“Don’t let him manipulate you,” Tanner warned, taking another step in my direction.
I snorted. “Because you and the FEA would never do that, right?”
Devon’s body brimmed with tension beside me. He was eyeing the redheaded guy with the transport Variation, and I felt stupid for having almost forgotten about him. He looked relaxed, the way he was standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest, but I didn’t buy his act. “What about him? Will you let him kidnap me the way you did with Holly?”
Zach’s face looked puzzled, and for a horrible moment I was sure he didn’t know who Holly was because they’d killed her the moment they’d found out she wasn’t me. “Jago won’t touch you. I won’t force you to join us. I want you to come because you want to,” he said. Jago gave a small mocking bow, his red hair falling into his eyes.
“Enough already!” Kate hissed. “This is ridiculous. Tanner, now!”
My gaze flew to Tanner. He looked reluctant to do whatever Kate wanted him to do.
“Now!” Kate snarled. The guns that Benny had taken away from us soared over Zach’s head and landed in Kate’s and Tanner’s outstretched hands.
One of Zach’s men guffawed. “How very human of you to use guns!” he exclaimed. Now that he wasn’t half-covered by Zach anymore, I realized he was the suspicious-looking guy who’d watched me while I had been giving my speech as Senator Pollard.
“Shut up, Will,” Zach hissed. But Kate raised her weapon and fired at Zach as all hell broke lose. My chest constricted with fear. What if Kate had hit Zach?
A few Variants started scuttling through the room in panic, but others joined the fighting. Bolts of electricity shot through the room, taking out several light bulbs and whoever was in their way. The smell of sulfur flooded my nose. More shots were fired, and knives soared through the room. Kate tried to make her way over to me, but other Variants and bolts of electricity kept getting in her way. The light flickered, turned from blue to red then back again. Someone bumped into me and sent me flying to the ground. My tailbone collided with the stone floor, sending a twinge of searing pain up my spine.
Devon gripped my arm and pulled me to my feet. “Come on. We have to find the tunnel and get away.” But some part of me didn’t want to run—the same part that wanted to believe that Zach’s words had been the truth, that he and my father had been searching for me for all those years. The part of me that wished we could be a real family.
“Tessa, come on!” Devon urged. Fighting was happening all around us, but Kate had almost reached us. Zach and Will were crouching on the ground. But I couldn’t see Jago anywhere. Suddenly Zach nodded in Will’s direction. Will sprang to his feet and thrust his arms outward. Every mirror and glass in the room shattered with an ear-splitting shriek. A crack tore through the thick glass of the aquarium, the sound like nails on a chalkboard, and then the ground began shaking, just like it had done when I’d pretended to be Senator Pollard.
Devon pushed me to the ground and threw himself on top of me. My breath whooshed out of my lungs. Screams and the hissing of water burst through the room. I lifted my head, only to see a wave crash over our heads. The water swept over our bodies, rushing into my nose and mouth, leaving us soaked. Devon rolled off me, and I pushed myself to my knees, disoriented. My hands, which hadn’t been protected by Devon’s body, stung. Small splinters of glass stuck in my skin. I brushed them off as best as I could. Luckily the wounds they left were tiny. One of the water twins lay curled into herself a few steps away from me, cuts littering her back. They didn’t look life-threatening, but she’d probably have scars.
I stumbled to my feet and turned to Devon. My heart skipped a beat. His shirt was ripped, and his back was far worse than that of the woman. It looked like someone had dragged a rake across him. I helped him to his feet as he surveyed the scene. The room was a mess. The lamps and the glass bar shelves had exploded. Only a few of the spotlights on the floor seemed to have survived the shockwave and gave off an eerily bluish light. It was hard to make out much. Broken glass crunched under my feet as I turned around to get my bearings. Some people huddled against the wall, while others were motionless on the ground. The smell of chlorine and copper hung heavy in the air. Had people been killed by the flying shards? I stumbled forward, looking for Tanner and Kate. Even if I didn’t trust them, I didn’t want them dead or injured.
I detected Kate on the ground. She was sitting with her face in her palm. I stumbled toward her to see if she needed help. Suddenly someone gripped me from behind. I twisted around, ready to punch whoever it was, but I found myself looking into turquoise eyes. Devon came up to us, shoulders squared. Zach’s gaze leveled on the wounds on Devon’s shoulders, which were rapidly healing themselves, and realization settled on his face. Then he turned to me. “Come with me, please,” he whispered.
“You could have killed people. Why did you do that?”
“I didn’t start firing. I didn’t have a choice. We were just talking, and, as usual, the FEA attacked.” I opened my mouth to argue, but what he’d said was true. “Please, Tessa. There’ll be enough time to explain it all, but not right now. And I knew nobody would die. The shards Will’s shockwave creates are too small to do any major damage, and Devon can help the injured, right?”
I didn’t say anything, but I never looked away from his eyes—they could have been my eyes. His hand on my shoulder was warm and soft. “I’ve been waiting for this day for so long.”
“Me too,” I said, because it was true. I’d always wanted a loving family, had looked everywhere for it, except for the one place where I was most likely to find it: with my real family.
Zach smiled, and I could tell it was an honest smile, without pretense. A figure was staggering toward us. Zach’s head turned. “We have to leave now,” he whispered. “The agents will have called for reinforcements. Major could arrive at any second.”
Devon stepped up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. His grip was warning. “Tessa—”
“I have so many memories I want to share with you,” Zach said quickly. “Memories of our dad and how we spent our first Christmas together. You have a family, Tessa. Whatever the FEA told you about us, it was a lie to secure your loyalty.”
I searched his eyes in the dim, bluish light. He took my hand gently. “We could be a family and have a real home.”
A home. A family. Devon’s expression reflected uncertainty but also determination. “Have you ever met a Variant by the name of Ryan?” he asked suddenly. “He could make fog.”
Zach frowned. “Never heard that name.”
“He claimed that your Army turned him into a raging killer. He murdered my sister.”
Surprise flickered in his eyes. “We didn’t turn anyone into a killer,” he said. “Have you ever considered that whatever happened in Livingston was staged by the FEA? That they needed a mission for Tessa, so they set up a mystery for her to solve? Don’t kid yourself. Major always knows what he’s doing. And he doesn’t give a damn about normal humans.”
Devon shook his head. “But why would he do that? That doesn’t make sense.”
A male voice screamed out an order, but I couldn’t make out the words over the crackling of electricity. It was a miracle that we hadn’t all been fried. People began to emerge from their hiding places.
“We have to leave,” Zach urged. “Holly is waiting for you. Once you talk to her, you’ll see that Abel’s Army isn’t what Major made it out to be.”
Tanner came into view, the display of a phone glowing in his hand. He searched the area around him until his eyes settled on me. In the distance, I could hear the sound of helicopter blades.
“Tessa, quick!” Zach hissed. I gave Devon a pleading look. I needed to do this. I had to find out if it was true. If a family had been waiting for me all those years, if everything I thought I knew about Abel was just a web of carefully constructe
d lies.
Devon gripped my hand and gave a nod. “Okay. I’ll come with you.” He glowered at my brother. “But I want answers. I want to know what really happened in Livingston. You had spies there. You must know more than you’ve let on.”
Zach glanced at Tanner, who was now joined by Kate. She had a wound on her forehead that was dripping blood over her left eye.
“I’ll answer all your questions,” Zach assured Devon. “But we need to go. Now.”
Before I left, my eyes were drawn to the stairs. I hoped Penny was taking care of my mother. I wasn’t sure if Zach knew about our mother being here.
Tanner was stumbling toward us over the remains of the aquarium. “Devon, Tessa, don’t!” he shouted, despair ringing out in his voice.
Guilt stabbed through me. I knew I was betraying the FEA, but they’d made their choice, and I’d made mine. I’d been longing for this all my life—for a family to call my own. Even Devon couldn’t possibly understand how strong my desire for parents like his was. And now I had the chance to live my dream. No matter the risk, I would never forgive myself if I let it slip through my fingers. And it was my only way to get to Holly. Devon and I followed Zach past the remains of the aquarium.
“Tessa, don’t!” Tanner tried again, but I didn’t stop. Zach led us into the narrow hallway between the bar and the parking lot. Neither Finja nor Benny was in their spots. But Jago was there, peering outside. “Two helicopters on the way. They’ll land in a couple of minutes. We don’t have much time.”
“Get my sister away from here,” Zach ordered. My body filled with warmth when he called me his sister. He pulled me into a quick hug. “Jago will bring you to safety.”
“But what about you and Devon?” I asked in panic as I heard the first helicopter touch down. Before Zach could answer, Jago had gripped my arm, and I felt like my body was split in two.
My surroundings started slipping away, and my hand was ripped from Devon’s. His face became distorted, worry still etched into it. Then my vision started to blur.
CHAPTER 29
The ripping sensation was worse than anything I’d ever felt before, but then it suddenly stopped, and I landed on black leather seats. My vision was still blurry, and my stomach felt upside down. I pressed my eyes together and waited a few seconds before I dared to open them again. Jago sat beside me. He didn’t seem disoriented in the least, but his face had paled, and red blotches dotted his cheeks and neck. A myriad of pale freckles dusted his nose. Close up, I realized with a start that he wasn’t much older than me. His light red hair was plastered to his sweaty forehead. He leaned forward, perching between the front seats to talk to the driver. “Drive! I’ll go pick up Zach.”
“What about Devon?” I asked, but Jago disappeared from my side without another word. Hadn’t he heard what I’d said? I tried to catch a glimpse at the man behind the steering wheel, but I was thrown back into my seat as he floored the gas pedal and the car shot forward. I glanced out of the window, clutching the seats to stay in place. Outside the car was an unfamiliar street and a big motel sign, which bathed me in a pink glow. This wasn’t the bar parking lot. “Where are we?”
“A few blocks from the bar,” the man replied. “Jago transported you here.” He had a gruff voice, like a few too many cigarettes had taken their toll. It reminded me of a voice I had heard before.
“Why didn’t Jago take me to Abel?”
“Because that might kill him. He can transport himself over long distances, but not a second person. For a double transport to work, he has to be within a mile, better yet in view of the object.” He shook his head. His hair was black and curly, his skin very dark.
“Who are you?” I asked, more to distract myself than anything else.
“I’m Luthor,” he said, watching me through the rearview mirror with a kind smile. There was a cut on his lip. “No need to introduce yourself.”
“My eyes,” I guessed.
“Yep, among other things.” He frowned as he glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “You should make some room back there. When Zach and Jago return, they might land right on top of you if Jago messes up like usual.”
I didn’t ask what messing up meant. Had people ever been ripped apart during a transport? Or was he referring to the time he had transported Holly and accidentally taken the wrong person? I pressed myself against the door. In the distance I could see a helicopter drawing circles in the sky. I could imagine Major sitting in it, barking orders into the radio, face contorted with fury. He couldn’t possibly spot us from that distance. We were blending into the parking lot and too far away from the bar for that.
Luthor’s frown deepened as the seconds trickled by. I watched him through the rearview mirror, getting more nervous by the second. He kept glancing back and forth between the clock and his cell phone resting in the middle console. Suddenly the air crackled around me, and someone collided with my arm. I was pushed against the door, and Zach suddenly leaned against me, groaning as if in pain. He was bent forward so I couldn’t see his face, but his right sleeve was ripped, and blood dripped from a long cut. I hastily ripped the rest of his sleeve off and used it to bandage the wound. When I was done, I noticed Zach watching me with a stunned expression.
“You really looked worried,” he said quietly.
“Of course, I was worried. We’re family.” That word sent a rush of happiness through me and left no room for doubt and anxiety. I realized that Jago was still there next to him. His eyes were closed, his face chalk-white. “Hey, you need to get Devon,” I said, but he didn’t react. I turned to Zach. “What about Devon?” Panic rang in my voice.
Zach looked away, his eyebrows pulling together. He took a moment too long to reply. “Devon changed his mind.”
I froze. “What? He wouldn’t do that. He would have told me.”
“Maybe he felt bad and didn’t want to disappoint you.”
“Zach, why isn’t Devon here? Tell me the truth!”
He lowered his head and nodded toward his wound. “The FEA agents got us. When Jago appeared, he could only grab me. They had already wrestled Devon to the ground. The last thing I saw was Major entering the room. I couldn’t stay. I’m sorry.”
For a moment, my vision turned black. I gripped the seats and inhaled deeply. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have involved Devon.”
What would happen to Devon now? I shouldn’t have let Jago separate us. It was possible Major would forgive Devon if he decided to return to the FEA. Devon was still new; Major would probably blame everything on my bad influence. I tried to console myself with the fact that Devon couldn’t have gone into hiding for the rest of his life anyway. He had his parents to consider. Yet the way I’d left him gnawed at my conscience. I could still feel the warmth of his hand in mine.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Zach consoled me. “I bet Major will give him a simple warning. If they catch Will, though, he won’t be so lucky.”
“Will escaped?” I asked.
“Yeah. He knew that Jago couldn’t have transported him too, so he fled with another car. He’s good at running away. That’s what he did all the time before joining Abel’s Army.”
I buried my face in my palms, overwhelmed by my conflicting emotions: worry for Devon, relief about Holly, profound happiness over having found my brother. “Is there a way we can find out what happens to Devon?” I asked, lifting my gaze.
Zach’s lips quirked up in a small smile. “That won’t be a problem.”
“You have a spy in the FEA?”
“Maybe,” Zach said, before turning to Luthor. “When will we arrive?”
“A couple of minutes.”
“Where?” I asked.
“Our helicopter. We flew here. There’s a secure base not far from here.”
I leaned back, but my muscles were coiled tight. Zach was watching me with a strange look. “Wha
t?” I whispered.
“I can’t believe you’re really sitting beside me. I’ve been dreaming about this for years. Whenever I lost hope, the memories of you kept me going. I knew that one day we’d be reunited.”
“You remember our time together?” I asked in amazement. I hadn’t even remembered his face, much less any shared happiness between us. Before I’d found the photos in the files, I barely remembered anything at all. He was only two years older than me. Did that make such a big difference?
“Yeah, I do,” he said softly, then shifted in his seat to face me. He lifted his fingers up to my temples. I flinched from the touch and immediately felt like a fool. Zach wasn’t going to hurt me. He gave me an encouraging smile before his fingertips tightened on either side of my head. The skin contact allowed images to scroll through my mind. They materialized behind my eyes like a vision, the same way they had a few days ago in the car. There was the memory of the day I was born in a windowless, white room. Abel was holding my mother’s hand and beaming with pride. Then a later memory in which my mother had me nestled in her arm. She was lying on a narrow bed in the same small but sterile bedroom, looking exhausted and sweaty. A little boy knelt on the mattress beside her. His eyes were turquoise, and he was stretching out his tiny arm to touch the baby’s hand. Abel sank down on the mattress beside them, looking almost as tired as my mother. The boy snuggled against him as Abel slowly, gently stroked a finger over my head until I opened my eyes. Turquoise, just like his.
I gasped, and Zach dropped his hands from my temples. Those memories felt so real, like a vivid dream, as if I was experiencing them right in that moment. It was almost too much, to finally see and feel what I’d longed for. Tears sprang into my eyes. “The boy, that was you. But how can you remember it so clearly? You were only two.” I knew, of course, but I wanted to hear him say it.