“I’m here!” I call. “But I’m kind of a prisoner right now.”
“Kind of?” The Phantom says incredulously.
“It doesn’t matter, since whoever has you might want to hear this too.” Lee Seol clears her throat. “We just got a distress call from Graham. His so-called girlfriend knocked him out at a certain location, took the merinite, and ran.”
“What?” I stand, only to be shoved down by my guard. “Why?”
“I don’t know, but I did a statewide sweep of my networks to see if anything weird came up.” There’s a long pause. “It’s bad, Fi. Someone sent an old-school coded radio message to your dad’s headquarters in Vegas, and I think it’s Allie.”
My eyes go wide, unable to wrap my head around it. “No. What did it say?”
Lee Seol sighs. “Have cure. On my way.”
I slump into my seat, unable to say anything but, “Shit.”
Chapter 43
Everyone’s talking at once, and I think they’re demanding answers from me or Lee Seol but I can’t process anything except Allie is very likely taking the cure to my dad. So he did have a girl here; she was just so deep in none of us saw it coming. And she used us, her ex-syndicate members, so well.
Seth’s words about how a cure could be used just as badly as Radiasure swirl in my head. Dad could neutralize anyone who stood in his way and produce his own Radiasure. He’d be unstoppable.
What have I done?
This is all my fault. I knew what could happen, but I cared more about what I wanted than what it could do to everyone else.
“Cure? What do you mean by that?” The Phantom demands as I sit there in a daze. “And are you saying the Army’s scientist is really with the O’Connells?”
Lee Seol groans. “Look, dude, I don’t work for you. I’m trying to talk to Fiona, and you’re hearing this because it can’t wait. Once Allie’s over the Nevada border we’re all screwed. So if you know what’s best for you let the girl talk—otherwise I’m sure Juan’ll have your heart on a platter this time tomorrow.”
The Phantom grimaces, but then looks to the guards. “Uncuff them.”
They do as he says, and then he begrudgingly hands the phone over to me. It still takes me a second to find my voice. “H-how did she lie? The Major trusted her completely—and he’s a flipping lie detector.”
“My guess is it’s her ability. She probably lied about chemistry being her strength,” Lee Seol says, and I can’t help but eye Seth. Are all savants covering up something else? “We’re on our way to get Graham, who’s too injured to fly. Allie took the Army truck they drove out to haul the merinite, so you’ll have to find a way to intercept her—I’m sending you and Seth my estimates on her route and speed, the make of the truck, etc. Just…stop her. At all costs.”
“Okay, thanks,” I sigh, the fatigue of late nights finally catching up with me. “No wonder she was happy to keep the merinite location from the Army. So much for blondes being stupid.”
“What? Allie’s not blond!” Carlos says out of nowhere. “She’s got dark brown hair.”
I blink a few times, confused. “No, she doesn’t.”
“You couldn’t mistake it for blond. Like ever,” Bea says.
Brady and Hector nod in agreement, but when I look to Seth it’s clear he’s with me in the blond camp. I gasp when I remember he said he saw through her hair dye. Did he? Or was it something else? “Hey, can you ask Miles what color Allie’s hair is? And if she and Graham have any pictures together?”
“Okay…” Lee Seol humors me. “He says it’s brown and Allie doesn’t like having her picture taken. Do you think…?”
“She’s a hypnotist,” I say over her. That explains how she could get past Major Norton. I’ve heard of hypnotists so powerful they can convince a person they’re dying, and then they really do. “She must do it through eye contact, but she could never see mine.”
Seth’s ability must have blocked it—he saw right through her power quite literally. And did her power aggravate his glitching vision more? No wonder he was so suspicious when everyone else seemed to love her. My heart sinks when I realize I have no such excuse. I fell for her claims and promises all on my own, because she had something I desperately wanted.
“That makes sense, because her face doesn’t register in my system. She must look different to people every time she changes location,” Lee Seol says.
“We better get on this.” I grip the phone tightly, a surge of vengeance washing through me. My dad’s been playing us this whole time. I could scream at the insanity of it all. “Call if you get anything else.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She hangs up.
I turn to The Phantom, who is much less threatening as he takes in this information. Maybe I’m seeing things, but I think this expression might be fear. “Juan will kill me for this. He’ll kill us all. You know that, right?”
“I do.” As much as I’d rather not, I have to seize this opportunity. For all I know, the Army might not believe Allie’s a criminal—who knows how long she’s been changing their perception? At least with Juan’s men I know they’re trained to hate my dad’s syndicate. “So why don’t you let my mom go, and then I’ll give you my info on Allie? We can catch her before she gets to Nevada if we hurry.”
His pale lips crease into a thin line.
“C’mon. This is mutually beneficial. Everything else is meaningless until she’s gone.” I hold my breath, hoping he’ll cave. We need his vehicles, because heaven knows Sexy Blue can’t drive fast enough.
“Get the bullet car ready,” The Phantom says to his men as he walks towards the wall to his right. He’s halfway through and still talking. “We’re leaving now.”
I hold my breath the entire time it takes him to come back with my mom. When she appears in the hallway, I rush over and wrap myself around her. “Mom! I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”
She sobs into my hair. “I’m just glad you’re alive.”
I shake my head, unable to find the right words to express how much regret I feel. Eyeing The Phantom, I ask him, “Can you get her back home?”
He doesn’t seem happy about the request. “I have a car that should be able to make it, if you trust me to do that.”
“I don’t really, but I don’t want her here.” I hold her tighter, wishing I didn’t have to leave her when she must be in so much pain and shock. “Hector, Carlos—would you mind watching out for her while we hunt down Allie?”
Hector nods. “We won’t be of much use to you anyway.”
“Psh, I don’t wanna miss the fun.” Carlos frowns. “But I guess this is important.”
“Thanks.” I guide Mom over to them, and Hector takes her from me. “You know who to call when you get there, right?”
“Duh,” Carlos says.
A few men come back in to tell The Phantom that his “bullet car” is ready to go. Then we rush back down the halls as Seth looks over Lee Seol’s estimates. I don’t bother, since it’s math and despite my boyfriend’s best efforts I’m still barely passing. It’s creepy how he’s smiling over all the calculations.
“You know how you always say those word problems with the trains are useless?” Seth says. “I’m using that principle right now.”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up and use it then.”
“Fine.”
When we get to the massive garage, there’s a vehicle there that looks quite literally like a bullet, with its cone-like front and sleek silver color. The back is much wider, and I guess it’s some kind of jet engine. “Is that a rocket or a car?”