Flee (The Aurora Lockette Series, Book 1) (15 page)

“Sounds about right. I think of it as kind of
like pissing.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. “Pissing?”

“Yes, pissing. You don’t have to actively
think about not pissing your pants, but you are holding in your
piss almost constantly.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“What do you do when you are not flying?” he
asked. “It looks like you work out. Do you?”

“Yes, well no. Kind of. Until a short while
ago, I used to run a lot, and lift weights.”

“You should keep up your fitness while you
are here. Hike outside while you can. It will get much, much
colder.”

As we approached the clearing near the
cabins, both men were quiet.

“Aurora, why don’t you get something to eat?”
Konstantin said, motioning to the direction of his cabin. “I think
Carmen mentioned shopping with you today. Dennis and I need to
speak in private.”

“Oh, okay. You need to talk about me. Go for
it.” On a crazy impulse, I hugged Konstantin. He seemed surprised,
but pleased. I offered my hand to Dennis. “It was nice to meet
you.”

“The pleasure was all mine. You are an
amazing girl, and not just because of what you can do.” His giant
leathery hand wrapped around mine briefly.

I took my time walking back to the cabin.
Carmen was pulling a meatloaf out of the oven. “Perfect timing. I
was hoping we could eat and then drive into town to shop this
afternoon. Maybe you can invite Julie?”

An hour later I was in the SUV with Julie and
Carmen, headed to Fairbanks to get new clothes. I looked at the
cold rural surroundings, doubtful of what kind of shopping we could
do here.

“So, who is Dennis exactly?”

“He’s one of the leaders in our society. He
heads up one of the divisions. We’ll talk about it more later.” She
glanced at Julie in the back seat as she spoke.

“Sure, whatever.” I craned my head to look at
Julie. “How is it you came to be here?”

She closed her compact and shoved it in her
purse before answering. “I came here when I was nineteen. My great
grandfather had the same ability. He watched me until it became
active and then introduced me to the others and this life. He lives
in Montana. He left a couple of years ago when he was sure I’d be
okay on my own up here.”

“Are you here alone?” I asked. “I mean, do
you have any family here?”

“Yes. I’m here alone, in the sense my family
isn’t here. But I have close friends here and it feels like family.
I’m working at the bookstore in our village part time, and doing
online classes so I can finish my bachelors.”

“Oh. Why don’t you go to college in
Fairbanks?” I asked.

She sighed. “The same reason you couldn’t do
it either. I don’t have a handler yet. I venture out into the world
a little bit, because that’s how you meet your handler, but I have
to be careful.”

“Oh.”

We went to a small mall in Fairbanks. Despite
my general depression, it was fun to shop with the girls. For the
first time since I arrived in Alaska, laughter came naturally.

I counted no less than seven shopping bags in
my hands as we walked back to the car after a three hour marathon
shopping session. I was the proud owner several pairs of thermal
lined jeans, long sleeved shirts, knit caps, sneakers and hiking
boots.

On our way back, Carmen uttered a low oath
and swerved the car into a strip mall. “Almost forgot!”

“Me too!” said Julie.

I leaned forward so I could read the sign of
the store. “Ice cream?”

“You bet. We have to eat it now, while it’s
summer. Trust me, you won’t want to eat it when it gets to twenty
below with the wind chill,” Julie answered. “And it’s a long, long
winter here.”

Back at the cabin, Julie hopped out of the
car and gave me a quick hug. “See you later.”

Inside, Konstantin and Dennis were sitting at
the dining table. Several small white take-out boxes were in front
of them.

“We have much to discuss,” Dennis said in a
formal tone. “Do you like Chinese? We drove to Fairbanks just to
get it.”

“Okay. Sounds good,” I said.

Tension crackled in the air. I put the
shopping bags in my room and ran a brush through my unruly hair
before returning downstairs.

Carmen spread out paper plates on the table
and grabbed forks and spoons for everyone. I eagerly dug into the
spicy food. It was the worse Chinese food I had ever eaten, but it
was perfect after the cool ice cream snack. It was mostly silent
while we ate. Everyone, including me, was waiting for something to
happen. I finished my food and was examining the patterns in the
wood on the table when Dennis’s clipped voice broke my train of
thought.

“Thanks for letting me tag along today. I’m
sure you noticed I was watching you very carefully.”

“Everyone stares at the circus freak.”

He pushed his food around his plate. “Did
Carmen or Konstantin tell you anything about me?”

I looked at Carmen. She nodded. “Well, yeah.
Carmen said you were big dog in the organization. I’m sure you’re
getting ready to tell me more?”

“Yes, but first let’s talk about you.” He
leaned forward on the table, pushed his plate away, and folded his
arms in front of him. “I’m a completely honest person. I have a
feeling you are the same way. So, I’m going to be blunt with you. I
think it’s only fair for someone in your situation.”

“Got it. Go.”

“I’m ninety-seven years old, and I have been
with the organization since I was a teenager. I have never seen any
flying ability like yours before. Period.”

“You’re ninety-seven?” I said. “For
reals?”

His face pulled into a smile, making the skin
around his eyes crinkle. Even so, he didn’t look a day over a very
fit fifty. “Yes. We age slower, but this is about you, not me.
Aurora, you’re fast. You have complete control over your gift. Most
people have years of practice and training before they can return
to society to live normally, if they so choose. You have been able
to do it without any help. You picked up everything Konstantin
showed you instantly. I can’t imagine the true extent of your
ability. It’s amazing, really.”

He looked at Konstantin before continuing.
“Konstantin and I both agree your abilities are phenomenal. You
could be of great asset to the organization. We just disagree on
how best to utilize you, for now at least.”

“Damn right, we do,” Konstantin said. “I need
you to understand something very important. Whatever you decide to
do, whether it is to work with the organization or return to normal
society, it’s your decision.” He smoothed his face back into calm
composure. “Go on, Dennis, tell her. She needs to know anyway.”

My eyes darted back and forth between
Konstantin and stoic Dennis.

“How much do you know about them? The ones
who chase us?” Dennis asked.

“Not much because you guys haven’t told me
jack,” I said. “I know they hunt us. I know they were tracking me,
which is why I came here.”

“Here’s your 101. We call them Shyama, a
Hindi word for ‘dark ones.’ Their sole purpose is to destroy those
with abilities. We don’t know where they came from, but they’ve
been around as long as we have.” He paused, glancing at Carmen and
Konstantin. “They usually take a human form.”

I rubbed my forehead with one hand,
desperately trying to figure out where this new information would
fit in to reality. “What do you mean? What other form do they
take?”

Konstantin covered my free hand with his.
“It’s okay. You’re safe here. We don’t know a lot about what
exactly they are, but we will tell you everything we know. Okay?”
He patted my hand before pulling it back, and then looked at
Dennis.

“It’s true,” Dennis said. “We don’t know
exactly what they are. I’m not sure classifying them would help you
understand.

“Here’s what we do know. We think there are a
four or five thousand worldwide, give or take a few. They don’t
age, and they don’t die, except under very specific instances. They
can take on many forms and move rapidly from on place to another,
almost like teleportation.

“The only thing that seems to really trip
them up is a handler. They appear to be able to monitor media
outlets on some level, and look for leaks like yours. Sometimes,
they figure out who the identities of families of the gifted ones
are and, well, go after them.”

“What about my family? Couldn’t they figure
it out and go after them?” I said.

“Your family is fine,” Konstantin said. “We
have blockers there watching over them.”

“Why? Why do they do this?” I asked. “What
are these things?”

“I wish we knew what they are exactly. That’s
why we work so hard to find those with abilities. If they find you
first, well, let’s just say a lot of people die.” His voice was
thick. He paused, taking a swig of his beer. “There’s more, if you
are ready,” he said, glancing at Konstantin.

“Oh, man.” I drained my wineglass. “Any more
shocking bad news?” Life was darker, now and I was afraid of the
how much darker it would get.

“I’m telling you all of this for a reason.
The division I head up is essentially tactical offense. Rather than
passively waiting for them to find us and defend our brothers and
sisters, we go after them.” He sat up taller. “We draw them out and
attack, taking them down one by one. I’d like you to join us.”

My head reeled again. I placed my hand on the
table, just to feel something solid. “Join...us?”

He smiled. “Yes. Fight back.”

Carmen spoke. “There are many paths. You
don’t have to take this one, and you don’t have to decide now. It’s
an option. That’s all.” She directed her words at me, but her
bright eyes bore into Dennis as she spoke.

“Jesus Christ. What sort of crazy ass crap
have I gotten myself into?” I tilted my head back until I found my
voice again. “What would this entail for me?”

Dennis answered. “It means you would train
here with us for a while. Then you would join operations.”

“Oh.” A dead silence followed my words. A
clock ticked, the trees outside brushed against the wall, and a
bird chirped in the distance. I grabbed my beer and paced over to
the living room window.

I was part of a secret war the world did not
know about, a war I had no choice but to fight. The furious pace of
my mind gave way to numbness. I thought of family, friends, and
Gavyn. Their faces flashed behind my closed eyes, playing a movie
of a life that didn’t belong to me anymore. I was a menace to
everyone I loved. Wherever I went they would follow, destroying
everyone.

But I understood now. My life as a normal
person was over. I would never get married, never have children,
and never finish school. I had a new life here, and I needed to
accept it. I had to cut the chord of hope connecting me to my old
life and to Gavyn.

My stupid self replayed our story over and
over in my head. I remembered everything; the first time I met him,
his handsome features, the way his scent filled me up when we were
tangled together, and his gentle but urgent touch. A memory of a
life I almost had but would never be mine.

A million miles away from my focus,
Konstantin got up from the table. Carmen put a hand on his arm,
gently pulling him back to his seat. “Leave her be. She’s okay.
She’s figuring it out.”

I stared out the window for what felt like
hours. Surely, with time, I would be all right. A new direction
would help me move on, literally and figuratively.

Then I was done thinking and ready for
action. I had no choice. I returned to the table, where they still
sat in quiet conversation.

“I’m in.”

“Eight fifteen, Aurora. Pick it up!”
Konstantin shouted. He tapped his watch as I ran by. “You’re
slowing down.”

I grunted in response. It was all I could do
at mile six. I’d been up since 4:30, and I was tired. Nevertheless,
I pushed forward. Sooner than I thought, I looped around the thick
trees to return to Konstantin at the edge of the forest.

“Seven thirty. Good girl,” he said as I
sailed past him. I slowed down to a walk as we passed into the
clearing that housed our village.

He handed me a bottle of water as we walked
home. “You’re getting faster. Not bad for ten weeks of
training.”

I gulped down half the bottle before I
answered. “Not bad? I thought I was kind of bad-ass, actually.”

He smiled. “Like I said, not bad.”

Dennis was sitting at the kitchen table with
a cup off coffee when we came in. “How far?” he said.

“Seven,” Konstantin said. “Average seven
forty-five splits.”

“Oh, not bad,” Dennis said. “Rinse off, we
need to get a move on.”

“Oh, please. Don’t get too heavy with the
praise.”

Dennis tossed me a smile. Turns out the old
bear did have a tiny sense of humor.

Carmen appeared at my shoulder. “That’s
man-speak for good.” She squeezed my elbow. “And you’re not going
anywhere until you get a full meal.”

She made a full spread: eggs, bacon, chopped
cantaloupe, coffee and water. Dennis ate quickly, then stared at me
while I ate.

“Stop it!” I told him through a mouthful
eggs. “It’s creepy.”

“We need to get moving,” he said.

“Fine.” I shoved my plate away, wiped my
mouth, and stood. He was already holding the front door for me.

He led me to the forest in his fast gait. He
was in his usual attire, some sort of militaryish cargo pants and
heavy sweater.

I ran a few steps to catch up to him. “So
what’s today? Knife fighting? Jujitsu? Firearms?”

“Firearms.” He didn’t bother to look at me
while we talked.

“Oh.”

This time he glanced at me. “You sound
disappointed.”

“No, not really, but knife fighting is fun.
It makes me feel like a super secret ninja,” I said.

“Super secret ninja? What is this?”