“Or rot in here.” Nevin moved the folder towards her. “You take chances, and as I said, we’ve done this before. On the same page and all at the higher levels. Good of humanity to release certain truths on a more…conservative timeframe.”
Lowering her eyes, Diana thought again of her father, in whose name she had started on this dark path years ago. She had dared the impossible, discovering a relic-filled cavern at the Grand Canyon, full of Egyptian artifacts her father had sought — things that had no business being where they were. She had struck at the heart of secrecy and back room conspiracies, had come out relatively unscathed only with major help, and now with even more tangible evidence, the kind the world had been holding its collective breath for, she was going to be silenced again.
This time, however, that violation paled before something much more significant.
Her friends were in trouble. The man she loved…who knew if he would survive this?
The truth could wait. Her friends could not, and they needed her.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll sign, then get me the hell out of here.”
5
In the bustle of the early morning Metro traffic, there was a different air about the usually crisp and palatable atmosphere. A charged energy that Victoria Bederus could sense, and could almost inhale. If not for what had happened yesterday, she would have tried to get a glimpse of things, to perceive either the future events or at least what was happening to the people she knew and cared about.
People like her.
She had been lucky. She hadn’t gotten the job, hadn’t made it into the Stargate elite. Had been sent away, but through no fault of her own. Still, lucky she hadn’t been on site during the raid.
Did it matter though? Surely, they had her name in the files. A listing of other recruits, files with all her information — and that of others who hadn’t made the cut. Her guess was that even the fact that she hadn’t been accepted wouldn’t be enough to save her from a literal witch hunt once they moved down the ladder of talent. Even a partial mutant would be considered a threat to anyone afraid of veering one degree from ‘normal’.
She didn’t need to use her Sight, as her grandmother had called it, to see that coming in tonight was a bad mistake. People were agitated, suspicious, and yes…afraid. She couldn’t blame them, after all the fearful comments on the news. Nothing was secret, everyone could be scryed and scrutinized, every private action seen by psychic voyeurs.
Behind the glass, Victoria’s hands trembled as she looked out at the line. She had hidden out most of the previous day. Starbucks, the library, staying low and quiet. But now, she felt she needed to work and didn’t want to draw attention by her absence at her usual shift.
Some familiar faces there, waiting to buy their tickets. These were the ones she enjoyed seeing every day, the ones who despised the card vending machines and the faceless kiosks, and wanted to talk to a live person. Change in cash for a tangible something in return from someone who could relate, a smile and a quick chat about their destination. A tourist or two every few minutes, lost and confused, with Victoria only too happy to help direct them through the underground labyrinth of the Metro system.
And more often than not, she knew where they wanted to go before they even asked. Had the map all ready and marked out for them, sometimes telling them their stop before they even asked. Her supervisors just thought she was excellent at her job, anticipating customers’ needs and being the most helpful attendant they’d had in years. She’d made a huge impression in just the two years she’d been here, and already had two minor but satisfying raises.
Next in line came a very familiar and usually happy face.
This woman, who had never given her name but Victoria knew it was Madeleine, wore an expression of fear as she approached with terrible hesitation. It was as if coming to her booth today was the last thing she wanted, but something she just had to do.
She stopped at the glass, holding up the line as she gripped her purse tightly. She wore the usual red knit scarf wound tight around her neck and the long wool coat with the stubborn coffee stain on the right elbow.
Madeleine slowly, very slowly, lifted her eyes and sought out Victoria’s.
The seconds dragged on, and the impatience behind her grew.
Victoria didn’t dare try her senses, still unsure if they could even be trusted, and paranoid that they—whoever they were — might be able to hone in on their use and be drawn to her. But one thing she didn’t need to be psychic to figure out, was that Madeleine didn’t show up this morning for a ticket.
“You’re one of them,” the woman whispered, moving in closer until her breath — hot in the crisp air down here — fogged the glass and clouded her eyes.
Victoria’s throat dried up.
Madeleine continued, moving even closer. “You know too much about me. Always…I thought it was just luck, guessing where I was going, whether to the museum or the ball game, you always knew what stop I needed before I asked. But last week you told me, remember? To check on my dog, to make sure Jackie was tied up.”
Victoria shook her head. “I don’t…don’t remember. I—”
“I called home later, and…” She backed up, eyes down. “She had slipped the leash. My neighbor…found her in the street.”
“I…”
Madeleine came in even closer and her eyes flickered. “I should have listened to you.” Lower, her voice dropping, her eyes darted sideways. “You need to get out of here. If I know, others do too. They’re coming.”
She made eye contact and held. “Get out. Now!”
Then Madeleine was gone, lost in the crowd and Victoria was backing away, heart thundering, eyes scanning the line, the faces, the eyes. Looking, looking for an enemy that was probably already there.
Heart pounding, she reached for the ‘Closed’ ticket counter sign and motioned for her associate in the next chamber to help cover her line. “Be right back,” she stammered, holding her forehead. She felt dizzy, weak and lost. Visions were coming. She could feel the power stirring at the base of her neck.
Out the back, into the station, after grabbing her coat and a hat. Slipping both on, she moved away from the crowd, toward the stairs, when she felt an arm on hers. Jumped, about to scream. Caught me, I’m done—
A familiar face peeked out at her from the shadows of a sweatshirt hood. A small face and bright eyes, full of fear, yet determined.
“Phoebe Crowe?”
“Come with me now,” she said.
“So that’s it,” Phoebe said after she had laid it all out. She was exhausted, but at least she had gotten some sleep as Jacob and Alexander took turns driving back through the early hours. And now that the twins were safe — travelling with Orlando’s mother to a remote hideaway in Alaska, protected by the shielding globe artifact — she could relax a little and not worry about them.
Victoria looked just as frightened, or even more so, than when she had just surprised her. “You make it sound like it’s all up to me.”
“I know it seems that way. Trust me, there are other players, other pieces to our plan, but without you, Victoria, it’s not going to work and none of us will have a chance.”
Victoria took in another deep gulp of fresh air as she held the thick file Phoebe had handed her a few minutes earlier. “These…rejects?”
“Don’t call them that. Especially not now, when this group very well may be our saviors. These candidates all showed great promise…”
“Just, others were better?”