An Army of One: The Extraordinary Series

by Eaton, Pam

  “Really?” I ask Daemon, rolling my eyes

  He rubs a hand over his face, and after a deep breath he looks straight at Mr. Smith. “Ask away,” he tells him.

  I put a hand on Mr. Smith’s arm. “Can we try something a little different?” I ask. “What if Gregory reads his mind, and you decide if it’s truthful?”

  “Do you think that’ll work?” Mr. Smith asks.

  I shrug. “Worth a try,” I tell him.

  He nods and looks at Daemon. “Show us what you know,” he tells him.

  I grab both Gregory and Mr. Smith’s hands and close my eyes. Gregory delves into Daemon’s mind, and it’s a little chaotic at first until Daemon focuses in on a memory with Thompson.

  “Do you have the location?” Rivers asks Daemon and Thompson.

  “It was hard,” Thompson says. “Whoever is their IT person is amazing. I never thought we’d be able to figure this out. But I planted a pretty small virus in the game that helps get in through the back door. It finally worked.”

  Rivers moves closer to the computer screen, leaning heavily on his cane. “Good. Pull up their location on the satellite.”

  Thompson starts working away on his computer. Daemon stands a little taller so he can see the screen. “What does that say on the map?” he asks, squinting at it.

  “Fordlandia?” Thompson asks. “What is that?”

  Rivers chuckles. “Ford built a compound in the middle of the Amazon so they could harvest the rubber for tires. They tried to put American suburbia in the middle of the jungle. It failed.” Rivers shakes his head, looking impressed. “Genius place to hide.”

  “It’s not showing anything on the infrared,” Thompson says, typing some more.

  “What do you mean?” Rivers asks, practically growling.

  “There’s no one there,” he says, pointing at the screen.

  Rivers shuffles closer. “Could they be cloaking themselves?” he asks, hovering closer to Thompson’s shoulder.

  Thompson shudders slightly, and I wonder if anyone else caught that. “If they are, there’s no way to tell. We’d have to actually go there.”

  Rivers steps back up. “Let me think on this,” he says and slowly walks out of the room.

  “What do you think?” Daemon asks once Rivers leaves the room.

  Thompson turns in his chair. “I don’t know. I’ve never met anyone that can cloak an entire town. But this is where Tony was playing the game, so I’ve got to assume they’re still there.”

  “And you’re sure it’s Tony?” Daemon asks.

  Thompson leans back in his chair. “Yeah. When he was brought in, they went through every piece of his life. If he signed onto anything Henderson immediately knew and alerted Rivers.”

  Daemon looks back at the door Rivers just left through. “What do you think he’s going to do?”

  “Probably capture all he can and then take out those he can’t.” He says it like it’s not a big deal. Like there aren’t kids here, little innocent babies.

  I drop Gregory’s and Mr. Smith’s hands and slouch back against the couch. I rub a hand across my forehead. Gregory opens his mouth, but I stop him. “Just give me a moment.” That took so much energy out of me, and yet I still want to get up and punch Daemon in the face.

  I turn my head to Mr. Smith. “Was that memory true?”

  “Yes,” he says, and in that one word I can hear, and feel, his fury.

  Daemon’s cocky demeanor has fled. His eyes stay on the floor. I shake my head, anger surging to the forefront. I push myself off the couch, and on unsteady legs I walk over to Daemon. He looks up at the sound of my steps.

  “Do you know how many kids I’ve found in cages? Treated like lab rats?” His eyes dart away.

  No one stops me. No one tries to intervene.

  “No, look at me.” The words snap out of me like a whip. “You don’t get to avoid this. You helped that man. You helped him ruin the lives of so many. Were you there when Eloise had to watch them murder her parents? Were you there when they left Luca to die, trapped in a cage? How many lives have you ruined?” With every question I get closer and closer to him, until I’m right in his face, forcing him to hear my words.

  “I know, all right?” he says, agitated. “But do you remember who we’re talking about? Rivers has the power of persuasion. And he wields that so well. At first you think you’re doing something good. He makes it seem like a noble cause. But then when we realize what’s going on, it’s like we’re in too deep.”

  My mind flashes to Sariah and when I tracked her down in England after she kidnapped Poppy. Her anger about kidnapping Poppy was so vivid, but those men quickly pointed out that she was a part of this now. She went down that road, and instead of getting off of it, she kept going.

  Daemon leans in to me. And I stand my ground, not backing up. “I’m here because I’ve got to do something, and I can’t do it alone.”

  “He’s being honest,” Mr. Smith says, and for a moment I had forgotten everyone was here.

  I turn back to the room. “What do we do?” I ask, lost. “These people here are only somewhat trained. And those with any control of their powers are no match for the people with Rivers.”

  “How long do we have?” Tiberius asks, looking at Daemon.

  Daemon rubs at his face. “I don’t know,” he says, frustrated.

  “Where do they think you are?” Mr. Smith asks him.

  Daemon runs a hand roughly through his hair. “I’m supposed to be back in the states. Meeting with a contact at Project Lightning.”

  That causes everyone in the room to come to attention. “Who?” Mr. Smith asks.

  “Arianna.”

  Xavier curses and Mr. Smith looks livid. “How did I not see that?” Mr. Smith says to himself.

  I lean closer to Gregory. “Who the heck is that?” I ask him.

  “She did orientation with you. Redhead from South Carolina?” He says it like a question, probably trying to jog my memory.

  I tilt my head back and forth. “Yeah, not really ringing a bell. I remember a Southern accent. But that’s about it.”

  He shakes his head at me. “Her dad was a close friend of Mr. Smith.”

  “I wonder if Rivers got to her like he got to Sariah,” I say.

  Gregory makes a humming noise. “You might be right.”

  Tiberius’s phone rings and he steps out of the room to answer it.

  “We can worry about that later,” Mr. Smith butts in. “With how long it took you to get here, and how long you’ve been out of contact, they’ve got to know something is up.”

  Tiberius walks back into the room. “Walter has everyone assembled. We need to go and give them a heads-up. Daemon, you better stay here in the house. The last thing I want is to incite panic, and I know there are people here who will recognize you.”

  Daemon nods.

  “I’ll stay here with him,” Luca offers.

  “Sounds good. Don’t drop your guard,” Tiberius says, pointing at Daemon.

  We all walk out of the house and Mr. Smith and Raven pause. “Welcome to Fordlandia,” Tiberius says to them, and takes off for the warehouse next to the water tower.

  We follow him down the road. “This place is insane,” Raven says to Xavier.

  They walk ahead of us and I turn to Mr. Smith. “Thoughts?” I ask him.

  Mr. Smith’s eyes drift from house to house, taking it all in. “Part of me doesn’t believe it. I haven’t seen what you two have seen. But watching the memory of Daemon, how was I so wrong about Rivers?” His vulnerability is shocking. Who is this man?

  “I don’t know, but we can’t let him keep going,” I say.

  Gregory grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze. “There’s something else you need to know,” Gregory tells Mr. Smith. “My mind reading is spotty here. There’s a lot of this stone called carnelian here, and that helps block mind reading.”

  Mr. Smith lets out a huff of air. “That’s going to be a problem, especially if we
can’t figure out a plan and get everyone out of here.”

  “I’m starting to think that no matter where we go, he’s going to find us and keep kidnapping more people,” I tell them. “I’m afraid if we don’t take a stand now, we never will.”

  We’re closer to the warehouse, and the sound of multiple voices reaches us. “One step at a time,” Mr. Smith says. “Let’s first figure out how to keep the children safe.”

  We walk into the warehouse and I search the crowd until I find Tiberius. Lucy’s close to his side, along with Walter and Bronia. I head that way, Gregory and Mr. Smith following behind.

  As I get closer, the noise starts to die down, and everyone’s stare is on us. I do my best to smile at some of the kids, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a grimace. Lucy takes a step closer to Tiberius as soon as Mr. Smith comes into view.

  “Walter,” Mr. Smith says, stepping closer and holding out his hand. “It’s so good to see you.”

  Xavier and Raven walk up to our side.

  “Jeremy,” Walter says, shaking Mr. Smith’s hand.

  Jeremy? That’s his name? “Does it freak anyone else out to know his first name?” I whisper to the group.

  “I feel like when he was born, he was wearing a suit and even his mom called him Mr. Smith,” Xavier answers back quietly.

  We all laugh a little.

  “Did you know that was his name?” I side-whisper to Gregory.

  “Maybe? No one ever calls him that, so if I had heard it, it would have been years ago,” Gregory says, looking as surprised as the rest of us.

  I don’t think I can ever think of him by his first name. It’s too weird.

  Walter ignores all of us. “When Ania died, I was afraid for Bronia. I won’t apologize for leaving.”

  “After what I’ve learned, I don’t blame you one bit,” Mr. Smith says. They share a look that I can’t quite discern, but they obviously do. And by the nods they exchange, I assume they’ve come to some agreement.

  “Everyone’s here now, so let’s get this going,” Tiberius says, cutting through the tension.

  “Can I get everyone’s attention?” he calls out to the crowd. Everyone settles down and focuses on him. “I hate to have to tell you this, especially because I promised you a safe haven here. But we just found out that there’s a strong possibility that we’ve been discovered.”

  Cries of anguish and fear sound throughout the room. I watch a mother clutch her daughter close to her. Tiberius holds his hands up, trying to calm everyone down. “You need to know what’s happening, but what I need right now is for you all to try and stay calm. We have to work together. This is our home. We’re coming up with a plan now, but I need everyone who thinks they have a handle on their powers to come see me.”

  I turn to Gregory and Mr. Smith. “We’re going to fight back and defend Fordlandia. What are the odds of Project Lightning aiding us?”

  “We’re already invested in this. And these are my people too, no matter how they became that way. I won’t turn my back on them,” Mr. Smith says firmly.

  Over his shoulder I see a look of pride on Walter’s face. Gregory squeezes my hand. “Together,” he says.

  Thirty-Seven

  For the next two hours the majority of the village comes to Tiberius’s house, wanting to fight in any way they can. Even some of the kids. But we’ve agreed unanimously that the kids need to be put somewhere safe.

  “You can’t make me go with them,” Bronia says, stomping her foot and unfortunately putting a hole in the wood floor of Tiberius’s living room, aka our war room. At least she looks a little bit sheepish about it.

  “It’s not safe—” Walter starts to say, but I interrupt him.

  “We need you to protect them,” I tell her. “I know Luca’s been working with you. We need your strength. We need to guard these kids. All their parents are going to be here, but with you keeping them safe, it’ll make them feel a lot better and be able to concentrate.”

  I’m stretching the truth a bit here. But I know Bronia can keep them safe. Plus, some of these kids have a good handle on their powers. I have no doubt these guys are a formidable force, but none of us want them to watch what will probably unfold. They’ve already endured too much. They’ve already seen more than any child should have to see. People are going to die, and they shouldn’t be a witness of that.

  “Can you do that for us?” I ask Bronia.

  “Yes.” Her voice is firm and filled with conviction. And I’m pretty sure I hear Walter let out a sigh of relief.

  “Good. Now, where should we move the kids?” Mr. Smith asks.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep them here. Even hidden, it’s too dangerous,” Lucy says.

  Thankfully, she seems okay with Mr. Smith. I wasn’t sure how she’d feel about him since Rivers was his mentor. But once he offered the help of all the agents at his disposal, she seemed comfortable with him.

  “What about my home back in the states?” Walter offers. “No one would even think to check there. And it would take a while for them to get back to the states.”

  “That could definitely work,” Gregory says. “We need to move them soon, though. Because with the amount Becca is going to be transporting, it’s going to tire her out quickly.”

  “There’s a lot of globe hopping you’re going to have to do,” Mr. Smith warns me.

  I stand tall, steel infusing my spine. “Don’t have much of a choice, do we?” I ask him.

  “I suggest we move the children first,” Tiberius says, wiping at his eyes. “We need everyone else focusing on strategy. We’ve got to somehow turn these people into soldiers in a day.”

  Lucy puts a hand on his arm, and he grabs it with his other hand. I know he’s feeling horrible right now. Sadly, the guilt is threatening to swallow me. I’m the one who put everyone in the spotlight.

  “If you hadn’t been pushing to dismantle more of these labs, then more people would be taken and experimented on. Do not feel guilt for saving lives.” I look down and Gregory’s hand is on my knee, letting him read my thoughts.

  “The only person to blame is Rivers,” Lucy says, hatred flooding her voice when she says his name. “He’s the one who is doing this. Don’t look at yourself as an enemy. Because you aren’t. And you need to remember that; otherwise it’ll cripple you. We are the victims. Not that man. That man is the reason your grandparents aren’t here right now working alongside us. That man is the reason Gregory was tortured for months. That horrid man is the reason I’ll never be able to carry my own children.”

  Tears stream down Lucy’s face. And I feel my throat work to hold the ugly emotions that want to come spilling out. “So don’t you dare feel anything bad about this. Don’t you even feel an ounce of guilt.” She throws her arm out, pointing towards the window. “Those little girls are out playing because you gave them a chance at childhood. They are able to smile because you pushed yourself to be able use your enhancing power to help track them faster and sooner than we could ever imagine. Without you, it could have taken years to uncover all these places. And by then…who knows what the world would look like now.”

  The room falls silent, her words causing it to fill with an emotion I can’t even name. Because it’s more than sadness, more than determination. We’re at a precipice here. And I think we all can feel it.

  * * *

  “I’ve been having Luca train the people,” I blurt out to the room.

  Tiberius’s brows rise at that bit of news, and Lucy smiles wide.

  “Whether they were born with powers or had them forced upon them, they have them now. They should know how to use them so they can protect themselves. And I think we all knew deep down that this day would come. It was only a matter of time,” I tell them, my voice rising with conviction.

  “I’m glad you asked Luca to do that. I should have done that from the beginning,” Tiberius says.

  Lucy puts a hand on his arm. “They needed normalcy at first. And you gave them tha
t.”

  “You’ve created a community in which people trust one another. That alone is a hard thing to accomplish. Don’t diminish that,” Mr. Smith says.

  I clear my throat, drawing the attention of the room. “There’s something else I need to tell you guys,” I say.

  Everyone in the room exchanges looks. “Since I got my powers, I started having dreams. But they aren’t normal. I’m not even sure if they count as dreams.” I take a deep breath and brace. “My mom is in them.”

  Mr. Smith sits up in his seat, and I watch Walter’s eyes widen.

  “And before you guys say anything about it’s just my mind conjuring her, it’s not. There’s someone, somewhere out there, whose power is to dream walk.”

  Gregory stiffens at my side, but I grab his hand, letting him into my mind while I tell the rest of the group.

  Xavier swears, and Raven turns white.

  “In the beginning she would give me warnings, and the dreams were always so cryptic, but lately it’s been more specific. And during the last dream, they told me that a choice was coming that would either render us more aid or leave us to our own devices.”

  “What does that even mean?” Xavier asks, hands fisted by his side.

  “I have no clue,” I tell him, sounding as confused as I feel. “It’s like being in every cliché mystery movie you can think of.” Sadly, I’m being completely honest.

  “Why haven’t you told us sooner?” Tiberius asks.

  I look over at Walter, and his face scrunches in confusion. “Because Ania told me not to. She knew my mom didn’t really overdose. She knew my mom was killed and told me to have my guard up.”

  “What?” Walter whispers, and the room goes still.

  “Mr. Rivers had her killed because she was no use to him. Her body was so ruined from all the drug use that she was worthless for his experiments, but he knew I existed.”

  Lucy drops Tiberius’s hand and rushes over to me. She throws her arms around me, hugging me tightly. “I’m so sorry,” she says into my hair.