Unaltered #2_A Diamond in my Heart (19 page)

Pamela recommended I pull my shoulder
length hair up and wear dangly earrings to complete the look. She
really had a classy way about her. I told her she should become a
personal shopper.

I arrived at the restaurant and was
escorted to my parents who were already waiting at the table. As I
approached, I noticed a third person, a female, sitting with them.
It was Maetha.

Chapter 11 - Missing
Persons

“Calli,” my mother exclaimed as she
put her hands to her mouth in shock.

My father stood as I approached and
embraced me in a warm hug. “There’s the birthday girl, you look
spectacular, Calli.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“Calli, I want to introduce you to Dr.
Janice Johnson. She’s a neurologist who studies the brain function
of proclaimed psychics and she has a job offer for you.”

Maetha stood and extended
her hand for me to shake. I stared at her in confusion. My parents
had already met Maetha so why was my father referring to her as
Janice Johnson? Maetha’s voice filled my head.
“Calli, to them I appear to be a different person. Just play
along. You look great, by the way.”

I reached forward and shook her hand
and said, “Nice to meet you, Dr. Johnson.”

Everyone sat back down and the waiter
arrived with the menus. His nametag said ‘Cody’ but his mind
revealed his name was actually ‘Sven’. His eyes were on me as he
introduced himself and asked for our beverage choices. My mother
ordered a glass of wine and the rest of us asked for water at which
‘Sven’ departed.

There was something very strange with
the way ‘Sven’ conducted himself and I wasn’t the only one who
picked up on it. My mother said with a smile, “He’s smitten with
you, Calli.”

“I don’t think so, Mom.”

My father began discussing
the job ‘Dr. Johnson’ was offering. Maetha’s voice filled my head
again.
“It’s time to take Brand to meet
the other clans. He needs you, Calli. His progression is stunted
without your influence. He’s actually waiting nearby in a secure
location and once we are finished here, you will leave with him. I
want your parents to believe you are working an internship with me,
that way they won’t worry and we don’t have to reveal your
abilities yet. Your parents aren’t ready to accept it.”

Sven arrived with our
drinks and took down my father’s order for
hors d'oeuvres. I placed my thoughts on the front of my mind
for Maetha.
“Something is amiss with this
waiter but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

“He’s an enemy, Calli, but
tonight he is not to be feared.”

“What?”

“He’s under my control and
cannot harm you.”

My father had been asking me if I was
interested in ‘Dr. Johnson’s’ offer and I acted enthusiastic and
said yes. Over the next hour, our dinner was served and we all
enjoyed pleasant conversation… and I marveled at how Sven was
trying to follow his orders to harm me, but absolutely could not do
it. What exactly he was trying to do, I didn’t know. How he knew
where I’d be, I didn’t know. At one point I asked Maetha’s mind if
my parents were in any danger and she said no.

The evening wrapped up and I hugged my
parents and told them that I loved them because, honestly, I
couldn’t tell if I would ever see them again. The thought
frightened me a little but at the same time, I felt reassured all
would work out well in the end.

Maetha accompanied me to my dorm and
issued instructions of what I should pack and what I should leave.
After packing, I changed into some of my new clothes that were not
as fancy but comfortable. I showed her the box of new Demon devices
and she ordered that I take one for Brand. The box would then be
repackaged and mailed to her place in Indiana. If the new device
was ineffective, Brand and I would have to alter the way in which
we traveled; hopefully that wouldn’t be the case.

Maetha helped me load my bags in my
Cooper and gave me additional instruction concerning the journey. I
asked her, “Should I be on the lookout for Sven?”

“No, he has forgotten all about you.”
She smiled at me.

“When I have the complete diamond will
I be able to do what you do?”

“We’ll see. Calli, I want to remind
you to avoid looking into your own future. You will eventually
possess all pieces of the diamond but sometimes the course in which
that takes place is disturbing to view. Remember that small
incidences create larger situations which precipitate the overall
outcome of you attaining the diamond. Do not look to your own
future lest you be tempted to behave a certain way or attempt to
alter a situation as you already have done.”

“What? I’ve already done
what?”

“Calli, you altered your physical
appearance. That is a power I have, and it is what I used on your
parents tonight. The diamond gives you that power and you’ve
unconsciously caused your body to change to match the vision you
saw concerning Chris. Someday when you have the whole stone you’ll
be able to alter the way others perceive you without actually
changing your physical appearance.”

“That’s what you did tonight,
right?”

“Yes. I would teach you how to do it
now if it was possible as that would help disguise you from your
enemies, but I cannot.”

“Because I need the whole
stone.”

“Correct. The changes you’ve already
made will help in one way, and be a detriment in others. Calli, I
choose to look this age of fifty because I was the happiest at this
age long ago. By looking older, it reduces the amount of suitors
that I have to deal with. You have willed your looks to an extreme
level and this change will bring about new difficulties as you will
soon discover.”

“So, I’m too beautiful?”

“There is no such thing, Calli. Beauty
is in the eye of the beholder and not everyone will see you as
being beautiful, in fact, many will see you as a threat. Be careful
with your beauty and do not use it to achieve what you believe to
be your future.”

“What?”

“That is all the time we have to
discuss it. You must go now and pick up Brand.” She handed me a
card with an address on it. “He is waiting for you.”

I drove to the address
Maetha had given me; a diner on the outskirts of town. Brand sat in
a booth by the large window and the first thing that ran through my
mind was,
‘This is what is considered a
secure location?’
The second thought that
went through my mind was,
‘Brand looks
older, more mature, a bit defeated and tired.’

His eyes were on me from the moment I
walked in the door until I stood in front of him at his table. “Hi
Brand.”

“Calli?”

“Yeah.”

“I leave you alone for a couple months
and you go and turn all beautiful on me.” He stood and hugged me
tightly. “Did you bring a new device?”

I reached in my purse and pulled out
the one-inch-by-one-inch square electronic device. “I haven’t been
able to test them. Are you up for it right now?”

“You bet, beautiful.” His eyes perked
up and he smiled exposing his dimples making me realize I wasn’t
the only one who’d improved in the looks department.

We exited the diner into the warm
summer air. The lights from the parking lot illuminated a great
distance but we eventually reached the Demons in the shadows. He
clipped the device on his shirt and turned it on, and then walked
into the shadows. He extended his arms out from his body and spun
around joyfully. “Finally! It’s about damn time!” he shouted to the
starlit sky.

“There’s a small LED light on it too.”
I pointed to the power button and he depressed it causing the light
to turn on.

“These are perfect, Calli. How long
will the battery last?”

“It’s supposed to be good for sixty
days of continuous use.”

He grabbed my hands and spun me around
in the dark. “Thank you! I’ve missed you, Calli.”

‘Oh boy.’
I thought,
‘I must
redirect his attentions away from me.’
I
stopped and began pulling him toward my car. “We’ve got to get
moving, Brand. We’re not safe here.”

“Oh, alright.”

*****

We drove away leaving the diner
behind. Maetha had given me instructions to refrain from showing
any other powers or abilities other than healing and told me to
first take him to the Healers Clan in southern California. After
that, I could decide which clan to visit next so long as the
Runners Clan was the last on the list. She emphasized it strongly
and I figured it was because Chris was an instructor at the
compound.

Maetha also gave me a large bundle of
cash to fund the journey and three different sets of car keys. We
would be exchanging vehicles along the way that Maetha had
previously arranged and parked in specific locations. We were also
instructed to drive straight through and not stop at any hotels.
Knowing that the government was working with Freedom, I could see
the wisdom in avoiding using credit cards, and driving unmarked
vehicles. We were going off grid, as she would say.

We drove through the night switching
places every couple of hours. Brand kept his Demon device clipped
to his shirt and turned on just in case; and I didn’t blame him one
bit. As the sun peeked up in the east eight hours later, we had
crossed the border of Illinois, stopped for breakfast, and
exchanged vehicles. It amazed me the level of connections that
Maetha had.

At the western border of Oklahoma, we
swapped vehicles at an actual home of a retired Runner. The man,
Wendell, was quiet and frail looking. I could tell he was dying a
slow death of cancer, but I could also tell that Maetha had not
healed the man when she very well could have. There was probably a
good reason for it.

As evening approached we entered New
Mexico and found a truck stop for food and gasoline. Brand filled
the tank after I prepaid the cashier and then we entered the diner
and took a seat.

“I feel so gross,” Brand said while he
looked the menu over.

“What do you mean?”

“I stink, I’m tired, I’m stinking
tired; I want to take a shower and sleep longer than thirty minutes
at a time.” He laid his menu down and rubbed his face with his
hands. “What’s the point of all this, Calli?”

“Are you wondering why we are going to
California?”

“Yes. Why now?”

“Because the government goons that
were chasing after you in the spring are now after me. We’re on the
run Brand. However, with our combined powers we’ll be able to stay
at least two minutes ahead of them.” I winked at him and told the
waiting waitress I’d have a grilled chicken salad and water. He
ordered the fajita special.

“Calli, I got to meet five other
Repeaters while I was with Maetha. They are my half brothers and
sisters… just like Suz, and we all kind of look the same.” He
pointed to his dimples.

“Suz doesn’t have dimples Brand, and
she doesn’t look like you. Did anyone look more like Suz than
you?”

“I don’t think so. It’s not uncommon
for some recessive gene to surface somewhere along the
way.”

“That’s true. So, what happens when
two Repeaters come face to face?”

“To anyone watching, it would seem
like nothing is happening. However, to me or the other person, the
meeting drags on ‘for-eh-ver’. We are both repeating trying to
control the situation or conversation. Maetha was quite frustrated
with the whole deal to say the least.”

“I imagine.”

Our food arrived after a few minutes
more and we ate in silence. Before we hit the road again, we both
changed our clothes in an effort to feel a little better in our own
skin. It was possible we’d make it to California by the next night
where we could find a location to shower and rest.

*****

We arrived in southern California late
the next afternoon. We had pulled over at a rest area in Arizona
and slept for three hours straight and because of that delay we
were behind schedule. We found another truck stop with showers and
decided this would be as good a time as any to clean up.

I was so relieved to let the hot water
spray away days of sweat and grime and felt invigorated by it. I’d
selected a nice outfit to change into; indigo blue jeans, a
sleeveless v-neck shirt and a classy cream cotton blazer which
contoured and accentuated my shape nicely. I figured I should try
to look nice when meeting with the Healers.

Brand had cleaned up nicely also. He’d
shaved and wore a nice designer dress shirt and jeans… and he
smelled really good.

I had to shake my head and clear the
cobwebs out. I needed to think logically. We were about to meet
with the only individuals besides Maetha and Clara Winter who knew
I had a diamond piece in my heart and I needed to be on my toes
mentally. I couldn’t communicate telepathically to alert them to
the fact that Brand didn’t know about it and they should keep it
confidential.