The Sway (18 page)

And thank God for that! Mission accomplished. But we still had so much left to face. I turned to the boy I loved, my heart breaking at the sight that greeted me.

Cole was cradling his mom like a child. It was weird to see the role reversal.

We will know in two minutes if they were successful.

Now, we wait,
I thought.

Airstrike is a go on this facility in ten minutes. We need to get out of here. Grab what you can and go,
Hank yelled through the connection.

I still wasn't sure if three million people in Singapore had survived the missile strike Cole's mom had launched. I didn't have time to think of the deaths right now. I locked away those faces for later, when I could grieve them properly.

Quade was ripping hard drives from the server against the back wall. Natalia was stuffing whatever she could into her cargo pockets. I followed suit and took whatever Quade handed me.

“All right, we've got to go,” I yelled out loud to the team, as well as internally to Hank.

Cole held the limp form of his mom. I was curious about her, though not nearly as curious as Hank and Cole were. We raced down the hallway we had come down, moving at a slower pace, since Natalia and I weren't traveling at the speed of light. The alarms were already blaring and the facility would be blown to ashes in a matter of minutes, so whatever additional alarms we tripped on our way out didn't really matter.

Panting, I gripped my side when we stopped just short of the SUV. Hank was pacing faster than a normal human would. He froze, as if he sensed his wife's proximity to him, and ran to her. Cole dropped to his knees and laid his incoherent mother at his dad's feet. Hank traced the line of her cheekbone down to her collarbone. Her eyes fluttered slightly.

“Meg?” Hank asked.

She shook off some of her weariness and her eyes filled with fear. “The kids. You've to get the kids!”

“Cole's here. You don't need to worry anymore.”

“I know my child is here,” she said in haste. “I mean the Letum kids. Hank, you've got to stop the airstrike. There are nearly one hundred kids in this facility for testing. We have to save them,” Meg rattled off.

No. They had children? I looked to Hank, to see the panic ignite in his eyes.

Hank ran to the car and picked up a sat phone. He was talking under his breath in quick tones, so I couldn't pick up a majority of the conversation.

“It's too late, Meg. They've already sent the drone,” he replied with sadness laced in his tone.

We could do this; we had the capability in this team. I could do this. Holy shit, my super freak Level Five crazy self could do this.

“It's not too late, though,” I said. “Natalia and I can go in and get as many out as possible in the next five minutes. Right? They're targeting just the facility. Anywhere outside the property line is safe, right?” I yelled out to Hank.

He nodded, but his features betrayed his fear.

“Meg, good to see you again.” I waved to her. “How do I get there? What door, what code?”

Meg rambled off directions that I committed to memory.

“092494,” she said. “That's the code for the children's area. Hurry.”

I looked at Cole as he held his mom's head in his lap. He met my eyes.

The sun was attempting to rise over the African desert. Soft morning hues of red and pink colored the sky. This was it. I nodded once to him and I blew him a kiss. I started counting in my head. One, two, three.

Natalia and I linked together, moving faster as two than I ever had moved on my own. As we moved, blurred shades of gray and white swirled together. We had covered so much ground. Thirty-seven, thirty-eight. I kept counting in my head.

“Here,” Natalia said as we ungraciously thudded to a halt. She punched the numbers into a keypad and the door slid into the wall. Nearly one hundred eyes were staring at the doorway.

What happened next wasn't real life. It couldn't have been, because I was looking at the crazy Russian Natalia I had worked with extensively, the girl who had saved my little brother.

But there was this hate in her eyes. How she looked at me, she wasn't with me at all. She was going to kill me. Her long, slim fingers wrapped around my throat.

What. The. Forbidden four-letter expletive.

“Natalia,” I choked out.

“Oh, please.” All traces of her Russian accent were gone; she sounded American.

“Natty, Natty!” came a chorus of voices from the doorway.

“Josh, can you show my friend how strong you are? Keep her tight against the wall, okay?”

An invisible weight settled around my body, sealing me to the wall like glue. The boy, Josh, couldn't have been older than six. He was sticking his tongue out in concentration.

“Josh, that's great,” Natalia said. “Now walk back into the room, with the other kids. Okay, bud?”

He turned to face her, breaking his concentration. He ran through the door as my body collapsed to the floor.

“I'm strong, huh?” he said with pride.

I smiled at the kid, despite myself, and nodded. “Yep.”

He backed into the crowd of kids.

Natalia leaned toward me with malice and pride in her eyes. “You should've died in the car accident. It was a perfect setup,” she spat.

Of course it was someone inside. Only someone within the organization would have had access to the information. Someone trusted, someone familiar. That bitch. I closed my eyes briefly. What the hell was I going to do? My family, Cole, Mikey—god, I'd never see anyone.

“It was you?”

“It was you?” She mimicked my tone. “Of course it was me. If I'd succeeded, I wouldn't be stuck in this hellhole desert. This would all be over. The world would be free. I'm so sick of pretending, of playing both sides.”

She ran her hands through her hair and started pacing.

Hank,
I thought out.
Hank, Natalia is a traitor. Hank?
I didn't feel any buzz or sense the connection typically present.

Natalia glared her eyes at me. “Your special adapt-a-power won't work. There are too many kids down here. They are jamming whatever frequency your body puts off when you want to steal an ability. Sorry, hun.”

Heavy boots ran down the hall. I turned my head to the sound. I hadn't gathered enough strength to stand on my own.

A gun was leveled in Natalia's direction and shots rang out twice. She crumbled to the ground as pools of red spilled from beneath her body.

“Jules. We've got to go. Like now. Can you do this with me?”

I nodded in his direction, completely confused by his appearance.

“But you were—” I paused. “Are you really here?”

He barked out a laugh. “Yeah.” He pinched my cheek.

“Ouch. Dude, what the hell?” I rubbed my cheek. “Wait, Harrison, someone else is here.” I heard lighter footsteps. “Someone else is here.”

He nodded toward the open door, where the group of kids had gathered, staring blankly at Natalia's dead form on the floor as blood pooled around her body.

“Those someones?”

I shook my head. “No.”

A shimmer breezed behind Harrison, and Meg's form appeared in the open doorway.

She smiled a sad smile at me. “If I don't see you again, I want you to take care of Cole for me. Tell him I love him. Lucy, lift up your shield. Can you cover us all, sweetheart?”

A tiny girl, no older than eight, stepped forward. She looked familiar to me.

“I can do it, Momma,” she replied in a small voice.

Momma?

Cole had a sister? Meg pressed a button and nodded to me as the door slid shut.

“What just happened?” I asked in a stage whisper.

“Can we talk about it later? There is a drone headed our way, and I would rather not come close to death again this week,” Harrison said as he scooped me up in his arms. “Ready, Julia? Here we go,” he sang out.

The feeling of being sucked through a straw still wasn't top of my list, but it was a pretty damn effective way to travel. When we popped back into a solid form, the sun was beating down an insane amount of heat. We were just outside a grass hut. The black SUV we had been riding in was parked next to the small house, looking completely out of place.

“Ugh, I'm going to need something for nausea,” I mumbled before leaning over and puking my guts out. A warm hand settled on my lower back, rubbing small circles. I kept my elbows on my knees, and a water bottle dangled in my line of sight.

“Thanks.”

“Of course,” Cole said.

“Where's Meg?” Hank asked.

I straightened my hunched form and met his eyes and shook my head once.

“She said she was going to help you,” Cole said.

“Well, she didn't. She got one the kids to put up some sort of shield and then closed the door where they were all staying in that bunker.” I shrugged in defeat. “She told me to tell you she loved you, both of you.”

I embellished the story slightly for Hank's heart. I reached for Cole's hand and he took it.

“I'm sorry.” Part of me remained unsure of what exactly I was apologizing for. Maybe the fact that I wasn't telling him the whole truth.

A boom echoed through the quiet desert air, followed by a flash of light in the distance.

Hank's eyes were wet and he slowly fell to his knees. He was the picture of a broken-hearted man. Quade walked out and lifted up his phone and handed it to Hank.

“It's the president, sir.”

Head down, Hank held out his hand. He quietly listened, and the briefest of smiles cascaded across his features. He ended the call and then threw the phone at the side of the SUV, shattering it.

“It's done. The air force intercepted the bomb headed for Singapore. Let's go,” he said with a monotone clarity.

We piled into the SUV. I sank back into the leather and closed my eyes.

We did it.

B
y the time
we had landed in Brooklyn, the president of the United States and other various leaders around the world had told all of humanity of the success of our mission. We watched the speech from the flight as the French President announced, “In a joint effort of military members from around the world, we have stopped this attempt of global terrorism. Showing them that the people of this world will fight for their way of life. They will not blindly be led.”

He went on to thank varying countries and administrations. Really, my team should've gotten the trophy. Saving the world on my resume was going to have to be enough.

Exiting the plane, there were only three things I wanted: a bed, my family, and Cole. The lights and sounds of the city buzzed in my ear as we walked out of the flight hangar. A line of SUVs waited as the sun set behind the city.

I breathed in the air, grateful that I had the time to do so. I would have moments in the future when I would look back on this mission as the one that shaped my world. The last month had not only altered my perception of the government, but had dramatically changed the path my life was going to take.

Cole dropped his arm around my shoulders and tucked me into his side, placing a soft kiss in my hair. “I have a surprise for you.”

I looked up to meet his eyes, and he nodded toward the waiting SUV. The door opened. My parents stepped out, followed by James. I wiggled out of Cole's arm and ran to them, like in a cheesy movie. I jumped into my dad's arms and felt my mom's warmth from the other side.

“Ju-ju bean, I'm so glad you're home safe,” my dad whispered into my hair.

A dam of tears burst, the stress of the last few days emptying out on my parents' shoulders.

“Shh, honey, you're safe now,” my mom soothed.

“Besides, you were totally badass out there,” James said with a squeeze of my shoulder. I turned and punched him in the arm.

“Don't cuss. Mom will be pissed.”

He smiled and pulled me into a gangly armed hug.

Mikey slid out of the SUV, making eye contact with me. My heart warmed.

“Mikey? Mike?” I took off running and leapt into his arms without a second thought. I leaned back with my legs still linked around him. “They found you. I'm so glad they found you.” I turned his cheek from left to right. “You're good?”

He nodded with a smirk.

“I want you to meet someone.” I slid down his body, realizing just how much more defined his muscles had become over the last year. Then I mentally slapped myself for the thought.

I looked back to see a steaming Cole walking toward us.

“Mikey, this is Cole, my boyfriend. Cole, this is Mike. We were at Eisenhower together and then were partners for a year.”

They shook hands and had some sort of stare down that equated to a pissing contest.

“Right, so should we head back to HQ?” I asked.

Cole slipped his arm around me and pulled me into a kiss, the kind of kiss that so was not acceptable in front of one's parents.

“Feeling the need to mark your territory, baby?” I whispered to his lips.

Hank pulled the two of us apart.

“Come on. Let's go to dinner in the city before we head back to The Sway,” he said.

A
s we were getting
up to leave our table, I saw a shimmer of a form standing behind Hank.

Meg is behind you,
I thought toward him. He glanced behind him to the invisible form.

“Excuse me a moment,” he said, pushing away from the table as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

The silence that followed his departure was fifteen shades of awkward. Until James started showing off by extending his lanky arms across the table to steal the remainder of the food on Cole's plate.

When Hank returned, his mouth was set in a hard line.

“We've got a problem.” His voice sounded grim and Meg's invisible form was standing behind him to the right. “The Letum have gathered kids with abilities, ones that we missed. The children are being trained and given a drug similar to the Eisenhower protocol, but worse.”

My face dropped while adrenaline pumped through my veins. “How can it be worse? We've got to help them.”

I noted the excitement covering Mikey's features.

A smile pulled at Hank's lips. “I thought you might feel that way.”

I
sat
between Cole and Mikey, who both rode with my family back to the compound in the Catskills. The introductions were slightly awkward with my dad, Who may or may not have threatened to hang them both from a tree if they ever mistreated me.

“Jue, the people here have been explaining about Transcendents to your mother and me,” my dad said, looking carefully at James, Cole, and me. “Well, I'm really good with numbers. Like, genius good with numbers.” He shrugged.

“Do you think…?” I started to ask.

“So I had them run some tests,” he continued. “Looks like you got that funky gene from dear old Dad.”

Pride beamed from his eyes. I heard footfalls behind me and turned to see Hank and Harrison approaching my family reunion. He stuck his hand out toward my dad.

“Hank Thomas. I just wanted to thank you for raising such an incredible girl. She and Cole will make a perfect match.”

My eyes went wide.

I hadn't even really introduced Cole yet. Dinner was too brief to get into what we are,
I yelled toward Hank.

A smirk crossed his lips.

Cole stepped forward and held his hand out.

“Sir, ma'am.” He nodded toward my parents. “It's good to meet you. Julia has told me so much about you.”

My father held Cole's grip longer than was actually necessary and breaking to the point of uncomfortable. James gripped Cole's shoulder.

“Thanks for bringing my big sister back safe, man.” They did some form of a bro hug and then James turned to Harrison. “Kiya will be glad to know you're here in one piece, too, after all that work she did to heal you.”

Mikey stood awkwardly to the side, like a makeshift bodyguard. I snapped my attention to Harrison.

“You got all the way back here?” I asked in awe. “Harrison, that's kick ass.”

He shrugged and smiled. I pulled him in for a hug. “Thanks for saving my life, like, five times. I owe you big time.”

A slight blush crept across his cheeks.

“I'll find some way for you to repay me,” he said with a wink to Cole.

I swear Cole growled at Harrison, which I found kind of hot. So there was definitely something messed up in my brain. Cole's big hands wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me back to him. Mikey glared at Cole. This was so bizarre. I could've possibly just stepped into an episode of
The Twilight Zone
.

“About this match thing. Hank, Cole, you're going to have to explain that to me,” my dad said with a furrowed brow.

I wondered how well that would go over.
Oh, yeah, by the way, Dad, people with abilities are matched for life. I found my soul mate at nineteen, so yay for me
.

Yeah, he was totally going to flip out. Hank snorted. I slammed up my walls. I needed to get back in the habit of keeping those babies up.

“
W
e have
to debrief at the compound in fifteen minutes and then we will do Mike's initiation,” Hank said.

I reached for Cole's hands. “Here we go. Back to work. I thought they'd at least have cake for us.”

Cole barked out a laugh, and Mikey chuckled behind me.

“You want a cake, Ju-Ju, I'll make you fifty of 'em. What kind do you like? No, wait, chocolate with vanilla frosting. Right?” Mikey asked.

I stopped in my tracks.

“You remembered,” I said through a grin.

Cole pulled open the doors to the main hall, and applause erupted across the room. Yells of a job well done and praises were sung out. The real life, freaking-transcendent, President of the free world stood on the stage. The crowd parted. I shook hands and smiled at dozens of happy faces as Cole guided me toward the stage.

“Julia, Cole, Harrison, Quade, Kiya. Please come up front. Myself, and the joint chiefs of my staff, would like to present you with the Distinguished Medal Cross. While it won't be recognized outside of this organization and your names will never be written down for history's records, know that on this day, we acknowledge your strength, courage, bravery, and sacrifice on behalf of the republic and all of mankind. We are grateful for your service.”

Various directors popped open very official-looking boxes, presenting us with the medal hanging on the sky-blue ribbon.

I allowed a few tears to escape as the moment was appropriate for emotion. I still had a long way to go in the vault I kept myself locked down in, but I knew I'd make it out. We turned to the audience, medals in hand, and the cheers of congratulations rang out.

I haven't forgotten the kids, Hank. We need to start on that quick,
I thought out.

A buzz filled my head.

Take tonight, Julia. Be a nineteen-year-old. Tomorrow will come soon enough. Take a moment to enjoy your youth. You have the rest of your life to act responsibly.

I smiled at Hank, and he winked at me in return.

Tonight, I would be young.

If only I could stay forever that way…