by S. A. Beck
Ginger shook her head. “To be honest, I’m not very athletic. I was just hanging out with you guys because Jaxon hangs out with you guys, but I’m really more salt of the earth than sweat of the brow, you know?”
Jaxon and Otto again shared a look. It sounded as if Dr. Hollis had found a new recruit in spying on Jaxon. Jax sighed. “We can go, but I’ll just watch you. I’m, uh, allergic… to some of the plants in there. That’s why I stopped going.”
Ginger grinned. “Oh, wow! That’s gotta suck. Gardening can be so peaceful. Is it a pollen allergy or something?”
“Not exactly.” Jaxon slid Otto a sideways glance.
Otto replied, “She, um, broke out in hives? Right? Last time you were in there, Jaxon?”
“Exactly. And I don’t know which plant is the culprit, so I just keep away from all the plants. I’ll take you this one time, though, just to show you where everything is.”
After classes were over, Jaxon fired off a text message to Otto saying “Wish me luck” and headed out to the greenhouse with Ginger. Ginger followed her across the backyard where a makeshift stage was being erected by the groundskeeper in front of the stone wall that led to the secret garden. The deck would eventually be surrounded by vibrant, colorful flower arrangements. The entire backyard area would be transformed in preparation for the event in two more weeks on May 20. According to Otto, there would be an awards ceremony, door prizes, and games. Jax was curious about how the Annual Friends and Family Day would play out. She knew Otto’s parents were coming. The grounds would be swarming with people. She was already making plans to keep to herself.
Once within the rust-red framework of the greenhouse, Jaxon watched with waning interest as the new girl played in the dirt. Ginger coaxed and prodded Jaxon to join her, but Jax stayed back. She kept her hands in her pockets and listened to Ginger prattle on about nothing in particular. Ginger, she was discovering, had a knack for seeming to reveal a lot about herself while saying nothing at all. Ginger would hint at a history of delinquency but not exactly mention her past crimes. Jax knew Ginger was a foster kid, but while Ginger chatted endlessly about foster homes and group homes, the statements were pretty general.
“How long do you have in here?” Jaxon asked, curious to know more about the enigmatic girl.
“I don’t keep up with all that stuff. I just go when and where they tell me to go. What about you?”
“A year and ten months left. So, why’d you say you were sent here, again?” Jaxon was perched against a lower shelf, out of Ginger’s way. She watched the redhead fill a planter with potting soil and seeds, some from Jaxon’s personal stash that hadn’t been used since the first day in the greenhouse when her plants had grown impossibly fast. Jax was sweating and uncomfortable. It was muggy. Summer in San Francisco was much more intense than spring. She swiped perspiration from her brow, wishing Ginger would finish.
Ginger shrugged and replied evasively, “I’d rather not talk about that. That’s in the past. I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. Ha! Pun intended!” She playfully threw a handful of seed at Jaxon.
Jaxon dashed out of the way before the seeds could touch her skin. “Hey!” she yelped. She could already feel the pins and needles in her toes and the tingles in her fingers. One touch, and the seeds would be sprouting. She couldn’t let Ginger see that. “Cut it out,” she said with annoyance.
Ginger looked sheepish and apologetic. “Oh, I’m sorry! I forgot about your allergy.”
Jaxon struggled to regain her composure, realizing she had reacted overdramatically. Sighing, she said, “No, it’s cool…” Ginger went back to watering her seeds. Jaxon tried to relax.
“So, whatever happened to your parents,” Ginger pried. “Why did they give you up?”
Jaxon studied her. “Why? I think that’s a little impolite to ask a foster kid, considering most of us don’t really know about our parents or don’t remember them. I mean, I wouldn’t ask you something that personal. Who wants to remember being abandoned? Jeez, what is it with you?”
“I just wanted to know more about you, Jaxon,” Ginger replied in a huff. “I don’t know anyone else here, and I was trying to be your friend. But don’t worry about it. I can take a hint. You’ve been standoffish with me ever since I got here.” Ginger’s eyelids fluttered, and she looked down, trying to hide her eyes.
Jaxon felt a twinge of remorse for being harsh. She took a cautious step closer and awkwardly patted Ginger’s back. “Don’t do that. Don’t cry. Look, I apologize. I’m distrustful by nature. It’s never been my style to reveal everything about myself to a stranger. I’m not trying to be rude, I’m just…”
Ginger looked up with glistening blue eyes. “You can trust me, Jaxon. I know what it’s like not to have anyone to talk to. That’s been my whole life experience. But we’re stuck together for the next year, at least. And just so you know, I wasn’t trying to be rude by asking. I was just wondering if you’d have family or someone to come here on Saturday for the Friends and Family Day thing, cause I won’t. I didn’t want to have to brave it alone.”
“Oh,” said Jaxon, slightly embarrassed for getting upset.
Ginger flashed her a wavering smile. Jaxon thought about how crappy people had been toward her when she had first gotten to the group home, how isolated she had felt, and how she’d kept to herself to keep from getting hurt. Even though Ginger was taking a slightly different approach, coming off as invasively friendly, she had to want the same things Jaxon had wanted—to feel accepted. Jaxon decided to drop her aloofness and try to be more welcoming.
“To answer your question, I sent an invitation to my caseworker. She’s the closest thing I have to family. If she comes, you can sit at the table with us. You won’t have to be off to yourself.” Ginger’s smile grew bigger. “But Ginger, there are some things I’ve been meaning to talk to you about if you want us to be friends.”
Ginger rocked back on her heels, her hands clasped in front of her. “Fire away. What is it?”
Jax sighed. “I can’t deal with you smoking in the room. First of all, it’s majorly against the rules. I hate the way it smells. The smoke gets stuck in my clothes, and it makes me cough. Can we make an agreement that you won’t smoke in the room anymore?”
“Not a problem at all,” Ginger replied, crossing her heart as if to signal the smoking was over.
Jaxon continued, “There’s really nowhere on campus where you can get away with it. Everywhere else has cameras. If you’re okay with talking to Dr. Hollis about it, maybe he can help you get on a smoking cessation program. It’s a really disgusting habit anyway.”
Ginger’s exuberance dimmed slightly, but she didn’t protest. She nodded as if she was willing to give the suggestion a try. “Anything else?” she asked.
Jaxon chose to forego her complaints about the messy room. As Otto had said, it came with the territory of having a roommate. “Just try a little harder to play by the book. You seem to be used to doing what you want to do, but I promise you’ll get used to the rules around here. I did. I used to get in scuffles and brawls at every turn. I know I’m small, and you probably can’t picture me fighting, but it’s all I knew before I got here. At Forever Welcome, these people care about our future. If you give the place a chance, it’ll change you for the better.”
“Has it changed you?” Ginger asked, curious.
Jaxon smiled. “You have no idea how much… now, come on. Let’s go get cleaned up so we can make it to the dining hall in time. You can sit with me and Otto again, if you want, so you don’t have to eat alone.”
* * *
MAY 18, 2016, AZTEC, NEW MEXICO
1:00 PM
Akiko Yamazaki tugged the wide-brimmed sunhat down to hide her face and stepped out of a rental car procured by one of Yuhle’s friends. She was a few hundred miles from her government-appointed apartment in Albuquerque. Her cherry-red sundress fluttered around her slender frame as she sauntered to her destination along the dusty, almost nonexistent side
walk. The get-up was a perfect disguise for the normally conservative woman. Oversized sunglasses covered her eyes, and platinum tresses from her blond wig floated across her golden face. She was hiding in plain sight.
In her right hand was a stamped envelope with no return address. Inside was a letter typed on an electric typewriter, the tape from the archaic machine already destroyed, leaving no trace of what was within the brief missive.
During her investigation into Gerard Terrace’s information gathering with the data mining agency, Akiko had learned that technology was his access key. He could spy on any telephone or Internet traffic. He had access to public video-surveillance footage—hence her elaborate disguise—but he had no ability to trace or pore over messages sent by mail.
Akiko had worked with Yuhle to compose a warning to send to the teenage girl who, without their intervention, might soon suffer the same fate as the other Atlantis gene match subjects. As Akiko opened the glass door of the post office, she ducked her head away from the cameras, pretending to fiddle with her purse.
She walked over to the countertop, slipping into fluent Spanish. From careful research, she knew that particular post office worker would understand her. It was part of Akiko’s disguise. She had studied for weeks to learn enough of the language to convincingly pull it off.
“Lo necesito para enviar una carta a mi hija en San Francisco,” she said.
Akiko carried a fake ID so she could overnight the letter, and she dug it out of her handbag.
When the transaction was complete, it was all Akiko could do not to run back to the car. She continued the charade in case anyone was watching, although she knew she had covered her tracks well. There was no way Meade and his people could have followed her, but she drove to a shopping center and pretended to browse a little. She lingered in the city long enough to make sure she wasn’t being tailed.
Then she drove back to the desert where her own car was waiting, shed her disguise, and drove home. She didn’t dare call or text Yuhle, so she stopped by his house.
“It’s done,” she whispered when he opened the door. He nodded and waved her inside so they could plan their next step. They couldn’t stop until they were sure the girl was safe and the Poseidon Project was shut down for good.
Chapter 13
MAY 19, 2016, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
12:00 PM
Jaxon stared at the envelope in her hands as she shuffled from Dr. Hollis’s office to the great room. With school officially over for the semester, many of the residents were hanging out in the spacious wood-paneled gathering spot at the front of the house. The white sofa and brown leather armchair were filled, teens sitting around the stone fireplace, others lying on the hardwood floor watching television.
Jaxon stepped into a quiet corner next to the bookshelves at the back of the room. She had never received any mail at the group home. She couldn’t figure out who would need to correspond with her, and then she remembered the invitation she had sent to Helen. “Ugh. I bet she’s writing back to tell me she can’t make it,” she mumbled.
Jax shrugged, trying not to let the prospect of spending Friends and Family Day alone faze her. She turned the envelope over to open it. “Open away from cameras” was written in small cursive letters in the back left-hand corner.
“Whatcha got?” Ginger sidled up beside her. She reached for the letter, but Jaxon pulled it back.
“I’m not sure. Dr. Hollis got this in the mail this afternoon. It was addressed to me.” She swiped a finger under the seal to open the envelope, and inside was a single sheet of paper. As she read it, Jaxon’s heart began to pound.
They’re watching you. You’re in grave danger. Whatever you do, don’t let anyone else know where you’re going or what you’re capable of. Get to the Fourth and King Street train station by any means necessary. We will be on the lookout for you. We will find you and explain everything.
Ginger snorted over Jaxon’s shoulder, having read the first few lines. “Well, that’s cryptic.”
Jaxon pressed the letter to her chest, glaring at her nosy roommate. “This is private, Ginger,” she said.
Ginger rolled her eyes. “Looks like a chain letter,” she said.
Otto ambled over and wrapped his arms around Jaxon’s waist. “Just the person I wanted to see,” he whispered against her cheek, kissing her face. Otto pulled away and glanced pointedly at Ginger, who reluctantly walked off to give them some privacy. “About this event tomorrow. It would be such a pleasure for me if you sit at the table with me and my parents. Loren’s mom and little brother are supposed to be coming, too. We figured we’d make it a group thing, and we want to include you, my favorite group home resident.” He bit his lower lip, smiling charmingly. Jaxon blushed, feeling butterflies every time she saw his handsome face, but the romantic stirrings fizzled and she came to herself, shaking the letter at Otto.
“I need you to see something,” she whispered. She darted out of the great room and raced across the foyer to the kitchen to get them out of the house and away from listening ears. The patio deck that spanned the east face of the house from kitchen to dining hall was decorated with streamers and red and white balloons. The lawn was freshly cut, and a podium had been erected on the makeshift stage. A banner hanging across the entrance to the secret garden said “Welcome Friends and Family.”
The staff and temp workers who had helped stage it all were now gone from the yard, the event another day off. As soon as Jaxon and Otto were alone, she shoved the letter in his hands and watched him read it. Otto’s tanned face blanched, and his eyes flew to hers. “Where did this come from?” Jaxon shrugged helplessly, fearful ice-blue eyes searching his for suggestions.
“Dr. Hollis got it by mail today. How did anyone else find out about what I can do? This is serious stuff. It says someone is watching me.” She felt as if she would pass out. Her breaths were coming in rapid, shallow bursts, barely enough oxygen sipped from the air. Her anxiety level skyrocketed. “What the hell is going on?” she said in a high-pitched, panicked voice.
Otto drew her into his arms and shushed her frantic thoughts. “Calm down, babe. We’ll figure this out together.”
“Calm down?” Jaxon pushed away from Otto’s broad chest and peeked over her shoulder. “How am I supposed to do that? You saw what the letter said.” Cameras were everywhere inside the house, and cameras were outside the house. There was no telling who was watching, but she could imagine how they were doing it. The letter had expressly instructed her to open it away from cameras, but she hadn’t paid the note any attention. Perhaps the watchers were already aware she had found out about them. She gnawed on her bottom lip, trying to drum up a plan. She had known—she had known if anyone else found out about her powers, she would be in danger.
“I can’t stay here.” She shook her head, more sure of that by the second.
“You can’t seriously be thinking about leaving. You know we’re monitored. There’s no way off the grounds without administration finding out. You won’t get anywhere walking, and they’ll have you back in your room before you’ve made it a mile down the road. There’s no way you can get to that train station.”
“Yeah, but what if there were some way I could leave?” Ginger, thought Jaxon. Ginger was great at getting away with breaking the rules. The innocent-looking redhead would probably jump at the opportunity to sneak her off campus. She’d also need money, and Jaxon didn’t have any cash on hand, but she had a hunch Ginger would be more than happy to help her steal that, too.
“No,” Otto protested, “it’s too dangerous. You don’t even know who you’re running from, much less who you’re running to!”
“I’m not going to the train station, all right? But I know I’m not safe here. All my life, I’ve been a survivor, a fighter. I don’t sit around and wait for someone to get the best of me. I’m not about to start now.”
She pushed up from the edge of the patio and dashed back into the house, Otto close on her heels. “Don�
�t do this,” he pleaded.
Jax shook him off. He wouldn’t understand. Otto was worried about Dr. Hollis and the group home administrators. Jaxon didn’t have the luxury of fearing them. Regardless of who had sent the warning, the message was clear. Someone knew about her special abilities. Her life was in danger.
Jaxon found Ginger and practically dragged her out of the great room, down the hall, and up the stairs to their dorm room.
“Hey! What gives?” Ginger shook her off with a scowl.
Jaxon quickly closed and locked the door. She made a sweep of the room, looking for hidden cameras. There weren’t supposed to be any in the bedrooms, but Jax had to be sure. She didn’t know how to check for wires to rule them out, too, so Jaxon powered on her radio and turned up the volume loud enough to drown out their conversation.
“Ginger, I need you,” she said.
Ginger instantly got serious. “What do you need? I’ve got you covered.”
Jaxon took a deep breath, wondering if she was making the right decision. She felt as if she didn’t have a choice. “I’ve gotta get out of here. As soon as possible. I don’t know how to do that, but I’m hoping you’re wily enough to lend me a hand. We haven’t had time to get super close, but if you help with this, I’ll be forever indebted to you. I promise you, I will not forget, and when all of this blows over, I’ll repay you.”
Ginger waved away the promises and launched into action. She moved over to her cluttered writing desk and yanked out the welcome folder she had been given by Dr. Hollis. There was a campus map inside. “Is this about that letter you got?” she asked, flipping through the folder. Jaxon nodded, moving closer to lean over the desk and watch. “Do you know who it was from?”
