Unforgettable (Talented Saga #6) (10 page)

“
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 further 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.”

“
Right,” I scoffed. “His
options are what, exactly? Doing your dirty work or being shipped
off to Vault?”

Victoria sniffed and focused her
attention on Erik.

“
No. Should you decide not
to represent UNITED in this matter, there will be no
repercussions.” She sighed warily, then included me in her gaze. “I
made you both a promise when you came to work for UNITED. I
promised that as long as you submitted for regular physicals, you
performed your jobs, and you remained in control, containment would
not be an issue. Do you recall that?”

I nodded reluctantly.

“
I know you don’t trust me,
Talia. And I don’t blame you for that. Those you have known in
authority abused their power, used threats and fear to lead.
Danbury broke more promises and told more lies than I can count.
But I am not like that. I will honor my word. You will both remain
free under the terms of our original agreement.” A small smile
flitted across Victoria’s mouth. “If disagreeing with me and
questioning my policies was enough for me to ship you to Vault,
Talia, you would already be there.”

Shock and shame forced me speechless.
Victoria had made a joke. Was there a blizzard warning in hell? But
it was what she’d said before the barb at the end that made me feel
guilty. She was right, I didn’t trust her. And she was also correct
as to why I didn’t trust her. Mac was my only point of reference.
Still, Victoria had kept her word thus far. And she didn’t threaten
to send me to containment every time some smartass remark popped
out. She deserved a chance.

“
We’re late for breakfast,”
Erik said quietly. “I’ll comm you with my decision later today, if
that’s okay?”

Victoria grinned broadly, as if he’d
already agreed to do her bidding.

“
Of course, Erik.” She
turned to me. “Five agents’ names in the next hour, Agent Lyons.
You will leave for London at…,” she glanced at her wrist, locating
the time on what appeared to be a very expensive wristwatch. “10:00
a.m. That gives you just over two hours.”

“
Got it,” I
said.

“
I will be here if you have
any further questions,” Victoria promised.

Metal scraped against polished wood as
the councilwoman pulled out a chair and sat, already turning her
tablet comm back on and her attention elsewhere.

MY FRIENDS AND
I ate breakfast in the Dolphin Cove Café, on the
main level almost every day we were on Eden. One of about twenty
eating establishments on the island—fifteen cafés and five formal
dining restaurants—Dolphin Cove was cheap and casual and run by a
third generation Edener named Alby. UNITED covered all of our
expenses, so money wasn’t actually an issue. But having spent most
of our lives as soldiers, we were accustomed to living simply.
During our time in school and working for TOXIC, we ate in
cafeterias, slept in dorm rooms, and only shopped on the rare trips
into D.C. White-glove restaurants were a little much for
us.

Erik and I didn’t speak on the short
elevator ride from sublevel one to the main deck. Mind guarded,
expression thoughtful, my boyfriend was contemplating Victoria’s
proposal. He was going to agree, no doubt about that. Terms and
conditions were what he was mulling over. I wanted him to talk to
me. To ask my opinion. To ask what I thought he should request in
exchange for compliance. But he didn’t.