When our fearless leader realized Erik and I were standing there, and noticed the confused frown on my face as I eavesdropped, she abruptly ended the conversation and dismissed her companion with a flick of her wrist. Victoria arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow while searching my face, silently questioning how much I’d understood. The urge to greet her in Portuguese was tempting. Though I hated to waste the opportunity to irk her, between Erik’s clamshell act and my own sour mood, I wasn’t up for our usual tete-a-tete today.
“You wanted to see us?” I said instead, in English.
“Yes, I have a rather delicate matter to discuss with you both,” she began, averting her golden gaze.
“Ominous,” I replied.
A ghost of a smile touched Victoria’s lips and she looked up from the electronic tablet she’d been pretending to study.
“Your ability to sum up a situation so succinctly never ceases to amaze me, Agent Lyons.”
“Thank you,” I shot back.
Okay, so maybe I was in a slightly errant mood.
“Tals? Really?” Erik mentally chastised me.
Thrilled beyond belief that he was talking inside my head, I beamed like a fool. This prompted Victoria’s eyes to narrow suspiciously. She hated when we used nonverbal communication in her presence.
“Our tip line received a rather disconcerting call several hours ago,” Victoria said a little too loudly, as if needing to be heard over the silent conversation taking place between Erik and me.
“Okay,” I said slowly, drawing out the syllables.
The tip line received “rather disconcerting” calls all the time. That was where UNITED received all of the Created sightings. Victoria was being more evasive than usual, and it was beginning to irritate me. It wasn’t like I was the one who’d asked for her time, so I could fawn all over her.
“About the Created?” Erik asked. Evidently he sensed my annoyance, and was attempting to draw Victoria’s disapproving glare away from me.
It worked.
“Yes and no.” Victoria paused, weighing her next words carefully. “Have either of you heard of the Poachers?”
My eyes went wide. Poachers. That was what the agent in New York had called the phantom organization hunting Created.
Victoria sighed.
“I see you have. I was not aware they were active in the States.”
“I—we—only just heard of them. In Manhattan, at that electrical fire you sent us to. One of the other agents, Ray I think, he mentioned that—”
“What about them?” the councilwoman cut in.
“—they were hunting Created,” I finished.
“We have one in custody,” Erik added. “Ray said the man would be taken to Vault, along with the Created found in what was left of that apartment building.”
Agitated, Victoria began to tap her nails on the desk.
“Why wasn’t I informed immediately?” she demanded.
Though she was still looking at us, she seemed to be talking to herself.
“It was in the report,” I snapped, feeling defensive.
Erik shot me a warning look. I rolled my eyes. Until Ray used it in New York, the term “Poacher” was foreign to me. How was I supposed to know that the mere mention of the organization warranted an immediate call to Victoria?
“Have you questioned the man? The one you believe to be a Poacher?” Victoria asked.
“Not yet,” Erik answered evenly, at the same time I said, “No one asked us to.”
Taking a deep breath, Victoria let her eyelids fall shut and took a moment to regroup.
“What’s the deal?” I sent Erik. “What am I missing? I mean, I get it—vigilantes are awful. But this isn’t the first time we’ve run across them.”
“No clue.” Erik said, his mental voice sounding just as perplexed as I felt.
“The Poachers have been around for decades,” Victoria began when she opened her eyes again, visibly calmer. “They do not simply hunt the Talented. They do not kill our kind. What they do is much, much worse. They fancy themselves dealers of rare goods. They deal in Talents. Chromes, as they like—”
I held up my hand to cut her off.
“Wait. Just wait. Are you trying to tell me that they…what exactly? Sell Talents?”
Beside me, Erik swore loudly.
“Yes,” Victoria said stiffly. “They acquire—”
“Kidnap,” I corrected incredulously.
“Kidnap,” Victoria agreed, wrinkling her nose as if smelling something unpleasant.
I was right there with her. Kidnapping Talents was a crock of shit and it stunk.
“Most commonly, clients hire them to locate and acquire a Talent with specific gifts,” Victoria continued.
I wanted to correct her use of “acquire” again, but was so freaking furious that I feared opening my mouth would cause the string of expletives running through my mind to pop out.
“But that is not the only way they do business,” Victoria was saying. “When the Poachers are able to gather a large group of Talents, they…auction them off.”
“What?” Erik practically shouted. “You cannot be serious?”
The venom in his voice caused Victoria to retreat several steps involuntarily.
My stomach churned queasily. The only thing more potent than my feeling of revulsion was the anger that surged through me. I wanted to hit something or, better yet, snap someone’s bones. Because he’d let his mental walls drop to talk to me earlier, and was too outraged to remember they weren’t in place, I felt Erik’s temper rising to match mine. Which was so not a good thing.
Suddenly, we were each other’s fuel, stoking the flames of an incredibly dangerous fire. Victoria was speaking again, but I didn’t hear a word she said. All I could think about was the vile, despicable human beings that were out there right now, collecting Talents like normal people do antiques. Images of the people I knew, my closest friends, being paraded across a stage like prized ponies danced in my mind.
Somehow, one word Victoria said broke through the haze. Kenly.
“—the young man asked for you by name, he—”
“What did you say about Kenly?” I demanded, abruptly cutting her off.
Instead of admonishing me for the interruption, the councilwoman exhaled slowly and prepared to start over. A trace of sympathy tinged her cool gaze.
“A young man called the tip line and asked for you by name, Talia. He said a mutual friend of yours had been taken by the Poachers. A girl named Kenly.”
“No.” I shook my head adamantly, my curls smacking me in the cheeks. “No, that can’t be right. I mean…where? Where was she taken from?”
Had Kenly been in New York? Had the Poachers snatched her from that filthy apartment in Spanish Harlem? Had I arrived only minutes after she’d needed me?
It made sense. Alana Stillwater was one of Kenly’s best friends from the McDonough School, and she’d been in New York. But then, where was Kenly when Alana stormed the UNITED building? As soon as Victoria was done with us, I was going straight to Vault, to question the others we’d contained in Manhattan. If Kenly had been—
“London, apparently,” Victoria said, silencing my plans.
“What?” I asked. “London? Like, in England? How the hell did she get there?”
I looked to Erik, not really expecting him to have the answer but needing any reassurance he could offer. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his side.
“It’s okay, Tals. We’ll find her,” he promised.
It was a promise Erik had no business making, since he had no idea whether we really would. Poachers, these scum-of-the-earth slave drivers, were uncharted territory. We knew nothing about their organization. Finding Kenly, when we didn’t even know where to start looking, was going to be impossible.
Still, I appreciated that Erik always knew exactly what I needed to hear. More than that, though, he meant his words. Erik was no more knowledgeable than I about the Poachers,
and yet, he was ready to leave that very minute for London. Ready to go on mission-impossible, simply because finding Kenly was important to me.
“How Kenly came to be in London is something the council and I would love to know,” Victoria replied. “We are closely monitoring all international travel. No Created should be able to leave the States. Period. Unfortunately, many have slipped through our fingers. And we would love to know precisely how that is. Perhaps Ms. Baker can enlighten us, though that is beside the point at this moment.”
“You’re damn right it is,” I said. “Right now, all that matters is getting Kenly back. I will not let her be sold.”
Erik rubbed soothing circles on the small of my back, trying to calm me. It was an exceptionally sweet gesture, considering that he was just as livid as I was.
“Not just Kenly, Agent Lyons. The tipster indicated that the Poachers have taken a large number of Created. Talented, too. But UNITED’s main concern right now is the Created. We cannot allow them to fall into the hands of private citizens.” Victoria paused long enough for her words to sink in. “Which brings me to why I wanted to speak with you, Agent Lyons. Because the young man asked for you by name, and you are the most adept interrogator that we have, you are going to London to question him. Find out what he knows, determine how much truth there is to his claims, and report back immediately. From there, the council can make an informed decision on how to move forward.”
“Is there really any question about whether he is telling the truth?” Erik asked.
Victoria hesitated just long enough to spark suspicion. Finally, she sighed.
“No,” she admitted. “The Poachers are very real. And I am not surprised to learn that they are interested in the Created. With the upcoming Treaty vote, however, the situation needs to be handled with care. We need to be positive that the claims are legitimate. The Poachers’ clientele are….”
Victoria trailed off, searching for the right words. There were a million that I could’ve provided to describe them, but I exercised a degree of restraint, curious as to what she’d say.
“They’re influential,” she eventually concluded. “Very influential. In many aspects of society, but particularly within political circles. Some are even members of the Joint Nations. Moving against the Poachers, when our place in the world is so uncertain, is risky. An outright attack on one of their auctions would cause an uproar. That will not do, since it could ultimately garner more support for the opposition, for those planning to vote against renewing the treaty.”
Stunned by so much of what the councilwoman revealed, I wasn’t sure where to start with my questions. One thing she said stuck out more than the others and I latched onto it.
“Wait, you knew about the Poachers?” I demanded. “And haven’t done anything? How long have you known, Victoria?”
An icy glare was leveled at me.
“You are new to this, Agent Lyons. Therefore you do not understand that we, as the international advocates for Talented, must pick our battles. The Poachers are not to be underestimated. They have a very long, illustrious lineage. One that is tied to the current monarchies of several European countries. While we do not condone their business practices, stopping them is an enormous undertaking that cannot be entered into lightly.
“Yes, the council has known about their organization for quite some time. Unfortunately, the need for civil diplomatic relations has made it difficult, if not impossible, to take action. We have needed the support of the Poachers’ clients and allies in order to keep the Coexistence Treaty in effect.”
Something in Victoria’s long-winded explanation rang false. Not like she was outright lying, so much as she was omitting a piece of the truth. Though I considered taking a look into her mind, something stopped me.
Concern for her privacy wasn’t the issue. Victoria was the last person I cared about upsetting by invading her privacy. It was because I wanted—needed—her on my side with this issue. Even though I didn’t agree with the council’s reticence with regards to going after the Poachers, I did understand the need for diplomacy. But this was Kenly we were talking about. She was my mentee. I’d promised to be there for her. To protect her. To take care of her. The thought of her in the Poachers’ hands made me sick.
And right now, Victoria was actually willing to move against the vile organization. It was best to not question that. If she and the council had been turning a blind eye for years, they could decide at any moment that continued ignorance was the best path forward. I would not be able to accept that.
“When do I leave?” I asked. “I can be ready to go in ten minutes.”
“We,” Erik interjected. “I’m going with her.”
“Your enthusiasm is always such a treat,” Victoria said dryly. “But you, Agent Lyons, can take the next two hours to prepare. You need to assemble a team to take with you. Depending on what you learn from the informant, we may need to act swiftly. I want your team in place.” With that, she turned her attention from me to Erik. “Agent Kelley, I have a different assignment for you.”
Erik opened his mouth to protest, but Victoria pushed forward before a single word slipped through his parted lips.
“Agent Lyons is not going alone,” she assured him in a tone that could only be described as motherly. I gaped, shocked she had a nurturing bone in her body. “She will be permitted to select a team to accompany her.”
“I pick Erik,” I said obstinately.
Victoria rolled her golden eyes.
“As I said, Agent Lyons, I have another assignment for Erik. Pick five other agents.”
“What’s the assignment?” I demanded at the same time Erik said, “What’s more important than questioning this boy?”
“The situation with the Created has become a global catastrophe. UNITED has released the usual statements, assuring the public we are taking care of the problem. The trouble is, we have lost their confidence. With the antics escalating, we need to be proactive. As I said during the meeting, we are on the verge of crisis. The public fears the Created, and citizens are beginning to take matters into their own hands. There have been at least five incidences of mobs attacking and killing a Created—that we are aware of. There have also been attacks on several notable Talented. Last night, in Tokyo, a group of individuals attacked Mai Matsu. She was beaten unconscious and left for dead.”
Cold fingers raced up my spine.
“She’s a dancer or something, right?” Erik asked.
“That is correct. Ms. Matsu is the star of the Izumi Floating Circus. The entire company is Talented, and quite famous. Mai is a dual talent, Telekinetic and Morpher. Some irresponsible journalist ran a story about the Created, mentioning that most have multiple talent signatures. Using that knowledge, the individuals decided Ms. Matsu was Created. She was airlifted to UNITED headquarters this morning.”
“That’s awful,” I said, hugging myself to ward off the sudden chill that had wrapped around me like a blanket. “Is she going to be okay?”
“It is too soon to tell. Our doctors are the best in the world, so her chances are good.”
The sharp bite that was Victoria’s usual tone was gone. Now she just sounded tired and edgy.
“What does all this have to do with me?” Erik asked, his brows drawn together in confusion.
“The time has come for UNITED to take more drastic measures. We cannot allow these attacks to continue. The Joint Nations committee is debating whether to assemble a taskforce of their own to locate and deal with the Created. There is no telling what will come of those individuals if that happens, but it will certainly be much worse than containment.
“We need to persuade the public to let us clean up our own mess. We also need to persuade them that all Created are not dangerous. To do that, we need a Created spokesperson who is both likeable and compelling.”
My stomach churned uncomfortably. Did Victoria want Erik to perform mass manipulation? Because that was nuts. If anyone found out, the tactic would furth
er cement the notion that the Created, and by extension the Talented, were evil creatures who couldn’t be trusted.
Erik’s jaw had come unhinged, though the rest of his muscles were rigid. Shock temporarily staved off the fury that was sure to follow. The temperature in the room plummeted below freezing.
“Before you climb to moral high ground,” Victoria began, holding up her hands palms out and creating a physical barrier between her and us, “please, hear me out. Erik is young, charismatic, and charming.” She ticked off the adjectives on her fingers as she spoke. “People are distinctly drawn to him. They will want to listen to what he has to say.”
“Let me get this straight,” Erik said, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That made two of us. “Are you or are you not asking me to manipulate the public?”
Victoria drew in a deep breath, stalling for time. She leveled her golden gaze first on Erik, and then on me.
“No. Not at this time. Your natural charm should be sufficient. Should that prove insufficient, the council will revisit the idea of taking more drastic measures at a later time.”
“Are you crazy?” I blurted out.
“I won’t do it,” Erik chimed in.
“Calm down, both of you. Mass manipulation is an extreme action that is reserved as a last resort. At this time, all UNITED is asking of you, Erik, is to act as a global ambassador. You have demonstrated impressive mastery of your Created Talents, your temper, and emotions. People will see you and think, ‘This is what the Created are really like.’ They will understand that the news only reports the dangerous acts of a minority. It could even be enough to sway the vote.”
“Do I have an option?” Erik asked evenly, demonstrating that impressive control Victoria mentioned.
“There are always options, Erik. No one will force you. I have a short list of other candidates in mind. You are merely my first choice.”