Found in Amber

by Esther Rabbit

  Mia on the other hand, held her storm on the inside, afraid Rufus would hurt himself even more. She snapped her eyes shut and drew in a long breath. When she opened them again, Jasper was holding Rufus’s face in his hands, saying something still inaudible. She swept a robotic glance over the unexpected display.

  Alex looked like he belonged on the dashboard of a car, his bobble head bouncing constantly. Beside him, Emma stared at the transfixed state he couldn’t snap out of and looked genuinely worried about everyone’s safety. Sam and Zoey held onto each other for balance and Lilou, motionless Lilou, sat rooted to the same spot since Jasper gave her the news. Petrified as she was, her blue eyes wouldn’t move from that exact spot on the table cloth. Surely she couldn’t have been okay with the fact that her sister had conspired with Etienne for so many years, yet never bothered to ever reach out to her.

  The first attempt at a democratic vote resulted in a tie, four against four.

  Sam, Mia, Rufus and Alex wanted Etienne as far as possible from the time loop. Another sharp breath followed as Mia spoke against the pressure she was putting herself under.

  “I’ll give in!” She announced enough for Rufus to stare at her like at something foreign. When she raised to her feet, they didn’t feel like her own. “Get it together, Rufus” she spoke with a calm that freaked everyone out “it’s time we keep our enemies closer.” And with that said, she walked closer to him, taking a seat on the stone fence. “Go get your sister, Lilou.”

  Although caught off guard, Lilou gave a small nod. The fact that in all this time Mezin had contact with Etienne and not with her, raised all sorts of feelings, but she was not about to judge before having a heart-to-heart. Before Mia could change her mind, Lilou left the premises in a blue flash.

  “I want everyone to listen very carefully,” Mia spoke with the same chilling calm. “You need to stop thinking about me and Rufus and start seeing the bigger picture. In the meantime,” she gave Zoey a meaningful stare “you and Jasper need to lay low. Etienne, James, whatever he goes by these days, needs to stay motivated to be on our side.”

  Sam couldn’t believe her ears. After everything Mia’s been through, after the horror stories her body told… “Are you saying Zoey should lead him on?” Sam’s question came out on the same disgusted tone as in her head.

  “I’m saying he sounds set on getting Zoey back and this time around, he wants to play the good guy. Let’s not interrupt that.” Mia insisted. “I may be wrong, but I think holding the meeting here is only a first step.”

  Alex and Emma shared a glance. “You’re not thinking he wants to stay here, are you?” Emma’s hand instinctively moved to the base of her neck.

  “Like I said,” Mia sighed “I may be wrong but if the question arises and he sees Zoey immediately making puppy eyes at Jasper, he’ll know. Let’s stay a step ahead is all I’m saying.”

  γ

  Mia was not wrong.

  Exactly thirty minutes later, the table accommodated two more guests, each with their own agenda. James greeted everyone in his usual charming manner, vowed his most honorable intentions and confirmed that there’d be no apology for his actions with respect to Mia and Rufus.

  ‘Coming here before you and begging your pardon would be admitting I wasn’t one bit aware of the things I put you through, when this is not the case. I have the decency to stand before you and give you the whole truth as it is because there’s not one thing I wouldn’t do for Zoey’s safety.’ His exact words lingered in the heavy air long after he’d voiced them and Rufus couldn’t wipe the revulsion flooding his features. God, he’d do anything to tear a fist through the asshole’s face and rearrange that condescending smirk. Beck had treated Mia even worse, so he saved a special spot on his bunch of five just for him. And there he was, biting his tongue for Mia’s sake, feeling her grip tightening around his hand. He’d never been the violent type, yet this guy managed to bring out the very worst in him.

  The second issue the bastard so gracefully tackled had been, exactly like Mia anticipated, a change of residence.

  Fucking scumbag! Rufus narrowed his eyes at him as soon as he said it. His arguments had been even more unbelievable and it took all his discipline and some not to have at him. Etienne brought his blood to boiling point when he mentioned Jasper’s ‘rookie’ skills in training hybrids—the dude was basically proficient at shamelessly kissing his own ass and Rufus drew in breath after breath in an attempt to stay calm.

  Etienne wanted his own sweet spot in the time loop while he presumably trained the hybrids and made the most out of their enhancements. How could any of them think of ever denying it when Lilou just got her sister back after nearly ten years, when Mezin and himself held the evidence that might actually give Earth a fighting chance? When it might just restore the optans’ credibility and give them a chance to actually escape termination if captured? Etienne seemed to have them exactly where he wanted. Again. Caught between a rock and a hard place.

  “Spawn of the fucking devil himself!” Rufus muttered under his breath, loud enough for the culprit to catch on. Jasper’s eyes locked on his for a fraction, urging him to remain calm, so Rufus returned to the state of silent pressure pot.

  Nestled between Sam and Emma, Zoey could barely come to terms with Mia’s assertiveness. It was almost as if she had another enhancement she didn’t seem aware of. When James brought his arguments to the table, she bit her lip and shared a glance with Emma.

  Not once had she looked at Jasper since James landed here and it took every ounce of self-restraint not to. She was practically craving for the silent comfort of his eyes. Emma gave a quick nod and turned to follow the ongoing conversation. She couldn’t allow herself to miss anything. The man in front of them now had nothing in common with the James Bradley Emma knew. That James was funny, upbeat, and apparently, an act of Hollywood proportions. Even her own disappointment felt palpable. Like Mia said, they had to be ahead of the game, so there was no room for emotional drama. At least not out loud.

  Mezin kept her cool as she explained what she knew and how far she thought the corruption extended within the Alliance. She brought evidence on the smallest intersat Zoey had ever seen which she projected for all of them to have a look while James acted as an interpreter. Unlike Lilou, Mezin hadn’t been blessed with interplanetary language skills and this had been the first time she actually heard what Jasper called Lenvin, spoken loud enough. It didn’t resemble anything she knew, yet it had a somewhat musical ring to it.

  The alikeness between the sisters was uncanny, both seemingly petite yet adamant. Soldiers. It was only now when Zoey realized the particularities of optan soldiers and she’d seen enough to finally pinpoint the key traits that made them who they were. It was in the poised way they carried themselves and the constant alertness. Much like felines, their senses worked in unison, detaching them from the Alexandres of the world. By comparison, pensive Alex reacted to fewer external factors and his eyes, just like James’s, although strikingly beautiful, failed to carry that eerie glow.

  Zoey couldn’t help but picture Mezin with James, seeing them side by side. His first love. Their eyes still found each other in shared complicity as they presented the evidence. Unlike Lilou, Mezin was a bit taller and carried a different kind of grace. It was somewhat royal and maybe a tad intimidating.

  Mining resources on another planet looked exactly like what Sam had expected, and from Mezin’s projections and James’s translation, their nine years of gathering intel resulted in a heavy file which accounted exploitation, death, and the zenith of mischief.

  Presenting the evidence raised a lot of questions from Jasper, some of which James had the courtesy to translate and some to skip at will, but Sam was quick to get the essence of it all. For the last twenty minutes or so, the optans were completely immersed in a conversation which left the rest staring at each other in a sea of wonder. Except for Zoey, who simply stared at James and Mezin as if frozen in their direction.

  F
or hybrids and humans alike, it was clear Alex had taken a step back, nodding once in a while without indication it was either a “yes” or a “no”.

  “Right.” Lilou finally decided to put an end to their stupor. “Sorry for the little derail, there’s too much to even process.” Her gaze landed directly on Rufus, who, as expected, looked on edge. “You want the long version or the short one?”

  Rufus looked hesitant, finding that Mezin and Jasper were still talking. “Make it short and meaningful.” He saved the last glare for Etienne.

  The way Lilou exhaled and leaned forward indicated they were in for some bad news. “We have enough intel to drown the Alliance, but the issue is that we don’t really know who to drown, so they’re looking at options.” Options that by the look on her face, didn’t really fly with her.

  Mia’s cocked brow triggered a confession Lilou couldn’t hold back any longer—Mezin’s story. How she fell in love and faked her death in the eyes of the Alliance, with the help of none other than Etienne. How they kept in touch and worked together for nine years. How her sister trusted him with her life and how Mezin was in for the long haul in bringing down the Alliance before Dars, her host planet ran its cycle. Before Leiki and her kind were doomed. Seven to nine years from now.

  Rufus felt the silent need to lean in for a whisper with Lilou. “What if that’s not really your sister and he has us all under a fucking mind trick?” He’d seen too much to discard that option. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” He threw a skeptical glance at Mia, but she didn’t bulge. “The bastard mindfucked me back in Pamplona to think I was some sort of James Bond and go against all of you.”

  “And how about the evidence? I recognize each piece of mining equipment and it’s ours.” Lilou warned. “And without a doubt, that’s planet Dars. And that’s my sister.” Whether they liked it or not, the evidence spoke for itself and it was all but disputable.

  Etienne pulled his chair closer and intertwined his fingers when he stared back at Rufus. “Implanting superficial memories,” he revealed after clearly overhearing their conversation “—although a risky practice, has a forty-eight hour effect on any subject.” Before being granted the luxury to continue that thread, Etienne felt his own hand lowering to his groin. In a matter of seconds, he was shriveling under the sharp pain he inflicted upon himself.

  “Rufus!” Jasper retorted, practically jumping from his seat. Etienne was crouched on the floor, his features contorted under the feeling of his guts being pulled out. “Cut it out!” Despite Jasper’s plead, Etienne’s screams got louder. Pain shot through him, making his legs numb with every spasm.

  What good was there in manipulating someone’s body and not using that skill on the one he dreaded most? Rufus scowled, looking away from Jasper’s menacing eyes. Mezin was up, her hand perched on her chest at the sight of Etienne. She said something to Lilou, her expression shocked and angered.

  Rufus finally unseized him.

  One by one, Etienne was finally able to unglue his fingers from his groin and steady himself on the stone floor. His breath came accelerated as he spoke. “I guess I deserved that, Rufus.” Palpable pain came attached to every word, but Rufus wasn’t done just yet. Etienne’s forehead kissed the floor with a loud crack and that was enough for Mia to grab onto him and portal him to their bedroom.

  γ

  “What is wrong with you?” She spat as they landed between the bed and the nearby wall. “We can’t afford to waste any time, Rufus!” If she had been able to go against the raw instinct of inflicting pain, she couldn’t allow Rufus to succumb to such practices.

  “I just Chuck Norrised his Dickens a bit, Mia.” He peeled his ivories at her, all coy. “Billions and billions of years ahead of us my ass, I can still snap the twig and smash the berries!”

  Mia looked anything but amused. “I don’t have time for you to handle cosmic conspiracies with the grace of a six year old, Rufus!” She sniggered, her bun slowly coming undone under abrupt movements. “This is about our future! If you give into your instincts, you can’t be trusted to handle the big picture. There’s no room for hybrids within the Alliance, we’re an anomaly, we’re the living proof of their fuck-ups!” With her hands stiffly propped on her hips, she narrowed her eyes at him one last time. “We don’t belong anywhere now! They won’t trust us to reside on Earth and we’re too dangerous to live anywhere in the Universe. All we have is each other and unless we try and demonstrate that somehow, we’re the good guys and we can actually do something worthy of being kept alive, it will all go to hell!”

  It was terrifying how such a small woman could intimidate the deadliest of intentions out of him. “I wasn’t going to kill him! Geez!” When he took two steps toward her, she took two back. “I’m sorry, Mia, c’mon. It’s not like we’re on different sides!” He threw his hand in the air but Mia wouldn’t have it.

  “Get a hold of yourself!” Her tattooed arms folded across her tank top. “There’s no guarantee at this point that any of us will make it out alive, but we can’t be liabilities anymore, Rufus. If we want them to take us seriously, they have to start seeing us as equals.”

  He did like the democratic vote and having a say in the choices they decided to make. “Fine,” Rufus muttered. His fingers swept over his beard as he tried and miserably failed to look apologetic for what he’d done. The puppy eyes didn’t work on her. He wanted that future with Mia in it just as much as she did. Maybe he’d never go back to hairstyling; maybe their lives were never going to hold the simple things like regular jobs, adopting puppies and the small hot sauce business he’d set his mind to before life had given him lemons. But life had also given him Mia. “I’ll behave. I’ll make you proud.” Rufus promised, and this time around, she took two steps forward, meeting him halfway.

  There was no way she could stay mad at him.

  “Maybe they’ll see us as the next Avengers.” She smiled as she planted a forgiving kiss on his lips. “Or maybe they’ll take the time to come up with an antidote for what has been done to us.” Her arms came around his plump frame and it was enough to numb him entirely. “They could perfectly well decide to kill us, but if there’s the smallest chance to make it, let’s not waste it.”

  “Take me back, woman.” He traced his lips over hers in return. “Before I change my mind.” The unmade bed called to him far more than duty.

  γ

  “So they just left?” Mia scanned the guestless terrace in a blend of guilt and slight relief. They all looked like they’d seen better days: Alex, lost in his small intersat, Lilou with her head propped against her hand, Sam and Emma up to their eyeballs in coffee. Zoey looked like she’d been crying and Jasper was nowhere in sight.

  “Jasper portalled them back to Geneva.” Lilou confirmed after Rufus’s too long apology. “I know we owe you guys a democratic vote on this one, but there’s no other option but accepting to work with Etienne. Leiki and Mezin took Mark, the language gifted hybrid, to gather intel and evidence from the remaining planets.”

  Mia sat on the sturdy stone fence next to the table. “That guy just woke from a coma and is already willing to work with them?” She shook her head in an incredulous move. “Did they already kill his family?”

  “It’s not like that,” Alex explained, raising his head from the intersat “the guy was in some religious cult prior to his abduction, so he’s convinced God had chosen him for a divine mission.” He couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Or at least that’s what Etienne says.” Etienne could say anything at this point in Mia’s view. But she had to stay informed, so any crumb of intel was better than none.

  “When is Etienne moving in?” There wasn’t a speck of doubt he would, and Rufus knew it all too well. “I told you, I’m not going to lay a finger on him!” He felt compelled to say under Lilou’s spear eye. A long sigh later, he snorted “And he’s not going to inflict any pain on himself at my mental command either. Happy?”

  “Thrilled.” Lilou made a face, then softly patted
his back. She was pleased. “He’ll move in later today.” In the midst of all the conundrum, Rufus failed to realize all the optans had their earpieces on. “Alex” she said “it’s time.” Whatever that meant, she scurried past Rufus and vanished with Alex through the French doors before Rufus had a chance to snap out of it.

  γ

  “Unless imperative, safer to speak English for now,” Etienne instructed, throwing Jasper a quick glance. They were back at the base in Pamplona, sneaking around the narrow corridor leading to the Chancellor’s study. There was no use alarming everyone when retrieving the former’s address was only a touch away on the current Chancellor’s intersat. They stopped in front of the door and leaned in. “Right.” With his voice reduced to a whisper, Etienne nodded and produced a new gadget from one of his pockets. He scanned the doorknob, but his brows showed clear signs he was not satisfied with the findings. “The prints are not clear enough.”

  “Come.” Jasper nodded. “There should be prints all over his desk and intersat.” On the other side of the door, the office looked exactly the same as when Jasper had been called in and informed of the change of plans regarding the hybrids’ lives. Without awaiting a formal invitation, Etienne scanned the surface of the desk.

  “Bingo.” He silently announced and projected the print onto its designated spot on the intersat. It worked, the device coming alive with a faint sound. Etienne’s fingers worked away, unaffected by the distant sound Jasper’s ears caught from outside the door. The footsteps got louder.