent results from Naia, but in his heart, he knew that this was more important. Today was the day he’d see his youngest daughter for the first time in twelve years.
“Seven o’clock,” he confirmed. “I’ll be there.”
He didn’t even have to look at the holoimage to know Emery was smiling from ear to ear. “See you then.”
+ +
Two hours came and went in the blink of an eye. Byron stood in front of his armoire as he buttoned the front of his blazer. He leaned over to dust off the top of his shoes, his reflection catching his eye as he straightened. This feels too formal. I look like I’m going to a business meeting.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done anything outside of work. His whole life had been dedicated to his career, to destroying Dormance and freeing his family. Now that it was over, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness. Of course, he was thrilled that his family had been released, that they’d escaped from the FCW’s alternate reality; but a part of him couldn’t help but wonder what was next for him. Without Dormance, what was his purpose?
He checked the mirror once more before removing his blazer and hanging it back up. He rolled up the sle
eves on his oxford shirt, then unfastened the top button. A little better, but he still looked stiff. He loosened his tie, then unwound it from his neck altogether and threw it on the floor of the armoire.
He took one last look at himself, his unsightly scar catching his eye, then grabbed his phone as he headed to the T-Port outside of his office. Emery constantly teased him about having bedchambers at his place of work, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her that Seventh Sanctum Headquarters wasn’t only his place of work . . . it was also his home.
After he’d been deployed—alone, without his family—he hadn’t seen the point of purchasing a house or leasing a condo. His home was with his wife and two daughters—a home he’d been stripped of too early. He’d promised himself that he’d wait until he was reunited with his family again before making any big decisions. They would start over together, as a real family.
The T-Port transported him to Arizona, plopping him on the street corner adjacent to the house . . . his house. The smell of green chilies roasting over a mesquite campfire filled his senses, immediately reminding him of Sandra and the meals they’d prepared together every weekend for their children. As he approached the house, he found it almost disturbing that everything was just as he remembered. The same oversized sago palm sat in the front yard, and brown-speckled rocks covered the lawn area. Tiny cacti dotted the walkway to the front door.
It’s as if I never left.
The welcome mat was crooked, and, as he bent down to adjust it, the front door swung open. Emery stood in the center of the doorway. Behind her was a tall girl sporting a brown ponytail. She had his build. His eyes. His freckles.
Alexis.
“Do you remember when we were in the car driving to Darden and you asked me if we’d ever see dad again?” Emery asked as she turned her head to look at her sister.
Tears welled in Alexis’s eyes as she nodded.
A flurry of emotions erupted throughout Byron’s stomach as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. “It’s really you,” he said as he stepped into the doorway and extended his arms for a hug. “My sweet, sweet Alexis.”
Alexis stepped forward, cautiously at first, then embraced her father for the first time in twelve years. As she began to cry, he squeezed tighter, not wanting to let go. Emery joined in on the hug, rocking them back and forth in silence. Happy tears slid down all of their cheeks. “Both of my girls. Healthy, safe, and all in one piece.”
Alexis pulled away so she could see her father’s face. She ran her index finger lightly over the indented scar on his cheek.
He flinched, but didn’t pull away. “Battle wound,” he said, unsure as to whether or not he should give any more detail.
“I have so many questions. I want to know everything,” Alexis said as she grabbed his hand and bounced toward the kitchen. “Let’s talk while we eat. I’m starving.”
A wave of relief washed over him. She’s happy to see me. He’d been so afraid that seeing Alexis again would be awkward and uncomfortable. Fortunately, it seemed that she’d wanted to see him just as much as he’d wanted to see her, if not more.
Emery finished serving the spaghetti and meatballs she’d impressively made from scratch as he talked with Alexis about life in Dormance versus life now, in the 7S world. She seemed to be adjusting well, but he could tell that it was all still very new to her.
“I can’t believe that that was you on the holovision, making an announcement to the nation,” Alexis laughed, “and I didn’t even know who you were!” She slapped a hand to her forehead. “To think, my dad, the Commander of the Seventh Sanctum.”
“Is that a bad thing?” he questioned, suddenly feeling a sense of unease.
“It’s not a bad thing at all. I’m very proud,” she replied as she patted her father’s arm.
“Good. That’s the answer I was hoping for.” He grinned. “So, obviously you saw my speech. What did you think?”
“Very professional,” Alexis answered. “You did a nice job.”
He beamed. “Thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate that.”
“So,” Emery chimed in as she pulled a slice of garlic bread from the serving platter, “how is Operation Revive going? Have you made any headway?”
“Well, we have more participants than expected, which is fantastic. Naia has been such a valuable asset to our team. I’m pleased that she decided to stick around. Without her . . .” his voice trailed off as a message appeared on his phone. “Speak of the devil.”
Emery and Alexis both stopped eating, their eyes trained on their father.
“Excuse me for just a minute, girls,” he said as he slid his chair away from the table. He opened the back door and stepped onto the patio. He’d only skimmed the message, but its contents required he give Naia a call. As much as he hated interrupting dinner with his daughters, he needed to know what she’d found out in the lab.
His call was answered on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Naia, it’s Byron.” They were past formalities at this point. “I received your message. Any updates?”
“Yes, and a big one at that. We’ve found something.”
“What is it? What did you find?” he pressed.
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Naia,” he asked, feeling frantic, “are you there?”
“You need to see this for yourself.” She paused. “Byron, we’ve found a pattern.”
15
The next day, Emery and Alexis sat on the couch, replaying the message that had aired earlier that morning. Their father’s voice blared from the speakers:
Our tests have confirmed that there is a direct link between the illness and those that had lethargum injected into their bloodstreams for extended periods of time. Symptoms include lethargy, grey discoloration of the skin, nausea, memory loss, and, in severe cases, schizophrenia.
“He didn’t mention death,” Alexis pointed out as she clicked the holovision off.
“That’s probably because no one’s died.”
“Yet,” Alexis added. “No one’s died, yet.”
“That’s a morbid thing to say,” Emery scolded. “It’s a good thing no one’s died. It means we might actually have time to find the appropriate treatment, or, better yet, a cure.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Alexis agreed. “Let’s just hope they figure it out soon, for all our sakes.”
Her sister was right. Even though their own conditions had seemed to let up a little, there were many who were growing progressively worse with each passing day. They’d planned on going into headquarters that morning, but Naia had declined, saying there was no need. “As long as your conditions aren’t getting worse, consider the illness latent,” she’d said. Emery considered herself to be one of the lucky ones; her sister, too.
She switched gears. “So, what do you think about dad?”
Alexis’s face lit up. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he was the Commander of 7S!” She punched her sister playfully in the arm. “Coolest dad ever. Seriously.”
Emery couldn’t help but laugh. “Why do you say that?”
“Duh. Because he runs the most powerful organization in the world.”
Emery raised an eyebrow. “That’s your only reason?”
Alexis’s cheeks flushed a rosy shade of pink. “And he helps people,” she added quickly, “not to mention, he cares about making things better.”
“There it is,” Emery teased. “We might be biased, but that’s the answer I was looking for.”
Alexis rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You know what I mean.” She glanced at her phone, hoping it would give her a reason to change the subject. “Hey, have you heard from Torin yet?”
Emery pulled her phone from the coffee table and swiped her finger over the holoscreen. No missed calls. No unread messages. “Nope,” she answered. “Maybe I should call him.”
Alexis nodded. “That’s a good idea. He ma
y have gotten lost.”
Today was a big day. It was the day Torin would move their mother from his apartment and bring her home. Both Emery and Alexis had agreed that putting their mother in a semi-familiar setting might actually have a positive effect on restoring her memory. And, seeing as her memory hadn’t improved the way they’d hoped, there really wasn’t much to lose. Torin had fought with them, disagreeing with their reasoning, but in the end, they’d won. Sandra was their mother, not his.
Emery pulled up Torin’s contact information and pressed the call button. It rang and rang, seven times in total, and just as her call was about to go to holomail, he answered.
“Hello?” His voice sounded raspy. The hologram was just a shadow, and she wondered why he’d disabled it for their call.
“Hey, it’s Emery and Alexis. We just wanted to check on you and make sure everything was okay.”
Silence filled the airwaves.
“You there?”
More silence.
“Hello? Torin?”
Nothing.
“Torin, are you there?”
“Yeah,” his voice cracked, “I’m here.”
Emery’s heart dropped into her stomach. Just from the tone of his voice, she knew something terrible had happened. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“Em, I don’t know how to tell you this . . .”
She swallowed as her mouth went dry. “Tell me what?”
“It’s your mom, Em,” Torin choked. “She . . . she passed away just a few minutes ago.”
And just like that, her entire world shattered.
16
It wasn’t getting any easier.
Emery walked up and down the aisles of her late mother’s greenhouse. It had been four days since she’d passed away. Four days of shock, anger, and despair cycling over and over again. She’d kept herself busy, as busy as humanly possible, but nothing seemed to distract her long enough. Not to mention, everything she did reminded her of her mother. The worst part was that her mother hadn’t even remembered her or Alexis. To her, she and her sister had been ghosts—a long forgotten memory that had never resurfaced and never would again.
Restitution (The Alpha Drive Book 3) Page 5
