Authors: Natalie Whipple
And that means you pad her syndicate’s pockets, pay for their Radiasure, keep her in power. But how can anyone avoid all media? Val will always bank on people’s boredom.
“Something tells me Val won’t be happy with us about the kidnapping incident,” I say.
Mom nods. “Probably not, and if she got her hands on us she could pick our brains for all the secrets she wants.”
The idea makes me sick. Not because she’d know everything about me, but because she’d know my friends’ secrets—that Seth can see me, that Rosa has healing blood, and that Miles holds the key to taking out my dad. “Yeah, going west is bad.”
“East isn’t much better.”
“Nope.” The Midwest is no-man’s-land, filled with roving gangs trying to build enough following to grow into a real syndicate. The Northeast belongs to Walter Barrington, who can erase memories. And the South is home to Maude Thomas, who some say is immortal but no one really knows.
“We’d have to start over and over. Forever.” Mom’s voice is sad, and I wonder if she just wants a home like I do. Why is that so much to ask? “There’s no way we could get overseas with our abilities and no syndicate help. Not that international syndicates are any better.”
“There’s nowhere to run,” I whisper. Maybe we got away from Dad, but that doesn’t change the reality for all ultra-gifted people—everyone’s looking to use you, and tools like me and Mom are priceless. “We don’t have anything else we can strike a deal with?”
“Oh, sure we do. We could trade contract jobs, or there’s always selling out Miles’ scent-replicating ability to take down your father. You know how much your dad and Juan hate each other. Juan would definitely go for that.” Her eyes get that glint in them. “Or wait, did you mean non-horrible options?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, preferably.”
“No, we don’t have any of those.”
“Awesome.” I pull out my phone and start typing.
Mom tries to look at the screen, but I angle it away from her. “Who’re you texting?”
“Seth. He was gonna come over tonight, but I figure he shouldn’t if a bunch of thugs might show up.” I hit send, bummed that I can’t see him at least one more time before all this goes down.
“You blamed it on me, didn’t you?”
“No!” I scoff, though she’s totally right. I said she wanted “mother daughter time,” which is kind of what we’re doing anyway. We wait in the quiet, my ears straining to hear anything that might signal an ambush.
Three days go by, and no one comes to force us to work for Juan. But that doesn’t stop me from worrying, because his men are everywhere. They stand outside the school and eat at the diner and loiter in the parks. All they do is watch, while everyone in town squirms and tries to pretend they’re not there.
As The Pack and I take our usual courtyard table at lunch, the warm air feels heavy with fear. The sun might be shining, but it may as well be gray and cloudy with how everyone acts. People don’t chat and laugh, but instead look over their shoulders while they whisper conversations.
“This is weird,” I say as I sit by Seth.
“It really is.” Brady claims the seat opposite me, eyeing the crowd of students. “Have you noticed that with every day Juan’s people stick around, everyone seems to sit closer and closer to us? Or is that just me?”
“Not just you, bro,” Carlos says. “Pretty sure they think it’ll be safer to be next to the gifted kids if a fight starts.”
“Talk about tables turning.” Bea slides in next to Brady, glancing at the other tables with annoyance. “Hate on us for years, label us as The Pack because our abilities are stronger, but when things go bad we’re suddenly the coolest people around?”
“It’s kind of suffocating,” Seth admits. He’s always been a loner, and even needs his space from me sometimes.
“At least my ears aren’t killing me,” Hector says through a mouthful of hamburger. “I might even be able to take out my plugs if people keep being so quiet.”
“Well, as long as
you’re
happy,” Bea says. “So what if the town is crawling with thugs and no one knows why? Hector’s ears don’t hurt!”
Hector blinks a few times. “Sorry for finding a silver lining.”
“That’s one thin silver lining, dude,” Carlos adds. “Especially when my Fiona could be in serious danger.”
I groan. “If you keep talking like that I hope I do get kidnapped.”
Carlos pouts. “Why are you so mean to me?”
“Because…” Seth grabs me by the waist. “She’s taken.”
“And it’s fun,” I add.
Seth laughs and kisses my cheek, to which Carlos makes a gagging sound as usual. I wish he’d stop, because I can’t help being invisible. It probably wouldn’t look half as weird if Seth wasn’t “kissing air.” What I’d give to be visible in moments like this.
Someone clears their throat behind me, and I turn to find a few students I don’t know. I think they might be freshmen. “Hey, Fiona. What’s up?”
“Um, nothing?” I look around our table, wondering if the rest of The Pack is weirded out by this. Seems they are. “Do you need something?”
“We just…wanted to ask you a question,” one of the girls says, looking from side to side like her backup might flee at any second.
“About what?”
The teal-haired girl practically shakes, and I can’t tell if it’s because of me or not. “Do you maybe know what’s going on with all the guys in town?”
I bite my lip, unsure of what to say. She’s asking because I’m syndicate-born, as if that makes me the expert on all criminal activity. “Why are you asking me?”
Her teal eyebrows pop up. “I…um…”
“Chill, Fi.” Bea nudges my shoulder, her expression seeming to beg me to be nice to the little freshman. “She’s not blaming you—we’re all looking for someone who might have answers, you know?”
“We know you’re cool,” another girl with an abnormally small nose says. “But my parents are freaking out, and…well, they told me to ask if you recognized this kind of behavior. It’s like they’re standing guard, but why?”
Bea sighs, seeming to take pity on these normal girls despite her complaining a second ago. “No one’s even come to take our money,” she says. “We wait every night, but then nothing.”
“Same here,” I say, the weight of waiting feeling heavier each day. From the little I’ve dared to watch Juan’s men, it does seem like they’re staking out Madison. I wouldn’t be surprised if they set up a border soon, there’s so many thugs. It doesn’t make sense. “I wish I knew, but I don’t.”
A scrawny boy steps forward. “My parents are this close to pooling money for a vigilante group. It sounds like they should.”
I barely restrain my groan. “Seriously?”
“Mine were thinking The Triumvirate,” the teal-haired girl says. “Or The Freedom Squad.”
“Huh, we thought maybe Fighters For Peace.” The boy’s face is way too serious, and for the first time in my life I realize less gifted people might actually take those idiots seriously.
The girl claps her hands together. “Oh, yeah! I’ve heard good things—”
“Guys, stop,” I say, unable to let this continue. “I may not know why Juan’s people are here, but I do know you shouldn’t waste your money on vigilante protection.”
The girl frowns. “Why not?”
“Because they way overcharge for their services, and they use Radiasure just as much as the syndicates.”
The boy’s eyes bug out. “No way! They fight for good.”
I shake my head. “And how can they compete with syndicates who use enhancement drugs constantly? They might have different motives, but every group in power gets what they want the same way. Vigilantes follow their own rules, kill people, take Radiasure—they justify it because they see themselves as saviors. They’re con artists at best, gangs at worst. And do you know what Radiasure does to you when you use it like that?”
They shake their heads.
“It exaggerates your ability, right? Well, you get addicted to that feeling—of being more powerful—and when your body doesn’t have Radiasure it
hurts
. The worst addicts go crazy from messing with their genes so much. Then they die. You want those kinds of ‘vigilantes’ taking your money?”
Only after I finish do I realize I shouldn’t have said that. Hope has officially left the building.
“So you’re saying our only option is to stay out of Juan’s way,” the tiny-nosed girl says quietly.
Yes, that’s exactly their only option, but I can’t seem to get myself to say it. They’re scared enough. “No, I just meant…never mind.”
The freshmen leave, and I feel slightly guilty for scaring them when they were looking for reassurance.
I barely noticed the sound of a helicopter before, but suddenly the propeller beats are loud. Looking up, I see three large helicopters zoom across the sky at disturbingly low altitude. Just when those are gone, two more come. Then one more.
“Ugh!” Hector says with his hands over his ears. “Make it stop!”
Carlos makes a face. “That was weird. Those looked like military choppers.”
“What?” I say. This idea had not even crossed my mind, but now that it has my heart races. “How do you know that?”
“They had American flags on them, duh,” he says.
I look at Seth, who seems to have picked up on my concern. He opens his mouth, but before he gets anything out his eyes lock on something behind me. Turning, I gasp at the sight of men in Army uniforms filing into the courtyard.
The government’s here.
And I’m the infamous daughter of a major criminal.
Who knows why they’ve come, but if they see me…Before I can finish the thought, Seth grabs my arm. He pushes me toward the bushes on the outskirts of the courtyard, and we crouch down. He puts his lips to my ear. “Don’t move.”
Like I even can. My eyes are plastered to the scene unfolding before my eyes. Students huddle together, shaking, as dozens of men and women line the open halls. Principal Long appears from around the corner, and she’s with an imposing man who has a shaved head and wears a crisp uniform.
“Students,” she says, straightening her suit jacket nervously. “I’m sure you’ve noticed what’s going on in town. But never fear, the U.S. Army has come to our aid.”
The man steps forward. His smile seems forced. “Everyone! I’m Major Norton, and your cooperation today would be most appreciated. We’re here for your safety—please follow directions and don’t worry. We just need to ask a few security questions.”
He whispers something to Principal Long, and she offers a clumsy salute before walking off.
“Students, please form a single file line and follow me!” Major Norton calls. “Soldiers, make sure everyone complies.”
I’ve never felt so trapped in my life. Soldiers inside my school. Juan’s men outside. What the hell is going on? At least I can definitely say they’re not all here for me, but then again, I’m not sure that’s a good thing anymore.
My legs won’t move as I watch everyone slowly form a line. Just what, exactly, are they planning to do to each of us? Maybe there was a time when the government was good, but right now it feels like they’re just another syndicate doing what they want, how they want.
“You should run,” Seth whispers to me. “It wouldn’t be hard to sneak past the guards. I don’t know what I’d do if you got arrested.”
I look him in the eye and see intense fear. “But they have me on the school records. Even if I got out today, pretty sure they’d check up on absent students. Wouldn’t it look bad if I disappeared? That says guilty all over it. Maybe I can explain why my mom and I are here.”
He puts his head to mine. “Why do you have to be right constantly?”
“You know I’m not.” I put my arms around him, trying to be strong. “But I have nothing to hide. If they’re asking security questions, I shouldn’t have a problem, right? But what about you?”
He bites his lip. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Well, you need to!” I smack his arm. “What if they catch you lying about your ability?”
“You there!” a woman in uniform calls from the other side of the bushes. She’s seen us. “Line up!”
We shoot to our feet. I guess the time for strategizing is over. Seth and I are the last ones in the long line. I’m not sure where it leads from where I stand, and I’m not looking forward to getting there. No one dares to speak, what with the armed soldiers everywhere, but it feels like people are looking at me as if they know I could be in trouble.
I’m more worried about my boyfriend. It’ll be easy for me to say I’m not affiliated with a syndicate now, and there’s no hiding my ability. But Seth? It all depends on the questions asked. I don’t want to think about what they’d do to him if they found him withholding information, but I picture a holding cell and starvation tactics.
I squeeze his hand tighter, but he doesn’t look my way. Now more than ever, we have to make it look like he can’t see me. If anyone got too observant…
The bell rings to signal the end of lunch, and still the line slugs along at a miserably slow pace. At this rate it’ll take the rest of school to get this over with. Which gives me plenty of time to imagine all the possible questions they could ask.