Blindsided (8 page)

“Hmm…true.” Seth doesn’t say anything else for awhile, but then comes back with, “Maybe he’s waiting for other people to do the hard work, and he’ll steal it later?”

“I guess that’s possible.” But it still feels like I’m missing something. If Dad was the one who got the formula from China, I’d think he’d be willing to get his hands dirty out here, too.

The closer we get to the waterfall, the easier it is to hear the little creek that only runs in the winter according to Seth. That small trickle of water tumbles off a cliff, making a pond in the valley below. At least until summer comes and dries it all up. On the warmer winter days, we take food and go there with The Pack to mess around. Mostly it’s a game to see who will get caught off guard and pushed into the water first.

With our destination almost in reach, we become quiet. Maybe because we’re tired, or perhaps it feels like speaking is bad luck. The way Major Norton talked, I’d have thought we’d see at least some evidence of his team searching out here. There have been no lights, no digging sites, no tire tracks.

But as we approach the cliff that leads down to the base of the waterfall, it seems like it’s brighter than it should be in the small valley. I grab Seth’s arm. “I think someone’s down there.”

He squints at the nearby ledge, I think so he can look through it. “You’re right. The Army has something set up.”

“We could have just looked over the ledge.” I poke him. “Now you’ll get another horrible headache.”

“I only looked for a second.” He nods toward the path. “Let’s go. They beat us to it—if there was any evidence of us there they’ve already found it.”

“Wait.” Curiosity wells up inside of me to the point that I can’t contain it. “I should go down there to hear what they’re saying.”

Seth shakes his head. “No way. We’re not out here to spy—we’re trying to
avoid
trouble, remember?”

I sigh. He has a point, but there’s something about this that bothers me. “You don’t think it’s weird that they happen to be looking in the
exact
spot you and I mentioned to the Major when he questioned us? Shouldn’t they be up around the factory? That’s the most logical place.”

His face fills with suspicion, and I can tell he’s wavering. “You’re right. This spot seems like a weird place to search so early on. It’s nowhere near the factory.”

“What if…” A sinking feeling comes over me. “Maybe they weren’t trying to clear us for school, but were actually using that as an excuse to get local intel. If they used us, we deserve to know what they’re doing.”

“No. That can’t be it.” Seth purses his lips, fighting himself. “Okay, it could be.”

“See? I have to go down there.”

“I guess so.” A flicker of mischief crosses his face. “Does this mean you’re gonna take your clothes off in front of me?”

“No.” I smack his arm. “You wouldn’t be looking.”

He frowns, glancing back at the cliff. “I don’t like not seeing you for many reasons, but mostly because I won’t be able to make sure you’re okay. What if you get caught?”

“You’d only be more nervous if you could see what I was doing. Now turn off your ability so I can get invisible.”

He smirks. “How will you know I’ve actually turned it off?”

“Do you really want to suffer the consequences for lying to me about that?” I put my hands on my hips. “Because it would be ugly.”

His shoulders slump, and I realize he’s not just trying to get a free view. He’s honestly scared. “Just…be careful, okay?”

I hug him tightly. “Of course. You forget this isn’t my first time.”

“Yeah.” He blinks rapidly, and then cringes. “It’s off, and it’s really weird not to see you.”

That’s how I feel all the time.
I go for my shirt, but this wave of embarrassment washes over me. “Turn around.”

He gives me an incredulous look. “I just said I can’t see you!”

“It’s still weird!” And secretly I’m afraid he’s lying. I mean, what guy would miss a chance to see his girlfriend naked? He rolls his eyes, but turns around. “Thank you.”

I peel off my running gear quickly and place it in a pile. My skin crawls with insecurity—this is the first time I’ve been completely invisible outside my bathroom since I found out Seth could see me. It used to be so easy, but now I feel too exposed. “Watch my clothes. I’ll be back soon.”

“You better be.” Seth turns around, his eyes flitting back and forth in a panic. I guess he really did turn it off.

“I’m hurrying.” I head to the spot in the cliff where you can climb down to the valley. It’s almost like a ramp, though not as smooth or safe. I have to force myself to focus on the rocks right in front of me and not the view. If I can’t see how far away the bottom of the gulch is, then I’ll survive my fear of heights.

When I get to the bottom, I follow the creek up to where the pond forms. There are armed guards everywhere, which seems odd against something as simple as a small pool of water. But at least it’s not Juan’s people—I’m more afraid of what The Phantom would do to me than the Army’s punishments. I creep closer, squinting against the bright lights near the waterfall. It looks like there’s a table and lab equipment there, plus that blond girl in a lab coat I saw the day the Army arrived. Major Norton stands over her, surveying everything.

I have to see what they’re up to.

Adrenaline courses through me as I approach the guards. They don’t seem to notice me, but I need to be careful because the ground has become soft under my feet. Even in the darkness, surely they’d see my footprints appear out of nowhere. That’d be a dead giveaway.

I step on every rock I can, stay away from the pond’s edge, and creep past the closest pair of guards unnoticed. After I maneuver through another set, I’m close enough to the lights to see and hear clearly, so I settle near the cliff wall where no one should run into me.

“How long will it take to know?” Major Norton asks the blond girl. At a closer look, it’s hard to believe she’s a scientist because she doesn’t look much older than a teen, with a sweet face and hair pulled into a long ponytail. Early twenties at most. She must be some kind of science savant.

“Now that I’ve added the necessary chemicals, it shouldn’t be more than a few minutes,” the blond girl says.

“Good.” Major Norton seems excited. “Either we’ll have our match, or we’ll be able to rule out one place in this godforsaken desert.”

“It’s a good lead, sir, according to the formula.” The girl picks up some papers, and my heart about leaps from my chest. “See here? The element should be in liquid form in Earth’s temperature range, so there may be traces in the desert water.”

My brow pinches together in confusion. I pictured some kind of metal, but if they’re looking for an element that’s liquid…

The pools.

No. The caves are so far away from the factory! Why would the element be so far out and hidden in a place that doesn’t look manmade? Did the factory owners hide it there? It seems strange that they wouldn’t keep it right under their thumb at the plant. Then something clicks. Maybe the element naturally occurs in the cave—and they built the factory in a place close but not so close to reveal its location. That makes more sense.

And dear, sweet, too-strong-for-his-own-good Brady just had to find it. That place means the world to him and Seth. If that’s really what everyone’s after, I can’t let anyone find it. We need to know if the element really is at our secret pools, which means we need the formula.

I stare at the scientist girl, watch her talk to the Major and flip through papers that have to be the formula. My fingers tingle with the urge to steal it, and I’m afraid to listen to that impulse. As much as I want to pore over that document, I don’t exactly have a place to put it. Maybe it’d fit in my mouth with some creative folding, but I’d need a significant distraction to pull it off.

No, I can’t steal again. This time it wouldn’t even be for my dad, but would be my own choice to break the law. I can’t do that. As much as I wish I had the power, I’m not stupid enough to think I can stand up to Juan and the Army all on my own. The priority is to lie low so I can keep my quiet, perfect life, even if that means Radiasure is produced again.

My stomach turns at the thought. How can I let that happen if I have a chance to stop it? Am I that big a coward?

Major Norton nods. “Yes, this could be it. I knew that Seth Mitchell boy was suspicious—he was the only one who didn’t pass the lie examination. We’ll have to start pulling in parents next, see if we can get more.”

My eyes go wide. I knew it. The government is just another word for syndicate, except they’re under the delusion that they still have claim to the entire country. If they’re playing dirty, too, then why feel bad about stealing from them? Gritting my teeth, I stand and silently close in on my prey.

That formula is mine.

Chapter 11

I sure hope Seth has kept his word about not watching me, because he’d freak over how close I am to the lab table. Even my hands shake at each step I take. The scientist is so close I could reach out and touch her. I still have no idea how I’ll be able to take the papers without anyone seeing, but maybe I can get close enough to read some of it.

“Almost ready,” the blond girl says as she stares at a test tube filled with what looks like pond water. “If it glows and increases in viscosity, we have it.”

Glowing? This makes me worry even more.

Major Norton stares at the vial, looking oddly childish in his anticipation. I use the opportunity to tiptoe even closer to the pile of papers resting at the edge of the table. I only notice I’m holding my breath when my lungs start to burn, but out of habit I let the air out slowly and silently. With how bright the lights are, it’s easy to see the bold lettering at the top of the first page.

TOP SECRET: Undisclosed Formula and Production Methods for Radiasure.

I only get a few lines in before the words make no sense. Chemistry is almost as horrible as math for me. Seth might be able to make sense of all this gibberish if I can get it out of here.

The blond girl lets out a long sigh. “It doesn’t look good, sir. This isn’t it.”

Major Norton nods. “If it was this easy, someone would have been able to reproduce it years ago. It’s not over yet.”

“I know.” The girl grabs the papers, and I bite back a curse. “It’s just hard not to want it right now when I’ve been searching for so long. This has been my whole life.”

He puts his hand on her shoulder in a fatherly way. “That’s why we asked you to help the Army with this mission.”

I stare at the girl, wondering what her seemingly perfect façade hides. She doesn’t look like she has an evil bone in her body, but I know better than most that appearances can be deceiving. What would make someone like her so bent on producing Radiasure again?

Static crackles over the comm unit at Major Norton’s side. “Sir, we have intruders at the factory. Awaiting your orders.”

I cover my mouth to stifle a gasp, knowing exactly who’s there.

Major Norton grabs the unit and puts it to his mouth. “Do you have a visual?”

“No, sir. An alarm was tripped on the east side.”

The Major swears. “Scour the area. Detain anyone you find. We’re on our way.” He turns to the scientist. “I’m sorry, but our work here will have to be cut short.”

She nods. “It’s a wash, anyway.”

Major Norton yells commands like a veteran, his voice so loud I’m sure Seth can hear it up on the cliff. The soldiers gather around the large Army vehicles parked on the other side of the pond, while the scientist works to clean up her stuff. I chew my lip as I stare between her and the formula pages.

One elbow to her head…

No. I take a few steps back, horrified with my own thoughts. Since we left Dad, I’ve told myself over and over that I never would have done what I did on my own, and yet here I am on the verge of attacking someone. And I still kind of want to, because I
need
that formula. I have to know if the pools really are what they want. If not, then we wouldn’t have to worry anymore.

The scientist slips the formula into a folder, and my heart sinks. Chances are getting slimmer. My ideas to stop her increase in violence.

A soldier comes up to her. His knuckles are sharp bone, and spikes jut out from his forearms almost like depictions of dinosaurs. “Ma’am?”

“Yes?” She turns, and I know this is the only moment I’ll get. So I slip my fingers into the folder, hoping the spiked soldier doesn’t notice. I get the papers out and drop under the table. My heart pounds as I wait to discover if they caught me or not.

“I’ll be your personal guard on the way back,” the soldier says.

“Okay. Just one moment. Let me clean this up.” The scientist stands inches away from me as I try to fold the papers as quietly as possible. I have to get it small enough to stuff in my mouth, which isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. The stack of pages grows thicker at every fold, but it’s still too long to cover. “Are we leaving the table?”

“No, let me fold it up,” the soldier replies.

I cram the paper in my mouth. It stretches out my cheeks, and I have to pinch my lips closed. The table flies up—I curl into a ball and pray they don’t walk into me. There’s no way they wouldn’t put me in prison if I got caught.