Landlocked (Atlas Link Series Book 2) (42 page)

Dave. SeaSat5. A statue. The Waterstar map.
All through Trevor’s eyes. I’d spoken and Trevor’s voice had come out.

I jumped out of bed, somehow managing to not wake Josh up. His snores continued as though nothing happened at all. But everything had just happened.
Everything
.

I shut and locked the bathroom door behind me, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water onto my face. I lifted my eyes and stared at myself in the mirror.
I know where SeaSatellite5 is
. Or at least I knew we must have that Link Piece in the vault back at TAO. How else would I have known what to dream of? But the terrifying statue wasn’t familiar. Maybe they’d found it while I was gone, or sometime before Trevor and I joined TAO.

Dreams.
My face wrinkled with confusion. That was no dream. That was a straight up premonition. Was that how Helen saw future events with her power, full-on 4D experiences?

I snuck into the bedroom to grab my phone and retreated into the kitchen. I dialed Trevor’s number with practiced ease. Two, three, four times I called, hope fading with each and every unanswered ring that he was even awake. I checked the stove’s digital clock. It was midnight where he was. He should still be awake if his schedule hadn’t changed.

By the seventh call, I was giving up hope that he would answer at all. I could teleport—no, if Josh woke up and saw me missing, if I left for TAO… I’d be gone for hours. I couldn’t do that to him over something so vague.

Trevor finally picked up, his voice rushing through the phone, sending waves of relief that crashed me to the floor. “You saw it, too, didn’t you? Our telepathy transmitted it.”

I slid down the food pantry door until I sat with my knees bent. “Yes. Trevor—”

“Already on it. Just got off the phone with Major Pike. He’s going to call everyone in the morning for a briefing. General Holt is in early these days. I’ll be outside his office when he comes in.”

I shook my head. “We need to move now.”

“We need a plan,” he said. “If you saw the same thing I did, what Dave showed us… it’s going to be a trip getting there. It’s been two years. Another couple of hours isn’t going to change anything.”

“How do we know we can even trust him? He fooled
everyone
. He destroyed Hummingbird.”

Trevor hesitated for too long. No response.

“Trevor?”

“We already have the Link Piece Dave showed us,” he said. “It’s sitting on Dr. Hill’s desk right now. And we may have some other, uh, intel.”

“Other intel?” I asked.

“Long story.”

My brain moved a thousand miles a minute. We’d seen the same thing. In the same premonition. But Trevor didn’t have powers. So, did I see the dream and transferred it to him thanks to the Altern Device? Or did Dave target Trevor? “I can be at TAO in two minutes. This is ridiculous.”

“Don’t bother,” he said. “Rest up. If we act right away, the next few days are going to be more hectic than your last finals week at college.” He was trying to be funny. But it wasn’t funny. None of this was.

“I couldn’t sleep right now if I tried. You realize I’m behind, too, right? By the time you get General Holt briefed, I’ll still be sitting in the kitchen twiddling my thumbs.” Shit. Actually, we had our own briefing anyway. I shuddered at the thought of seeing General Allen again. “Never mind. Just text me when you know a meeting time.”

“I will. And Chelsea?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re gonna get them back safe and sound. You know that, right?”

I nodded. “Yes. I do.”

“Good,” he said and hung up the phone. And just like that, the tension of the last three weeks lifted away. I sighed.

“Everything all right?” Josh hovered above me, scratching at his stubble.

I stood. “Definitely better than all right. Why?”

“You’re sitting on the kitchen floor at three in the morning with a phone in your hand,” he said dryly.

I smiled and crossed the distance between us, leaning into him. “We know where SeaSat5 is,” I said into his shoulder. “We’re going to get them back.”

Although it’d been only a few days since Truman had died, the team assembled for another job. I intended on getting that job handed off to one of the other, less-qualified teams because I couldn’t care less about General Allen’s plans.

As soon as the General started talking, I stood. “I have another proposition for you, General,” I said, surprising myself when my voice didn’t falter. With SeaSat5 within grasp, nothing, not even General Allen himself, could stand in the way. “This team is needed elsewhere.”

TAO, for all its accomplishments, did not have the manpower needed for a rescue. The compound Trevor and I had seen was easily five times larger than the warehouse where Truman had died. Only our small group at TAO ever traveled through the Link Pieces, mostly because time-travel was so unpredictable, and the Army wasn’t willing to risk anyone else. But to save SeaSat5, they would. However, the five of us wouldn’t be enough. I assumed General Holt would call in the cavalry, perhaps some special ops guys, but having people who already knew what they were up against—even a little bit—would be best. Plus, Weyland would kill me if I didn’t at least tell him.

The room fell silent at my words, and everyone other than Josh looked at me like I had five heads.

“And what would that be, Ms. Danning?” General Allen asked, eyes like daggers.

My jaw set and I stood taller. “Rescuing the SeaSat5 crew.” I didn’t have General Holt’s approval yet, but couldn’t see a reason why he’d deny using my team at TruGates. It’d be bad form, regardless of what little ties General Allen did or didn’t have to the actual military. Besides, rescuing SeaSat5 and the crew would trump any complications General Allen could possibly throw into the mix.

A pregnant pause waddled about the four walls. Weyland stood and walked over to me. “I thought you didn’t know where it was,” he said like it was a secret and we weren’t in a room with other people.

“We do now,” I said. “I can’t explain it all, you’d have to sign nondisclosure agreements and God knows what else. What’s important is TAO isn’t equipped to handle a rescue mission of this scale, and while the Army may recruit soldiers for the cause, you guys already know what you’re up against. They’re like me, with powers, but evil. Like the guy from the warehouse,” I said to Mara before lifting my gaze to General Allen. “If you can spare them it’d be much appreciated.”

It wasn’t a question, but a dare to reject me, to deny the rescue of SeaSat5 when he and I alone in this room understood its importance in the grand scheme of things. Or, more to the point, was he really willing to not help get the Navy’s brainchild back?

“Sir,” Weyland said, eager.

General Allen’s stern façade faded. “How long will it take?”

“I won’t know until I talk to TAO. If we get all the approvals we’ll need, then I can take these guys there. Trevor and I have to formulate a plan of attack as we’re the only people who know the ship well.” I glanced at Weyland. “Other than Weyland, of course. In the very least, I request Weyland be involved. He’s the only military personnel from the first tour who didn’t come back after the hijacking.”

General Allen didn’t like the idea. It was evident in the awkward length of breaths he took, like he couldn’t catch his breath in one moment, and in the other he took too many. I struggled to maintain composure as his anger fueled my
na-na-na-na-na-na
response childishly itching to the surface.

Mara coughed loudly. Guess I didn’t hide it as well as I thought.

“Sir, SeaSatellite5 is the Navy’s most elite vessel in its fleet. It is also the
only
research vessel of its kind, and it’s currently in enemy hands. We need to get it back, and TAO needs this team’s help to do it. I’m going either way.”
Try and stop me.

He shrugged. His neck muscles twitched, betraying his outward calmness. “I can think of no better team, myself.”

Of course you can’t. You trained them to hunt the very people who took SeaSat5.

“You have a go,” General Allen said. “Return them in one piece.”

I hid the smug smile that wanted to form as I spun to face Mara and the guys. “It’s not an official job because of what it is—which is vague, I know. I can’t explain it until we get to TAO and they clear your participation. Basically, even General Allen can’t order you to go because you’re not part of TAO, and you’re technically not on active duty. I’m
asking
you to join me, but you don’t have to. I’ll understand.”

They all nodded like they understood. Weyland held a hand out to me. “I’m in.”

“It’s dangerous,” I said.

He grinned. “I could die every day I live.”

I rolled my eyes though his support meant everything, our relationship coming full circle. “You’re so wise.”

“Me too,” came Josh’s answer as he stood. His eyes were drawn from sleepless nights, but they had a determined glint about them. Whatever went through his head, it bred determination to distract himself from losing a friend.

Eric and Mara stood together. It was decided.

I smiled. “Thank you.” I stuck out my hand in front of me. “Taxi up.”

“Not just yet, Ms. Danning.”

I mustered the best look of control I could possibly have sent General Allen at that moment. “Yes?”

“May I speak to you privately for a moment?”

“Sure,” I relented. I didn’t have a choice if I was taking his team from him for a few weeks. And it’d look weird to the others if I didn’t go.

I followed General Allen into the hallway, but kept my distance. He wouldn’t hurt me with the guys this close, would he?

He walked a few paces from the door before he turned around and said, “I need to speak with you regarding your growing popularity.”

My growing what? “Excuse me?”

“Your band.”

My heart thudded to a stop in my chest.
You want to threaten them now, too?
“Leave them out of this.”

“This is unrelated,” he hissed as if he didn’t want me speaking of our altercations in public. Tough shit. “Your rock star dreams are endangering TruGates’ mission. The more popular you get, the more recognizable your face will become. I can’t have that. TruGates is a paramilitary organization. We value anonymity.”

I fought to keep my expression neutral. I knew it’d come to this eventually, but I never expected to have to deal with it while with Josh and TruGates. I never expected Phoenix and Lobster to get so big, so fast, period. “We’ve still got a bit to go before that happens.”

“I’m just letting you know.”

Chelsea—1. General Allen—1.

Today’s fight was a draw.