Phantom Universe
CHAPTER 45: MONTGOMERY
16 years old
Their new ride sits abandoned on the first floor of the parking structure. It’s black and sleek with a rounded rear and large, tinted windows. The backseat’s not quite as large as the Outlander’s so they’ll have to squeeze inside. On the back of the car, in silver paint and fancy cursive, is the name Velocity Rapture. Summer has a bad feeling about this car, her stomach giving an uncomfortable squeeze—she’s still a little woozy over the last ride.
Today’s the first time that Summer’s ever seen the outside world in its true form. There’s a revolution under foot—the Federation’s taken a turn many of the Canadians disagree with, and it’s obvious on the streets. The Greenhorn Project’s symbol seems to pop up everywhere: a white dove taking flight from an open cage. Cameron explains that it represents freedom and peace. It’s on shirts, in holograms, on flashing screens, and even drawn on the back of speeding cars.
Farther out of the city, Summer can finally see the true magnificence of this phantom universe she’s stumbled into. Lights hang in the air to display where lanes are for flying cars, while far above them there are several hovercrafts that are just oval-shaped dots in the sky. She can see where parts of the old city are intermingled with the new, shiner parts. Technology’s advanced much faster than predicted, but that’s because it was the Federation’s priority to be the most advanced nation on the planet, explains Gage as Summer stares out the windows and marvels at the city along with her friends. The view completely makes her anger melt away to be replaced with wonder.
They slow when Phantomship’s out of view and only low-rise buildings surround them. This is the first time she really gets a good look at the people of the future. Some look normal while others have strange-colored hair and abnormal clothes and accessories that she’s never even dreamed of before, let alone seen. Yellow hair, short hoop-like skirts, wild tattoos, eerie eye colors, and many more things that are bizarre. Parking outside a building with huge windows and digital images moving across the glass, Cameron taps the windshield again, and images immediately cover all the windows in the hovercar.
“This is Emma’s mother’s store,” explains Cameron in the dark, turning a light on. Summer, yet again, can’t find the source. “She owns one of the last stores in the whole Canadian Federation that still has physical books. She’s left me instructions on how to enter the store, and the back has supplies for us to use.”
“Are the cameras disabled?” asks Gage.
“Mrs. Waters put the cameras on a loop starting at dark. Until then, we need to stay in here,” says Cameron. “We’ll stay in the store tonight, and tomorrow we’ll meet up with the other Leaguers in the Midwest Providence. What we need to discuss is where we plan to go from there.”
“Actually,” interrupts Gage, “I was thinking of New York.”
“What?” squeaks Cameron. “You can’t be serious?” Gage and Cameron exchange looks, as if speaking with their glances. “You are serious! And you think that they’re just going to let us pass? Just like that? No questions asked?!”
Everyone watches them carefully, absorbing the information—especially Summer who exchanges a look with Landon. He shrugs, and they both look at Gage.
“Of course there will be questions asked! But don’t you see . . . the one person that everyone wants the most is in our possession!” argues Gage, his voice rising.
“What? You can’t just treat her like a possession,” argues Landon, his voice low and even.
“That’s not what—”
“You want to use Summer to get into New York? That’s what you’re saying, right?” accuses Landon. “Don’t you think they’ll want to imprison her just like the Federation? The accusations of the Secret Clock Society will put her on everyone’s hit list.”
Gage’s mouth opens wordlessly until he gains his composure back. “That’s not what I mean—”
“Isn’t it?”
“No way will you use her as bait,” jumps in Rob, suddenly coming to Summer’s defense.
“Yeah,” agrees Jaden, Lucy, and Avery in unison.
“Summer?” asks Jaden, and all eyes turn to Summer.
Summer’s eyes go wide at the sudden attention—why did this have to come down to her? She didn’t know anything about the Society, about New York, about herself even. For reasons she doesn’t understand, she’s become the most desired person in the whole world. Every eye and ear will be on the lookout for her—some will want to experiment on her, some will want to kill her . . . and who knows what else people have up their sleeves. She’s just a failed experiment, but others might want to try and use her so they can skip through time. All is silent in the car, all intense gazes on her. She shrinks back as if their stares are a physical impact, choking her.
“Your Astropad,” says Landon encouragingly.
Summer reaches into her back pocket for the device; she forgot she had it. She pulls it free and holds it in the palm of her hand, gently pulling the pen-like device from it. Her hand hovers over the Astropad and shakes. Then she writes, “How will New York help us?” She holds it up, and Landon reads it aloud for everyone.
Cameron smiles at her, and something gleams in her chocolate brown eyes. “I have an idea.”
“Cameron,” says Gage warningly.
“Trust me!” Cameron turns around in her seat and begins to fiddle with the glass screen before her. Her fingers swipe, touch, and move so quickly around it that Summer can’t keep up with what Cameron’s doing. Suddenly, a voice echoes through the car. It’s high-pitched and testy, as if speaking at all makes the woman angry. Cameron twists around and puts her finger to her lips. “Yes, this is Cameron Steen. I’d like to speak with the President.”
There’s a snort before the woman says, “I’m sorry, but he’s very busy, as you can imagine.” Her tone’s clearly sarcastic. “May I leave a message?” She chuckles rudely.
“No, you may put me through to the President, if you don’t mind. Perhaps you haven’t been checking the news, but I have Summer Waverly in my custody.”
The girl’s chortling is cut off immediately as she chokes. “What?”
“Please patch me through to the President. I have a feeling he’ll be very interested in what I have, don’t you think?” Cameron’s voice turns bitingly cold. “Or perhaps you want to explain to him why you took a message instead of directing the call to him immediately?”
“I—ah, of course,” the girl chokes out.
Some wild music Summer’s never heard before begins to play, and Rob and Jaden exchange a devious look. Gage, on the other hand, doesn’t seem pleased. “What are you doing?” he says between gritted teeth.
Cameron only smiles more brightly.
“Please hold for the President,” says a pleasant voice, and the music plays again.
“This is President Montgomery,” says a deep voice after a minute.
“President Montgomery, thank you for taking my call,” says Cameron pleasantly. “This is Cameron Steen.”
“So I’ve been told,” says President Montgomery gravely.
“I know that you’re currently trying to track my location so I’m going to make this quick,” says Cameron, as if talking to a President of any country isn’t abnormal to her. “Lieutenant Appleton and myself were not taken—actually, we helped Summer Waverly escape. We were hoping that you’d be open to letting us cross your boarder and giving us refuge in New York.”
“And why would I allow this?”
“It’s either you help us, or President Beaumont will soon find us and have control over the most wanted person on this planet.” Cameron smiles smugly at the air, as if President Montgomery can see her. “Do you really want the Federation to have such control?”
There’s a long pause on the other end.
“I’ll be in contact in an hour. I hope by then you’ll have made a decision.” Cameron taps the screen, and the call’s cut off.
Gage is wide-eyed, and his mouth’s hanging slig
htly agape. “You just hung up on the President of New York!”
“It was either that or he would have had time to find our location. We might have disconnected all GPSs that we have around us, but we don’t know what kind of technologies the New Yorkers have,” says Cameron with a shrug.