“Was the meeting moved to here because of Ms. Bullock?” John asked shrewdly.
Will, Steven, and Jace exchanged looks. “Yes,” Will admitted with a nod. “With the help of Gavin and Jemmy, we have been able to investigate people on our payroll for weeks. Her name, and a few others, have red flags on them. After the attack on Blake today, and because we don’t have enough evidence on them yet, we are keeping our cards close to our chest. We don’t need Horatio tipped off on our next moves.”
I looked over in surprise at Gavin and Jemmy. I wasn’t aware that they had been doing anything for the investigation. I also noticed they weren’t sitting next to each other, and I hoped they resolved their issues soon.
Jace spoke, “We know Jemmy and John will be on two separate teams because of their ability to take out any cameras. So that leaves us with finding two other people capable of taking out cameras.” Jace took a picture of Jemmy and John and placed them under himself and Terrance.
“I can do it,” a voice on the cusp of changing, stated from above.
I hadn’t even noticed the children and teens had crept to the balcony above. The last time I saw them they were happily munching on pizza, watching movies, and playing in the boys’ room. It was Micah who had volunteered.
“Micah,” Remy said hesitantly. “We would love for you to help us, but I’m not sure you’re ready yet.”
I flashed a grateful smile at him. There’s no way I wanted my brother anywhere around there.
“But he’s supposed to be there,” Ella stated as she came down the stairs and handed Will a piece of paper. His eyes widened, before he handed me the paper.
I stared down at the picture of Micah, Troy, Rachel, myself, and a female I didn’t recognize. We looked like we were sitting in a diner. We were all dressed in our uniforms (except for the female), and we looked like we were covered in soot. I didn’t know what it meant, but my gut was telling me I needed to trust Ella’s vision.
“Well,” I said quietly with my heart in my throat as I looked at my guys. They all nodded at me knowing my unspoken question. Should I let him go? “I guess Micah’s going.”
Micah and Ella exchanged a look before they gave me a wide smile.
There was a part of me that wanted to refuse. He was thirteen. He had no business going. However, I knew if I told him no, it would show Ella and Micah that I had no faith in their gifts. Micah had survived on the streets for years. He was resourceful and smart where it counted.
“So, do we begin the videos so we can pick the rest of our teams?” Remy cleared his throat as he looked at me with concern.
Will pushed play, and we were able to watch the events of the day from the comfort of our living room.
Chapter 28
We got the phone call after dinner the following Thursday night. Our reconnaissance team had gathered all the intel that they could. Beth and Cora were already in route with their children. We had already planned to have them come over here and mind the children while we went on our mission.
I felt anxiety begin to grip me as Micah ran off excitedly to get changed. We had worked with him every day the last week and a half to get him ready for tonight. He was becoming more accurate with his teleporting abilities. Remy and Troy had even blindfolded him and drove around with him for hours last night, so he could lose his bearings. They dropped him off twenty miles down the road. He made it back five minutes after they dropped him off, long before they even made it home.
We knew he was capable of transporting only one person with him. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, he couldn’t increase that number. He had gotten increasingly frustrated, but Will had reassured him. He had told him he had never met a teleporter capable of carrying more than one person with them, and in some instances, they weren’t even able to do that. Micah seemed to be somewhat mollified at that information.
We also met up and trained with our new teams. I was assigned to a team with Steven, Troy, Michael, Rachel, Micah, and four other people I had just met. Troy and Michael had worked with them in the past and had nothing but positive things to say about them. They seemed like they were nice enough guys, but they weren’t my guys. I wished I could’ve been with all my guys.
Remy and Jace had argued to the same effect and was instantly made to realize that, with our gift levels, our gifts should be spread across the teams, to strengthen each team. It was a valid argument, but not one we all agreed with.
“Ready?” Jaxson asked as he slid on his black boots.
“No,” I answered him truthfully as I leaned into him.
He turned around and embraced me. He kissed my forehead. “Me neither.”
“It’s more than that,” I insisted as I turned around, so he could zip me up in the back. “I woke up this morning with the most unsettling feeling.”
“I’ve been feeling the same way,” Jace stated as he walked into the room followed by Remy, Drake, Noah, and Troy. They were already dressed in the black and silver uniforms, and I couldn’t help but admire how great they looked. I was one lucky girl.
“We all have,” Remy stated gruffly.
“Have I been projecting my fears?” I asked Jace in surprise as he pulled me in close.
I could feel him shake his head. “No. You’ve gotten really good with your barriers.”
“I’ve been agitated all day,” Noah admitted.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” Drake said eventually.
“So, do we tell Pops?” I asked desperately.
Troy shook his head. “I don’t think he’ll understand. He’ll probably think we’re being obstinate.”
“Do you think our connection is trying to tell us something?” Jaxson asked.
“I think it is,” Drake stated resolutely. “We’ve already proven that our connections aren’t normal. We’re learning as we go. If we were to go to Pops, he won’t understand.”
“What should we do?” Noah asked.
“Nothing,” Remy grunted before he gently extracted me from Jace’s embrace. “We take the orders given to us. We all come back here in one piece.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist squeezing him. I wanted to draw from his natural strength. I wanted the confidence he exuded, although I saw the doubt lingering in his eyes too.
“Pops said we need to roll out,” Jemmy stated as she came into the room. She looked ragged, worn, and heartsick.
Gavin hadn’t moved, but when he wasn’t training or going to school, he was working on a new program for the training facility. After going through the obstacle course, Gavin decided to create a simulation of something like that experience. He wanted to create a training environment where our gifts could be tested for an individual as well as a team. Each simulation would be custom fit to our abilities and gifts. Will had been excited by the idea, and Gavin started to run with it. He had little to no time for Jemmy.