Whatever the reason for her previous hesitations, she’d decided to move forward. She refused to second guess herself now. Fate would decide what would happen between them.
“Are you okay?” Yasif asked, obviously sensing her inner turmoil.
She smiled and touched his cheek. “I’m fine. Just wondering why it took me so long.”
Yasif grinned, his cheeks slightly reddened. He drew himself close to her, laying his head on her chest. They stayed, holding each other, for some time. It wasn’t until they heard Jake curse downstairs that they decided it was time to move.
“We’re missing something!” They heard Jake shout as they descended the stairs. Just when they entered the control room, he slammed a notebook on the counter and ran his fingers through his messy hair.
Sally was pretty sure he hadn’t showered in a couple days.
“Dude, chill! What’s wrong?” Yasif carried a smile with him all the way to the terminal.
“You’re in a good mood,” Jake commented and glanced over at Sally. “Oh! Right.” Then he returned to his screen.
“What’s going on?” Idric walked in, eating a candy bar.
“Nothing,” Jake said, curtly.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you what happened with Mrs. Padilla.” He then shared his encounter in the office.
“That’s odd.” Lani had just joined them in the control room.
“Yeah, I thought so, too.” Idric nodded.
“We still can’t connect what’s happening at the school to everything else that’s going on.” Yasif didn’t take his gaze off the screen. “We’ve crossed Genome Synergistics off our list since it seems to be a bogus company, but the One Faith Movement is spreading like wildfire.”
“What do we know for sure?” Sally asked as though she really didn’t want to know the answer.
“Only that Van der Haak is definitely behind all this,” Yasif replied.
“What does this Van der Haak guy want?” Idric stood next to Lani.
“We don’t know.” Jake had bags under his eyes and was beginning to look a bit like he did when they’d first met him. “We had trouble making any connections at first because it appeared that Van der Haak had nothing to do with the movement. His name isn’t on their website or in any of the literature we were able to find. It’s as if he’s the leader of this group, but doesn’t want anyone to know. All it says is that One Faith Movement is meant to unite all people under the One True Faith.”
“What does that mean?” Lani inquired.
“It doesn’t really matter.” Sally was becoming impatient. Now that she was back in the game, she wanted real answers, not speculation. “It’s just a crazy group. There has to be something else this guy is connected with.”
“Now hold on just a minute.” Jake raised a finger. “Don’t discount it just yet. Think about it. If these shape-shifter things want some degree of control. What’s the perfect way to get it without being blatant about it?”
Sally shook her head. “I’m not following.”
“I think I am,” Yasif said. “What if they weren’t here to invade? What if they just want people to buy into whatever it is they’re selling? Wrap it up in a neat little package and sell it as a cause, something people can get behind.”
“Whatever.” Sally waved him off. “People aren’t going to join a group just because it’s new in town.”
“No, but think about how all these cult groups get started,” Jake said. “Someone comes up with an idea that they can rally people around and they get a bunch together who agree. Eventually, it becomes a cult following.”
“But you’re talking about people who believe in something real,” Sally said.
“What is real?” Yasif shrugged. “Churches worship gods. Are they really that different?”
“But these people aren’t worshipping God,” Sally said.
“That’s the point,” Jake said. “They don’t have to. They just have to sell something that people can feel good about supporting.”
Sally huffed. “People aren’t that stupid.”
A moment later, Jake pulled up a video feed on his screen. A group of people kneeled before the man in the top hat, praying for the victims of the fire.
To Sally it looked as though they were praying to him.
Jake motioned at the screen. “There are a lot of people who are very desperate for someone to lead them out of the darkness.”
“It’s like those cult people,” Idric said. “You know? The ones who all committed suicide? They all thought they were going to be taken up to some heaven when they died.”
“Yeah, but that’s a fringe cult.” Sally was still having a hard time accepting the idea. “Those people were crazy.”
Lani spoke up. “I had some very close friends who bought into the idea that the world was going to end back in 2012. They were such firm believers; they sold their house and all their belongings to follow the man who preached this idea. These were not crazy people. They just believed something wholeheartedly.”
Sally gave her an inquisitive glance. “Why would anyone buy in to that kind of stuff?”
“Who knows?” Lani shrugged. “I never understood why they did it. Even after the world didn’t end, they still believed this guy would find the right answers in time. Not everyone will go running for this new church, but there will be a few. If the shape-shifters can convince them of something they think is worth fighting for, they have an army at their disposal.”
The idea was foreign to Sally. She couldn’t imagine why people would dedicate their lives to something just because they were told so by another person. “Okay, assuming this is real, how do we stop them?”
“I don’t know that we can,” Jake said.
They all looked at him.
Jake shrugged. “Well? What have we done that’s even been remotely effective?”
“He’s got a point.” Yasif nodded.
“There’s also the problem that we have no idea what they’re after,” Lani added. “We don’t even know if they’re here to do more than just observe.”
Sally turned to Lani. “Um, I think that little attack on my mom’s place and the one in Mt. Holly proved they’re not just observing.”
“What do we do then? Just sit around and let them get away with all this?” Idric asked.
Yasif frowned. “We need weapons.”
“What weapons can we get that would do anything against what we’ve faced so far?” Jake asked.
It was Yasif’s turn to shrug. “I don’t know, but we certainly can’t fight them with our bare hands.”
“There’s a shop by the mall,” Idric said. “They have lots of cool stuff we can use!”
“Okay, so we go and pick up some stuff.” Sally motioned toward Yasif and Jake. “In the meantime, you two find out whatever you can about what we’re dealing with. Maybe TESSA can piece something together. We need to know what they’re after.”
“Or who,” Lani added.
“Huh?” Sally turned toward the reporter.
“Who says they’re after an object? They could be after a person.”
Sally considered this.
Jake’s eyebrows moved closer together, a thought clearly forming in his mind as he began plugging information into the computer. “TESSA has been running off the assumption these things are here for some sort of invasion. It never even occurred to me it could be something different.” He made a sound of frustration. “I need something bigger. Yasif, can you give me a hand?”
“Sure thing!”
The two of them together reminded Sally of when Yasif and Daniel would spend late nights together building the server. The two boys returned a few minutes later carrying a large flat-panel monitor.
“Dad was supposed to take this thing down to a company for an install, but they wound up going with a different product, and it’s just been sitting here ever since.” Jake strained to lift the thing onto a nearby counter. He left again and returned with a few cables. Within mi
nutes, he had the display presenting information. “Okay, now I just need to program an output interface.”
“How long will that take?” Sally asked.
He scratched his head. “Couple hours?”
Sally figured they’d save time by going for supplies while the two boys worked on the display. She took Lani and Idric in Jake’s car to a nearby outdoor equipment supply store. There they found weapons they could use that wouldn’t draw too much suspicion.
A couple hours later, they returned to play around with their purchases. Idric found a corner in which to sit and fiddle with the slingshot Sally had bought for him. She’d found it amusing that he wanted one. It didn’t seem like the most dangerous of weapons, but he assured her it would come in handy.
Sally came into the control room to find Yasif and Jake had mounted the display panel on the back wall and were both standing in front of it, discussing what was on the screen.
“Find anything useful?”
Yasif turned to her. “Possibly.”
“Here’s your birthday present.” Sally pulled out a large bow from behind her back and tossed it to him.
His eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas as he caught it. “No way!”
“I know how much you liked the archery club, and I figured it suited you.” It was nice to see him smile. “Arrows are in the car.” Sally then turned to Jake. “Wasn’t sure what you were good at, so I got you this.” She held up a canister and a few parts. “I figure with some tweaking, you could make it in to something useful.”
“Nice!” Jake nodded slightly, looking it over.
“How did you manage to get all this?” Yasif asked.
“Been saving. Wasn’t what I planned on using the money for, but this seemed more important right now.”
“Take a look at this.” Jake pointed to information on the screen. “Here’s James Van der Haak. All the information we’ve found is hyperlinked to the source of the data. We were able to confirm that The One Faith Movement isn’t new. It’s been around for quite a while, so the shape-shifters couldn’t have started it—”
“Unless they’ve been around longer than we’ve realized,” Yasif suggested.
“You don’t think…” Sally began.
Yasif nodded. “It’s possible they’ve been here longer than just since the disappearances. How else would they know so much about what’s going on?”
Lani cocked her head. “If that’s true, why infiltrate the school?”
Jake shrugged. “We haven’t quite figured that one out.”
Lani motioned with her hand. “It would rule out an invasion.”
“How?” Idric fiddled with the slingshot.
“If they wanted to take over, they’d have done it a long time ago,” Lani explained.
Idric nodded.
“I see your point, but where does that leave us?” Sally asked.
“It’s gotta have something to do with the school,” Yasif said.
Idric glanced up. “How do the disappearances fit into all this?”
“I think they’re linked somehow,” Jake said. “But it doesn’t make sense for them to hang around for so long if all they wanted was to investigate what happened. Why kill Mrs. Padilla and replace her with a shape-shifter?”
“Okay, but what if they’re waiting for Billy and the others to come back?” Idric suggested.
Jake put a finger to his chin. “Interesting. Hadn’t thought of that.” He keyed in the new information.
“This still doesn’t answer our questions,” Lani pointed out.
Yasif nodded. “You’re right. It actually leaves us with more questions.”
Sally crossed her arms and smirked. “You guys are relying way too much on that computer to do your thinking for you.”
“Look at what it’s found so far,” Jake said.
“Yeah, but it’s missing the obvious because it can only analyze data online. Sometimes you’ve got to rely on old-fashioned intuition.”
The two boys gave her a puzzled look.
“Think about it.” She uncrossed her arms and began walking around the room, talking with her hands as she went. “What is the one connection all of these events have in common?”
They stared blankly.
She continued, still pacing. “The first time we encountered these things was at the school, right?” They nodded. “We assumed it had to do with the disappearances. But we encountered the flying creature at my mother’s apartment. Again, we assumed it was because we were investigating the disappearances and it was after us. I thought it was coming for me, but that wasn’t it at all. The last encounter was at Van der Haak’s dummy company. He lured us there for a reason. That creature wanted something and it almost got away with it…”
The boys were now leaning toward her as if hanging on her every word.
Sally stopped and faced them. “Don’t you see? We’ve been looking at this all wrong. What is the only other thing that connects all three of those events?”
Jake and Yasif glanced at each other, then back at Sally and shrugged.
It was Idric who answered. “Me.”
Sally turned to Idric, giving him a sympathetic look. “Lani was right all along. It’s a person they were looking for. It was you that creature tried to take off with. It’s you they want.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
IDRIC STARED WIDE-EYED at Sally. She’d confirmed his worst fear. She was right. These shape-shifters were the danger his parents always spoke of; he should’ve known it, should’ve felt it. He supposed he really didn’t want to because then he’d have to face the truth.
“So let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Yasif said. “You think that Idric is what they’ve been after all along?”
“Yes,” Sally replied. “And I also think I know why.”
Idric glanced up, surprised.
“Idric, you said your people can control the true magic. You said it was different from other magic. Do you know where that magic comes from?”
Fear rose in him. Of course he knew where his magic came from, but he’d been sworn to secrecy never to tell a living soul. He slowly looked up at her and shook his head.
“I’m willing to bet that whatever the source of your power is that’s what they’re after.” She moved across the room again. “The disappearances may be related to everything that’s going on, but it’s clear they’re after something you have, Idric. The only thing that stands out to me is your magic.”
This was it. The moment of truth. Did he continue to hold the secret passed down to him from his parents, or did his parents really mean for him to take that knowledge to his grave.
“How did you figure all that out?” Jake asked.
“Simple logic.” Sally grinned.
Jake and Yasif exchanged glances and smiled. Idric wasn’t sure why. Did they know something, or had they shared a private joke?
Idric shook his head. “This is so not good.”
“What is it, Idric? What’s wrong?” Sally asked.
Idric shifted, rubbing his hands nervously, debating how much to share. If this really was the danger his people faced, could he really do it alone? “I think I might know what they’re after.”
They all looked at him expectantly.”
When he didn’t respond, Sally said, “Well, what is it?”
He glanced up at her, then at the others. These people had already proven their friendship, showed they trusted him. Wasn’t it time he do the same? He took a deep breath. “It’s a book.”
“A book?” Yasif seemed disappointed. “Couldn’t they have just gone to a library?”
“It’s not that kind of book.” Maybe this was a mistake; but then another fact occurred to him. “In fact, I may have the only one in existence.”
“Idric.” Sally put a hand on her hip. “Can you please be a bit more descriptive here?”
It took Idric a moment to pull himself together. “Sorry, it’s just things are starting to make a bit of sense.”
Idric glanced at each of them, worried he’d broken some unwritten law, waiting for mythical creatures to swoop in and punish him for telling them about the book. None came, however. “Look, until I get all this straight in my head, there are certain things I just can’t tell you, okay? Especially now. I shouldn’t have even told you what I am. There’s a reason I was supposed to keep it a secret.” He stopped a moment and stared at the floor. “I just thought it was because my parents were so secretive. I never guessed…” He trailed off.
“Idric, please!” Sally said. “We can help you. We’ve already been dragged into the middle of all this. You’ve got to tell us what’s going on.”
He gave her an annoyed glance. “I’ve got to? Really? I ain’t gotta do nothin!”
Sally backed off, surprised.
“Look, I appreciate what you’ve all done….and I’ve actually kind of enjoyed using my powers, but things have changed. I have to…” He hesitated, then changed his tone completely. “I have to go.”
Yasif looked taken aback. “What do you mean you’ve gotta go?”
They wouldn’t understand. Even if he’d told them everything, they wouldn’t get the significance of what was happening. In fact, he only had suspicions based on old stories his mother had told that he’d always thought were fairy tales. How could he have known they were preparing him? He’d never once even considered them to be real. If he had such a hard time understanding it, how would they?
Idric looked around. “I don’t expect you to understand. It’s just the way it has to be.”
Jake crossed his arms. Lani gave him a challenging stare. Idric turned to Sally, but she too gave him a stubborn look. “Aww, come on guys! I’m serious! This isn’t some joke here!”
Sally Singletary's Curiosity (The Sally Singletary Book 1) Page 20
