Aegis: Catalyst Grove (19 page)

Cavaness looked out beyond the mangled front door to the woods beyond the parking lot.
 

“Sometimes using a corkscrew isn’t enough.
 
In some cases, you just have to let the pressure build up inside until it forces the cork free.”

Cavaness shoved a manila folder into Chase’s chest.
 
“I went back upstairs to have another look around.
 
They found the files.
 
It still amazes me every time that though our guests are so eager to flee this place, they always have time to snoop around.”

Chase smiled.
 
“Graham mentioned being lab rats when he confronted me.
 
I figured they found something.
 
It is all coming together then, isn’t it.
 
Which file was taken this time?”

“Casey Hagan.”

“HA!
 
The Casey File?
 
That ought to do the trick.”
 

“Yes, I imagine it would.”

The anticipation of what was to come made Chase forget the headache.
 
He always got a little nervous when it came time for the hunt.
 
He knew it was necessary, but it never did make it any easier.
 
He walked over to where Cavaness was standing and handed him a small frame.
 

“They found the picture of Alexander as well.
 
I found it laying on the desk with the dirt wiped from the glass.”
 
Cavaness picked up the small frame in his hands and stared at the small path winding through Catalyst Grove.
 
“Now it really begins.”

Jittery, Chase started rubbing his hands together as he thought through what was going to happen next.
 
“You ready for the chase?”

Cavaness thought for a moment.
 
“I’ve got a better idea.
 
Go get Murphy.
 
We are going to need an eye in the sky.”

“You got it, big fella.”

Cavaness rolled his eyes and looked back outside.
 
Holding up his hand, he said, “Wait.
 
What did you get from the Damien kid?
 

“Not much.
 
It was hard to get a read on that one.
 
I’d say, let’s funnel them to the ravine and see what happens.”

Cavaness thought for a moment.
 
“Alright. It’s a long shot, but there is only one way to find out.”

Chase nodded in agreement, then took off down the hall in a blur, leaving Cavaness standing by himself.

Looking back down at the picture, Cavaness breathed heavy.
 
“What do you think?
 
Is our search finally over?”

Alex stepped out from the shadows behind Cavaness.
 

“Graham is exceptional, there is no denying it.
 
I have never seen levels that high just after the the application of the catalysts, but only time will tell if he is the one for whom we have been searching.”
 
Alex put his hand on Cavaness’ shoulder.
 
“Time and Trials will always be the best agents for uncovering one’s true nature.
 
Just stick to the plan.”

“Yes sir.”
 

C
HAPTER
F
OURTEEN

The Casey File

Damien stood to his feet.
 

“Can you walk?” asked Graham.

“I think so.
 
I’m a little shaky, but I am ok.”

Kel took Ailey’s hand and began walking back towards the path.
 
“Good, because we have to keep moving.
 
If Damien is awake, then Chase is too.
 
We have to go.”
 

Graham quickly briefed Damien on their plan.
 
Damien shook his head in agreement.
 
They all made their way back down to the path, followed it for a while until they could get a good sense of where it was leading, then they ducked back into the trees, keeping to higher ground.
 

“I think we can keep following the trail from here and stay hidden.”
 
Feeling a little safer now that they were deeper into the woods, Graham turned to Damien.
 
“Hey, I am sorry I didn’t tell you about my problem.
 
I can’t control it and I didn’t want you to get hurt, but that is no excuse.
 
I should have told you.”

“Yes, you should have,” replied Damien.
 
“But I get why you didn’t.
 
I’m sure it was hard carrying that by yourself.”

“Yea, it has been pretty terrible.
 
I guess it should make me feel special and unique, but it doesn’t.
 
It makes me feel like a freak.
 
I am scared to be around other people all the time.
 
The last time it got out of control, people got hurt.
 
I guess I didn’t think you would stick around if you knew.
 
I don’t know what I was thinking.
 
I am sorry.
 
We are all in this together now, so no more secrets.”

“Good.
 
It is settled then.
 
Now, what was that blasting all about?” said Damien.
 
“That was awesome!”

“I don’t know.
 
For a minute, it is like I could do what Kel did.
 
My arm started to tingle, and it is like something inside was telling me what to do next,” said Graham.

“Same here, but I have never been that strong before.”
 
It was evident from her demeanor that Kel could not believe she was openly talking about being able to move things without touching them.
 
Her face relaxed as she told them how good it felt to be able to finally speak freely, knowing that what she was about to say would accepted.
 

“Sometimes things close-by would fall down beside me.
 
Most of the time it was a drink or something like that.
 
Everyone thought I was so clumsy, but I would rather them think that than know the truth.
 
Lately, though, bigger objects have moved.
 
About two weeks ago, I sat down in a chair to eat breakfast, and the chair beside me fell over, scooting across the floor a couple of feet.”

Graham was still skeptical.
 
As she continued to talk, it was as if she were explaining his exact emotions.
 
The confusion of not knowing what was going on, trying to play it off like it was a normal occurrence for things to move on their own.
 
The fear of rejection.
 
It was as if he were listening to his inner thoughts speaking through Kel.
 
Did she really have that good of a read on him?
 
Was she saying this so that she could gain his trust?
 
Nice try.
 
I’m not buying it.

“At first, it would only happen every couple months, and it was very subtle.
 
My cup would move an inch or two as I was eating, but lately, it has gotten more frequent.
 
The chair was the most intense I have ever seen it.
 
I certainly have never made chairs explode.”
 
Kel looked over to Graham.
 
“At first, I really did not think it was me.
 
Honestly.
 
There is a big difference between knocking a chair over on its back and blowing it apart.”

Graham ignored her attempts to explain her lie.
 
He would figure out how to deal with this later.
 
For now, they had to deal with their other, more imminent threat.
 
He ducked under a low branch.
 
Once he passed underneath, he lifted it up and let the others pass.
 
Ailey ran ahead of them, making her way down closer to the path to be sure they were still near.
 
A few minutes later, she shuffled back up the hill giving a thumbs up.
 
The frost was almost completely gone now.
 
Their breath no longer produced little white puffs, and because of the constant walking, they had all stopped shivering in the cold.
 
Once Kel had told her story, Graham could not help but wonder how Chase could know about them.
 
If he and Kel had kept it hidden so well, how did Chase and Cavaness know?
 
Before he knew it, Graham was thinking out loud.

“So, somehow they knew we could do things others cannot.
 
How could they possibly know?
 
We’ve kept it hidden,” said Graham.
 
He thought about the man who saw him at Wellington, but surely he did not say anything, and besides, Chase already knew at that point.

“Maybe Ms. Winstone told Chase before we got downstairs,” said Damien.
 
If she new about your nightmares, maybe she knew about the hovering, too.”

“I don’t know.
 
I think she would have said something.
 
She has never been one to hold back.”

“Well, they had to know somehow.” Damien said.
 
He turned to Kel next.
 
“Did anyone see you move things where you are from?”

“I don’t know.
 
Maybe.
 
Ailey knew.
 
Maybe a few others saw it, but they never said anything,” said Kel.
 

Graham rolled his eyes.

Damien arched his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.
 
“And why did they take me?
 
I have never experienced anything like you two.
 
Why bother with me?”
 

As they continued to ask questions, Kel remembered about the piece of paper in her pocket.
 
Continuing their trek trough the woods, Kel walked over to Ailey, reached into the pocket of her coat that was still draped around her shoulders and pulled out the folded piece of paper.

“What is that?” both Damien and Graham asked.

“It was a case file from that folder you found,” Kel said to Damien.
 
“I grabbed it before we climbed down the shaft.
 
I thought it may give us some answers.”

Kel unfolded the paper and began reading from the top.

Kel looked up at the rest of the group with fear in her eyes.

Graham and Damien both stopped walking.
 
“Ms. Winstone mentioned a fire that broke out in the Manor years ago.
 
It must have been Casey!”

They all started to rub their wrists at the thought of being enveloped in flames.
 

“What do we do now?
 
How do we get these things out of us?” asked Graham.

“I don’t think that is an option,” replied Kel.
 
“I think they were designed to be permanent.”

“Great, so we really are lab rats then,” said Graham.
 

“I think the more important question is what experiment we are lab rats for,” said Kel.

Graham gritted his teeth.
 
10 bucks says you already know.

“I am telling you guys, when Chase had me captured, I felt like the life was draining out of me.
 
I think they are finding ways to take energy from other people to make themselves stronger.
 
You saw his hand.
 
It was surrounded by a glowing flame, but there was no heat.
 
It was some sort of energy coming from inside.”

As they continued to walk and discuss their situation, they heard loud, thunderous cracks above them.
 
They looked up to see small balls of light litter the sky like fireworks, but they did not fade away.
 
The remained, blanketing the sky overhead like like a cloud of mist.