Chamaeleon: Book 3.5 of The Stardust Series

by Autumn Reed

  “Hey, Jackson. What’s up?” I asked, hoping my voice sounded calm.

  “Can you get logged into the system?”

  Concerned by his brusque tone, I said, “Yeah. Is everything okay?”

  “No. Haley left and we need to track her.”

  “What?” I jumped from the couch. “Why?”

  I listened in silence while Jackson described the efforts already made to find her and the plan of action going forward. As usual, he was brief, to the point, and I appreciated that now more than ever as I paced behind the couch.

  “Chase?” he said after finishing his instructions. “You got all that?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Unless you have any questions, I’ll let you get to it.”

  I ended the call without so much as a goodbye, and ignoring Kyle's questioning glance, I stalked into my bedroom and slammed the door behind me. What the hell is going on? First Ethan and now Haley. My life was spinning out of control, and I was powerless to stop it.

  Pacing back and forth on the carpet, my muscles were coiled like a spring wound tight and my jaw ached from clenching it so hard. In a burst of panic, I shoved the random computer parts from my desk, sending them crashing to the floor.

  I braced my hands against my knees and stared at the mess, struggling to remember a time when I had felt so helpless. And, now, everyone was counting on me to find Haley. What if I didn't succeed? As the youngest member of the team, I still aspired to prove my value on a daily basis.

  Yanking on my short hair, I growled, “Enough.” My petulant outburst was wasting time. Jackson and I were both working different tech angles, but I knew that if anyone could discover where Haley had disappeared to, it was me.

  I stepped over the debris littering my floor, ignoring it for now, and grabbed my laptop. Sitting on my bed, I leaned against the headboard and plugged in my headphones to stream music. I lost track of time scanning the bus routes, pulling camera feeds from various cities, and trying to determine where she went. It took hours, but finally, around one in the morning, I had something—a clear shot of Haley. What is she doing in San Francisco?

  Chapter 7: Haley

  Sunday, April 26th

  When I opened my blurry eyes to the unwelcome sight of the seedy motel room, I immediately closed them again, wishing the past thirty-two hours were nothing more than a nightmare. But the scratchy sheets and scent of stale cigarette smoke convinced me that I was, in fact, living a new reality. One without my comfy bed and morning runs with Knox and lively breakfasts with Theo. One that felt pretty freaking bleak at the moment.

  Now wide awake, I urged myself to get a start on the day. Surprisingly, I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow the night before. Apparently my recent problems sleeping had benefitted me this once, and after my adrenaline-filled day, I managed to get a full night of sleep.

  Remembering my first task for the day, I was tempted to stay in the lumpy motel bed forever. Considering everything else going on, it should have been trivial, but just thinking about dyeing my hair was about to set off the waterworks once again. It’s better than chopping it all off, I grudgingly reminded myself.

  I knew that I needed to change my look for the sake of my new identity. And since my dad made my hair look darker than usual in the photo ID he’d left in the safe deposit box, I decided to go with black. Forcing myself out of bed, I read the directions on the box of dye I’d picked up the night before and took one last long look in the mirror. Goodbye, dark reddish-brown.

  After preparing and then applying the dye, I anxiously waited the requisite twenty-five minutes before rinsing and conditioning my hair. I combed through the wet strands, thankful to see that the black seemed to have turned out okay. Pausing for a moment to work up the nerve, I peered in the mirror again and sighed. Hello, “Jet Blue Black.”

  My reflection was confusing, even though I was expecting the change. My eyes kept flickering back and forth between my hair and face, trying to make sense of my new appearance. It wasn’t that I looked that different. More that the black highlighted certain features that my natural color didn’t. My skin looked paler than usual, and my hazel eyes appeared brighter somehow.

  I blow-dried my hair as straight as I could manage, but I knew I’d have to invest in a flat iron to achieve the desired look. To finish off my new, edgier image, I cut long bangs that dusted my eyebrows, added a thick line of black eyeliner, darkened my eyebrows with a pencil, and applied red lipstick. All-in-all, I was pleased with the result. I wouldn’t fool anyone who knew me well, but everyone else would at least need to take a second glance.

  In fact, it almost reminded me of Kenzi—the raven-colored hair and red lips, at least. And, Kenzi naturally made me think of Theo. What would he, or any of the guys, think of this change? Although Theo loved my natural color, I thought he might appreciate this more dramatic look.

  Since I had only driven about four hours the previous evening, I didn’t waste any time getting back on the road. I wasn’t looking forward to the six-hour trip but wanted to make it to Portland before dark so I could find someplace decent to stay. Well, relatively decent. I was paying in cash, which meant no luxurious chain hotels for me.

  Although I was no longer an emotional mess, the long drive gave me way too much time to think about what, and who, I was leaving behind. I tried to focus on my plans for the immediate future, but there was only so much brainstorming I could do. Thankfully, much of the trip was scenic, and I was able to find a little enjoyment in admiring my surroundings.

  When I finally reached the outskirts of Portland, I managed to muster a miniscule amount of excitement at the opportunity to explore a new city. At least Portland was known for being quirky and interesting. If I had a chance, there were several places I wanted to visit—Voodoo Doughnuts, Powell’s Books, and the Portland Rose Garden.

  After driving aimlessly for a while, I spotted a motel that didn’t look too bad and pulled in. The neighborhood was run-down enough to be questionable but not overly scary. In that moment, I was grateful for my car’s dilapidated appearance; if it looked any nicer, I wasn’t sure it would still be in the lot come morning.

  Walking into the lobby, I was relieved to find a guy about my age behind the front desk reading a comic book. When he saw me, he dropped the comic and stood clumsily. “May I help you?” he asked shyly, brushing his shaggy hair out of his face.

  “Do you have any rooms available?” I asked with what I hoped was a winning smile.

  “Yeah,” he stammered. “How many nights?”

  “First, can you tell me if you accept cash? I don’t have a card.”

  “Technically, we’re supposed to have a credit or debit card on file even if you pay cash.”

  My smile fell. “Is there any way you can make an exception?” I pleaded. “I’ll even pay in advance.”

  He looked around and, not seeing anyone lurking about, nodded. “Just don’t tell my boss.”

  “I promise,” I said happily. “And I’ll take the room for five nights, please.” Although I wasn’t intending to commit to the room for that long, I didn’t know if I’d find him alone again and decided not to risk it. Fortunately, he only required payment for one night as a deposit, and I breathed a little easier. If the room ended up being horrid, I would cancel the reservation and get the heck out of there.

  After he handed me the keys, I remembered what I had intended to ask before booking the room. “Do you happen to have a computer with internet access for guests to use?”

  “Yeah. The business center is down that hall to the left. It’s not much, but there are two computers for you to choose from.”

  “Thank you so much for your help. Have a nice evening,” I said, truly appreciative that he helped me out, even if only because he thought I was cute. Hopefully he wouldn’t get in trouble.

  I spent the rest of the evening in the business center researching housing options. Since I assumed leasing an apartment was out of the question due to
my lack of a job and rental and credit history, I explored alternatives. My original plan had been to find a hotel that offered long-term stays, but they were significantly more expensive than I expected. I jotted down a couple of the hotels in case I didn’t find anything else, then moved on.

  A thorough Craigslist search revealed a number of options that I hadn’t previously considered. Apparently it was common for people to place an advertisement when they had a room for rent. I couldn’t imagine living in the same house as strangers, but some of the rentals were for a guest house or above-the-garage apartment, which didn’t sound too bad. I printed out the most promising ads and called it a night. Tomorrow I would check out the neighborhoods and start looking for a job. I can do this, I told myself for the hundredth time since leaving Santa Cruz. Only time would tell if I was right.

  Chapter 8: Jackson

  Monday, April 27th

  I stalked the empty conference room like a caged animal, reminded of why I’d suggested jaguar for our team name. Although I was typically tamer these days, the events of the past sixty-six hours had pushed buttons I didn’t even know I had. If I didn’t cool off before Ethan walked through that door, I’d probably pounce and tear his throat out. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

  While I was still angry at Ethan for ditching the team, the bulk of my frustration stemmed from the fact that we’d yet to discover any promising leads on Haley’s whereabouts beyond the greater San Francisco area. I couldn’t believe that she’d slipped through our fingers so easily. It was almost as if she had been trained in the art of disappearing, and I was beginning to wonder if her father had taught her more than she’d disclosed. Not that I could blame Taylor; living in hiding for so long had to extinguish a man’s ability to trust.

  If only I understood why she left. I’d been over everything a million times and couldn’t make sense of it. Thinking back to when she stayed with me, I could have sworn Haley had completely adjusted to life in Santa Cruz . . . as one of us. And, as complicated as things had apparently gotten for her romantically, she didn’t seem the type to be intimidated by challenging relationships. There had to be something else going on.

  I was still pacing when the rest of the guys filed in for the meeting. Taking notice of the wary glances tossed my direction, I barely held in a snide laugh. In the last few days, I’d continually been in tyrant mode, and I knew they were all waiting for me to officially snap. Things were so out of control right now, and if there was one thing I hated, it was the loss of control.

  “Okay, let’s get started,” I said impatiently. “Ethan and Patrick will be here in about fifteen minutes, so we need to have a brief discussion about Haley now that we’re all together. Does anyone have a theory about why she left?”

  “Because Liam and Chase couldn’t keep their paws off of her?” Theo muttered.

  “I’m sure we can all agree that Haley was likely conflicted from all of the pawing, and not just by Liam and Chase,” I said wryly. “But I believe there’s more to it. Other thoughts?”

  “Maybe she was afraid DuBois was going to find her,” Chase responded.

  “So she went off on her own to somewhere she’d have no protection?” Knox asked, disbelieving. “Anyway, she doesn’t scare that easy. It must have something to do with her father; nothing else makes sense. My guess is he reached out to her and told her to keep it a secret.”

  I nodded. “I’ve considered the same. Her loyalty to Taylor would keep her from telling us the plan.”

  “If that’s the case, should we keep looking for her?” Chase asked, his expression uncertain. Knox growled, and Chase continued quickly, “I’m just as worried about her as the rest of you, but if she wanted us to know where she was going, she would have told us. Surely she’ll contact us when the time is right.”

  Liam spoke for the first time, and my attention swung in his direction and picked up on the shadows under his eyes and unusual pallor to his skin. It wasn’t like him to stay quiet even this long, especially since Theo made that crack about him pawing Haley. Now that I thought about it, Liam had reacted rather oddly when I called him to break the news about Haley disappearing. He hadn’t spoken for almost a minute, and I’d had to confirm he was still on the line. Is this what Liam looks like in love? I mused.

  “We can sit here and conjecture about her reasoning all we want, but does it even matter?” he asked. “Regardless of her reasons, we should at least find her and make sure she’s safe. Then we can figure out our next move.”

  “I agree with Liam,” I said. “We need to locate her no matter what, but discovering her motives may help lead us to her somehow. Any other ideas?”

  Theo pulled a piece of stationery out of his pocket and carefully unfolded it. “It’s not much help, but this is the note she left,” he said.

  “Blimey,” Liam exclaimed, snatching the paper out of Theo’s hand. “Why are we just now hearing about a note?”

  Theo frowned, looking confused. “I told Jackson about it right away.”

  I thought back and, after a few seconds, remembered Theo mentioning Haley leaving a note and her keys behind. “That’s right. With everything else, it slipped my mind. What does it say?”

  Liam scanned the note, then read it aloud, his tone somber. “‘I don’t have the words to fully express how much you all mean to me. The day you exploded into my life, everything changed . . . for better and worse. As difficult as the separation from my dad has been, I could never regret the past seven months. Somehow, you made me feel secure when all I should have been feeling was lost, and for that, I will be forever grateful. I will miss you more than I can say, but it’s time to move on. Please don’t look for me—my leaving is for the best. Haley.’”

  The room fell silent as her words sank in. Did she honestly believe that her leaving was for the best? I had no doubt that every person in this room disagreed with her, so what was she thinking? Reining in my frustration, I checked the time and sighed. We needed to table this discussion and focus on our other crisis.

  As soon as I caught sight of Ethan through the conference room window, I felt my blood pressure spike. Although I knew it was imperative to keep my cool during this meeting, I was more than ready to lash out at him for causing trouble, especially now.

  Ethan entered the room on Uncle’s heels and chose the seat farthest away from the rest of us. His face was expressionless as he crossed his arms over his chest defiantly. Well, this is bound to go great, I thought sarcastically.

  Uncle joined me at the front of the room and gave me an encouraging smile. “We’ll get started in a minute, but first, Jax has something he would like to ask you about, Ethan.”

  Not wasting any time, I asked, “Do you have any idea where Haley is?”

  He laughed harshly. “No, why would I?”

  “When was the last time you spoke to her?”

  “Tuesday night. Why? What’s going on?” he asked, suspicious.

  “She left Saturday morning and we’ve been unable to track her location past the bus station in San Francisco.”

  “What the fuck, Jackson?” Ethan yelled angrily, his eyes attempting to drill holes right through me. “I’m off the team for a few days, and you’ve already managed to lose Haley? You must be so proud,” he spat, “fucking spy of the year.”

  “Ethan,” Uncle said gently yet firmly, “I know you’re upset, but let’s stay focused on the issue at hand. Do you have any idea where Haley might have gone?”

  He looked directly at me when he responded. “No, but good for her. She figured out she’s better off without you much quicker than I did.”

  In that moment, my entire body relaxed. I should have been outraged by Ethan’s venomous words, but instead, all I felt was relief. He had obviously made up his mind about leaving the team and there was no point arguing with him. I still felt guilty about not fixing things with him sooner, but I now realized that this wasn’t all about me. Ethan was consumed with anger and bitterness, and there was nothing I,
or any of us, could do about it.

  With nothing more to be said about Haley’s whereabouts, Uncle took over the meeting, citing the repercussions if Ethan officially quit the team. Not only would Jaguar experience stricter oversight (to prevent any future team rifts), Ethan would be placed on a lengthy probationary period and be forced to drift from assignment to assignment as needed. His salary would be negatively affected, and joining another team would prove challenging, because he would likely be seen as a risk. All things considered, leaving the team was a bad career move for Ethan as well as being a headache for the rest of us.

  After Uncle was finished going over the obligatory information about team dismissal, he spoke directly to Ethan. “Zenith protocol aside, you know I consider you one of the family. What can we do to work this out?”

  Ethan shrugged. “There’s nothing to work out. I’ve made my decision.”

  “Think about what you’re doing,” Chase pleaded. “None of us want you to leave.”

  Ethan’s face softened slightly, but he shook his head. “You don’t get it, Chase. I don’t want to be here anymore. I don’t belong.”

  My temper rising once again, I said, “That’s bullshit. You belong as much as the rest of us. You’re choosing to abandon the team, not the other way around.”

  Ethan stood, scowling. “This is a waste of time. I have nothing more to say.” He started to leave but turned around and planted his hands on the table. Leaning toward me, he smirked and said, “And, just so you know, if you weren’t constantly trying to control Haley like you control the rest of us, she probably wouldn’t have felt the need to disappear.” With those parting words, he stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut.