“What does that mean?” Mom asks. She’s trying to be quiet but failing miserably. “Richard, what is Jasper saying?” she asks my dad.
“Is everything all right over here?” a guard asks from behind me.
I stand. “Everything’s fine. My parents were asking about how I rescued the lost aeronauts. I was just explaining that the details of the mission are classified.”
The guard nods. It’s understandable that my parents would be curious. “All you need to know, Dr. and Mr. Adams, is that your son is a hero.” He extends his hand to my father.
My father stands and shakes his hand. “Thank you, Officer. We couldn’t be more proud of Jasper.” He returns to his seat in the armchair.
The rest of the visit is strained. Mom wrestles back tears, and it’s clear she’s struggling not to ask more about Addy. Dad tells me news from our apartment building, and he fills me in on a new research study that Mom is leading at the hospital, but I can tell he’s hoping I can slip them more information about my sister.
Every few minutes, we’re interrupted by one of the guests asking for an autograph or a picture with me. At first, my parents are impressed, but then they get annoyed having to share my attention. Before we know it, the visitation hour is up.
“Are you going to the rally tomorrow?” I ask my parents. I know they’ll be there, even though I wish they’d stay home. Jayne promised the Resistance was only planting smoke bombs, but something could go wrong. If anything happens to my parents, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.
“Of course we’ll be there,” Mom chokes out, pulling me into a hug.
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Dad says, joining us again on the love seat and waiting his turn for a hug.
I want to warn them to stay away, but I know I can’t. It’s too risky. If word got out, the Resistance’s plans would be foiled. Not to mention, there’s nothing I could say that would convince them not to come—certainly nothing I could say under the watch of all these guards. Jayne better be right about the smoke bombs.
One of the guards catches my eye and nods at the door. It’s time for my parents to go.
As I escort them to the exit, Jayne appears out of nowhere.
Great, exactly the person I was hoping to avoid.
“Mr. and Mrs. Adams,” she says to my parents. “My name is Jayne. I’m part of the Earth Force public relations team.”
I can’t believe she’d corner my parents just so she could talk to me.
“It’s such a privilege to meet you,” she continues. “I wanted to let you know that your daughter, Adeline, is one of the most extraordinary people I’ve ever met.”
What? I mean, Addy’s great and all, but that’s what she came to say? I fix my eyes on Jayne. She seems totally genuine. I look around to see if anyone is listening. Even bringing Addy’s name up is a risk, one I’m surprised Jayne would take.
Mom can’t even talk through her tears, so instead she pulls Jayne into a hug.
Dad shakes her hand. “Thank you so much, Jayne. That means the world to us.”
After saying good-bye to my parents, Jayne gives me a sad smile. Then she walks away.
So I guess that wasn’t about me either.
19
I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS possible, but the crowds seem even bigger here as the hovers cut through Americana East, transporting me and the old aeronauts to the seaside stage where we’ll hold the rally. They bring us in through a rear entrance and hurry us to a backstage lounge, where we’ll wait for our cue. The air is thick with the sounds of thousands waiting for us to appear.
As soon as I walk in, Jayne pulls me aside.
She glances around the lounge then narrows her eyes at me. “Are you in?”
I nod.
“You have your gloves?”
I bend down and act like I’m scratching my ankle. Lifting my pant leg, I show Jayne the gauzy fabric peeking out of the top of my sock.
“Good.” She turns and heads for the exit.
I grab her arm. “Wait! What’s the plan?”
She shakes her head. She still has no intention of telling me. “Just do your part.”
She’s not even going to confirm where I’m going? What if I get it wrong? What if my attempts at guessing what the Resistance wants me to do fall flat? Things are moving way too fast. “What about you?”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Will I see you on Gulaga?”
Jayne’s eyes almost bug out of her head. She glances around to make sure no one heard me, then drags me out of the lounge and into the empty hall. “No.”
“You’re staying on the tour? What if you’re caught?”
Jayne shakes her head. “I knew the risks, Jasper. You and I are part of a much larger puzzle. Focus on your piece and nothing more.”
“But, what if—”
“It’s almost time to take our places.” She grabs my arm and steers us back into the lounge, closing out any chance I had at getting answers.
It’s not like I trust Jayne after all her lies, but I definitely preferred feeling like we were in this together.
Now I’m on my own, and mostly in the dark.
I hope I know what I’m doing.
• • •
We’ve been lined up backstage for almost fifteen minutes, and there’s still no sign of Lucy.
Sheek flicks his hair and lets out an exasperated sigh. “Let’s just get on with it. It’s not like I’ve never hosted something on my own. Of course, if I were missing, it would be catastrophic.”
Jayne checks her tablet. She’s stressed. Most people probably think she’s stressed because Lucy is missing, but I know what’s really wrong. We’re minutes away from the biggest attack the Resistance has ever launched on Earth soil. I’m sure they’ve timed their actions to the rally script. Without Lucy up there saying her lines, the timing will be off.
“Jasper! Coming through! Jasper!” Lucy is gasping for breath when she reaches me. Dev and Nev trail behind her, touching up her hair and makeup.
“Where have you been?” Jayne demands. “We were scheduled to go on ten minutes ago.”
Lucy waves her off. “Jasper, my magic worked! With almost zero planning and no preparation, I was able to assemble most of your classmates for a memory walk as you make your entrance! Isn’t that amazing?”
“What’s a memory walk?” I ask. “Wait a second . . . did you say my old classmates are here?” A lump forms in the base of my throat, followed by an even bigger lump in the pit of my stomach.
“We need to move, people!” Jayne says. Her eyes are drilling into me. If we don’t stay on schedule the Resistance’s plans might be a bust.
“Yes!” Lucy says, answering my question. “They’re assembling on the other side right now! Immediately before your entrance, they’ll march onstage, and then you can walk the line and greet them while everyone cheers. It will be magical! It’s the big extra you were looking for! And it will remind the crowd that a few years ago you were just another schoolkid in Americana East! Jasper Adams, boy next door–turned–Earth Force hero!”
How did I get myself into this? The only reason I asked Lucy for a bigger role was because I was trying to avoid Jayne the day we arrived. The last thing I want is a memory walk with my old classmates. I hated my school in Americana East. The other kids called me Klutz most of the time. I bet half of them didn’t even know my name until they heard about the Lost Heroes Homecoming Tour.
“Are we going to do this or stand around talking about it all day?” Sheek asks as he surveys his perfectly manicured fingernails.
“He’s right,” Jayne says. “We can’t delay any longer!” She’s looking at me as she talks. Actually, everyone is looking at me. I guess tonight is my night.
I nod. “Let’s do this.”
Lucy smiles, and her eyes sparkle. For a moment, I see her as she used to be: my dramatic, chatty friend with her hair tied back in colorful ribbons. I’ve missed Lucy, even the new Lucy. I can tell b
y how happy she is about what she’s planned that she’s missed me, too. The memory walk might not be what I wanted, but it’s Lucy’s way of trying to bridge the gap back to me.
It’s too bad I’ll never get to cross that bridge. Before the night is over, I’ll be long gone, first across the continent to Gedney’s labs, then hopefully across the galaxy to Gulaga.
Lucy blows me a kiss and takes Sheek’s arm to walk onstage. The roar of the crowd swells, and when it finally calms, they say their opening lines.
I strain to see the opposite wing. A group of kids waits for their cue. The lump in my throat thickens as I try to find some familiar faces.
“Please welcome students from Americana East, District Eight!” Lucy turns to their wing and claps.
My former classmates cross the stage in one long line. They’re led by a pretty, petite girl with a huge smile. Dilly Epstein. Even when most of the kids were awful, Dilly was always kind to me.
Jayne gently nudges my shoulder. “It’s go time.”
I step onstage with my own smile plastered on. I pause a moment to wave to the crowd, then I turn to my former classmates and their starstruck faces.
“Hi, Dilly,” I say.
“I always knew you were special, Jasper.” She leans in and kisses my cheek.
My feet freeze. I can’t believe Dilly Epstein just kissed me. Somehow I get moving again, shaking hands with the next kid in line, snagging hugs and collecting kisses.
Next thing I know, I’m face to face with Will Stevens. His hand is on my shoulder and he’s smiling and saying congratulations just like he always expected this would happen.
But he never expected this would happen. The day before I left for the space station he laughed in my face and called me a B-wad.
I smile back and shake his hand even as a slew of unkind words race through my mind. You always thought you were so great, Will. Now look who’s on top of the world.
Then I’m greeting the last kid in line, and my classmates are clapping, and Denver is joining me onstage. He marches me to the front, and I stand before my city, Americana East, as one of the biggest celebrities in the world.
Down in the VIP section in front of the stage, I spot my parents smiling up at me. In the wings, Jayne gives me a thumbs-up. We’re seconds away from the attack. She’s counting on me to do what’s right.
But how do I know what’s right? Last night I felt confident that I was making the right decision, but now that the moment’s arrived, I’m not so sure. Dilly said she always knew I was special. Maybe she’s right. Maybe I am special and I’m meant to use my fame and celebrity status to change things for the better.
If I thwarted the Resistance, I’d be even more of a hero than I am now. I’d be even more popular.
All I’d have to do is warn everyone. Instead of saying my next line, I could announce that an attack was planned and urge the crowd to take cover.
Denver says his lines, describing his time in the rift. Soon it will be my turn to talk.
I scan the crowd, looking for signs of the Resistance. All I see are smiling faces.
Lucy elbows me in the rib cage. It’s my line.
If I don’t say something, they’ll skip over me and improvise. My chance to warn the crowd will be lost.
My parents stare up at me, beaming with pride. Right now, they think I’m a hero. What will they think if I join the Resistance?
“I said, what do you think, Jasper?” Denver asks.
I swallow hard. “I think . . . I think . . .” I steal a glance at the wing. Jayne’s no longer there. In the VIP section, someone is running through the crowd, shoving past my parents, heading for the exit. Earth Force officers spill out the side doors, weapons raised.
“Watch out!”
Bombs blast in near unison across the sea of faces below. A cloud of smoke billows across the stage as guards storm from the wings, pushing us away from the crowd. I fight through their ranks to the edge of the stage to see what’s happening.
Smoke fills the air and the sound of gun fire rings all around. The crowd is in chaos.
This is my chance. All I need to do is run for the exit.
But what about my parents? They’re down there. Somewhere.
There wasn’t supposed to be violence!
I drop down off the stage and jump the rope into the VIP section. I wade through the thick smoke, searching for my parents.
There are people everywhere. I nearly trip over a small girl who must have been separated from her family. Seconds later, a woman cries with relief and scoops the girl into her arms.
I push on, scanning the soot-covered faces. Finally I spot a man on the ground. There’s something familiar about his body, his posture. I lunge in that direction.
My dad is kneeling with my mom in his arms. Her clothes are soaked in blood. My dad presses a ripped cloth against her shoulder.
“Mom! Are you okay? I’ll go get help!” This is all my fault. How could I let this happen?
“You need to get to safety, Jasper,” Dad says. “You might be a target.”
“I’m not,” I tell him. “Let me get help!”
“She’ll make it,” he says, pushing me away. “I think it’s just a surface wound. Please, take cover!”
“Jasper,” Mom whispers. She stretches her hand toward my cheek.
“Quiet, Emma,” Dad says. “Don’t strain yourself.”
I lean close. “I’m here, Mom.”
“Find your sister.”
My resolve hardens. I lock eyes with my mom and nod.
Then I run for the exit.
Crowds pour out of the stadium onto the streets. I duck into the first alley I pass. I swing my blast pack around and pull out the hat and glasses. Then I strip off my Earth Force shirt and stuff it into my pack.
I can’t believe I left my mom! I should go back. She could be dying. Jayne promised there wouldn’t be violence. Why did I believe her?
Mom said to find Addy. That needs to be my focus now. I stay close to the buildings and sprint as fast as I can, but it’s a lot of stops and starts as I dodge the crowd. Soon the crowds start to thin, as I manage to outrun most of the spectators. By now, Earth Force is probably realizing that I’m missing. I wonder if one of the lost aeronauts is missing, too, if the Resistance’s plan was successful. I wonder who they took.
I keep running. There’s only three more blocks to my apartment building. When I finally reach it, I race down the ramp to the parking garage and keep on running to the lower level.
I race to the back where the storage rooms are. I find the one that Addy and I used for our secret meeting before she left with me for the Academy. I try the door. It doesn’t budge. Please don’t be locked. I shove against it with my shoulder, and it swings open.
A cloud of dust rises to greet me as I close the door and flip the light switch. Dust quickly coats my nose and throat. I try to cough it out, but that only stirs up more dust.
The weird dolls with the red lips look at me. I try not to pay attention to their unblinking stares. Instead, I dig my gloves out of my socks. I slide them onto my blood-covered hands and fit the fingers. They feel exactly like my old gloves. I hope they work the same.
I pull my shirt up over my nose and mouth and take a deep breath. Gedney better be right about the quantum detection scanners not working underground. What if he’s wrong? What if there’s actually a quantum scrambler in use? Those work underground. They used them in Gulagaven. And they don’t block bounds, they just scatter your atoms across the universe if you attempt a bound. That would make a quick end to this whole Jasper-finding-Addy plan.
Here goes nothing.
I drop my hands to my sides and close my eyes. Then I reach out with my mind and feel instantly alive. My skin tingles with excitement. I sense every atom in the room, then in the garage, then in my building, then in all of Americana East. I expand my consciousness until I feel I could fill the whole universe and bend every atom to my will.
But that�
��s not why I’m here. I’m a trained soldier, and now I fight for my own cause.
Flexing my fingers, I raise my hands and draw atoms like metals to a magnet. They crystallize into a great ball of energy, swirling and swelling until my port is complete.
I pull up an image of Waters’s and Gedney’s labs.
Then I bound.
20
MY HIP STRIKES THE PAVEMENT of the helipad halfway across the American continent. My landings still need work. No wonder I never healed right after my fall in the hangar during my first tour of duty. The new gloves aren’t the problem, although they are a bit quick on the takeoff.
An alarm is sounding—probably a quantum detection scanner announcing my arrival. I push myself up on my hands and knees.
A few moments later, Gedney shuffles out the lab door.
“Welcome, Jasper! I’m so glad you made it.” He extends his palm, but I get the rest of the way up on my own. I brush the dust from the basement closet off my uniform and pull off my gloves, my hands still covered with my mom’s blood.
“There wasn’t supposed to be violence!” I shout at him. “My mom was shot!”
Gedney’s face winces in alarm. “I’m so sorry. Things didn’t go exactly as planned.”
I bend over and rest my hands on my knees, catching my breath and trying to slow my racing heart. I can’t believe I left my mom at the rally. What if she doesn’t make it? What if there’s more violence? What if they’re caught in the cross fire? Sobs build in my chest. I swallow them down. “I think she’ll be okay,” I say, mostly trying to convince myself. “My dad said it was a surface wound.”
Gedney nods. “I’ll try to have someone check on her as soon as possible. I’m sorry, son.”
I’m furious with the Resistance, and I’m annoyed that Gedney wasn’t being honest about his role with them when he visited me on the Lost Heroes Homecoming Tour. But even so, I’m happy to see him. “I guess you were expecting me.”
The Heroes Return Page 16
