Shifters (Shifters series Book 1) (20 page)

“Who?” Kyle asks slowly. “Who’ll find them?”

Solé shakes her head, tears falling heavily onto her lap like rain. As she cries, it starts to rain outside. “
I don’
t know,” she says softly. “
I don’
t know, but it
’
s bad.”

Tanner cringes. This is all our fault. They
’
re in danger because of us. Just like our families.

“There
’
s nothing we can do about it now,” Kai says as we pull into a large city. I realize it’s grown dark outside, and we
’
ve reached the outskirts of DC. “We
’
ll get some rest tonight. We have a big day tomorrow.”

We find a hotel. I don
’
t pay any attention. I don
’
t notice the grand lobby with marble columns. I don
’
t notice the bellhop who carries all of my clothes or the valet who takes our car.

I don’
t snap out of it until we enter the room. It
’
s bigger than our house back home. It has a full kitchen with stainless steel appliances, marble floors and counters, and beautiful mahogany cabinets. It has a living room that’s furnishings are probably more expensive than our parents
’ mortgage.

It even has three bedrooms and two baths. The bathrooms are marble again with huge tubs and showers big enough for all six of us. “Where are we?” I ask.

Chapter 31

My Jaw Hits the Floor—A Really Nice Floor

–TANNER–

Ryland misses this part while she
’
s sleeping. I can
’
t believe she falls asleep when we’re so close to enemy headquarters. Useless. Kai’s looking for a hotel somewhere in the DC area. He starts to pull into the parking lot of some small, sketchy looking place on the outskirts of town.

“Not here,” I tell him.

“We need to be inconspicuous,” he says.

“They
’
re looking for us,” I tell him.

“That
’
s what I meant,” he says, clearly getting annoyed with me.

“What we shouldn
’
t do is go somewhere they’ll be looking.”

Understanding dawns on him, and he smiles as he turns around. He leaves the dingy parking lot and aims the car directly at the Washington Monument, which is glowing like a beacon in the distance. Now we
’
re talking.

We drive around until he sees the most amazing hotel ever. The illuminated letters over the grand entrance say
Mandarin Oriental
.

“Does this work for you?” Kai asks, smiling.

“It
’
ll do,” I say, staring at the amazing building.

Solé is gaping at the building with wide eyes still red from crying. This would be so cool if I weren
’
t freaking out about our friends. Somebody is going to find them, and Solé doesn
’
t know who. Seriously, that may kind of be important. I wonder why she doesn
’
t see it? She keeps having terrible visions about totally random people, but she can
’
t see the people her parents said they would take care of? What in the world could they be thinking anyway? Why didn
’
t they just stay where they were safe?

We pull into the parking lot, and several attendants start opening doors and putting our bags onto a cart. We, and by we, I mean Kai, Kyle, and myself, clearly don
’
t fit in here in our jeans and T-shirts. The girls fit in perfectly with their designer clothes.

Kai grabs the backpack of cash from the luggage cart, telling the attendant we’ll need it. He and I approach the counter in the grand entrance. Kai asks for a large suite.

The guy behind the counter, a young lithe man with pale skin and slicked back black hair, looks us up and down and says, “I
’
m sorry, sir. It seems we only have one room left.”

“We
’
ll take it then,” Kai says deadpan.

The suited guy clears his throat and looks right at Kai saying, “I
’
m afraid it
’
s the Presidential Suite.”

Kai, still unbudging, says, “I said, we
’
ll take it.”

The guy breaks his stare and says, “Five thousand dollars a night,” as he begins to pull up the registry on the system. “How long will you be our guest?”

“One night,” Kai says.

“Very well, sir,” the guy, his nametag reads Kenneth, says. “I
’
m afraid, with the gala coming up, we will require prepayment. Will that be a problem?”

“No, sir,” Kai says. He reaches into the backpack he set on the floor. He nonchalantly counts out five thousand dollars in twenties as though this is something he does every day.

When he stands up to hand the cash to the clerk, Kenneth’s attitude abruptly changes. “Is there anything else we can do for you, sir?”

“If we need the room for another night, will it be available?” Kai asks.

The now extremely attentive Kenneth tells him, “I
’
m sure something can be arranged.”

He hands Kai the keycards, and we start to walk away. Kai turns to the guy and asks one more question. “Do you have tailors available?”

“Certainly,” Kevin quips cheerfully. “It will be extra at this time of night.”

“That won
’
t be a problem. Ring our room when one is available,” Kai tells him.

We take the elevator to the top floor. The place is huge, and the view’s amazing. From the windows, you can see the White House glowing in the distance, the Washington Monument towering into the sky as though it
’
s reaching for the heavens, and the majesty of our capital city spread before you as though it were an offering to a newly crowned king.

Devon comes up beside me, and we both gaze out the window together in awe. Solé’s on the opposite side of the room, and I swear her nose must be touching the glass. She
’
s so close to the window. Kyle just stares at her for a long moment before joining her, transfixed more on her than the whole breathtaking world below them.

Devon looks at me and says, “Thank you for letting me come with you.”

She
’
s thanking me?

“I
’
m going to setup and get ready,” she says as she walks to the bags the bellhops put on the baggage racks. She takes out several laptops and walks into the office. When Kenneth, the hotel clerk, said Presidential Suite, he wasn
’
t kidding. The office in the room looks like something from the movies. I could totally see the President sitting at this desk, spitting out orders and calling world dignitaries.

Devon looks amazing as she surrounds herself with her tech. She fires up all the systems and sets some device in the middle of them.

“What
’
s that?” I ask.

“Wi-Fi,” she says. “The FBI can track the hotel
’
s. Ours is secure. Untraceable. Well, they can try, but they’ll be looking in the middle of the Pacific and China. At the same time.”

She’s amazing.

She clicks on a few things, and her brothers pop up on one of the screens. “Hey, Sis,” one of them says. “So, what are we looking for?”

“J. Edgar Hoover building,” she says.

“You got it,” the other J grins.

Within a few seconds, there are wireframes and 3D models on the screens.

“Get Kyle,” Devon tells me. I never thought somebody telling me what to do would be a good thing, but watching her take charge is totally hot. I yell for Kyle, and everybody follows him into the room.

We spend a long while studying the building structure. Kyle definitely knows more than he let on about the Keeper building. When I ask him how he knows so much, he says it
’
s because of his dad. Apparently, his dad was a candidate for Keeper authority after he got out of the army. He didn
’
t make the final cut, and the new leaders sent him to a small town to run the local area instead. All I can think is, somehow, of all people, we found the one who can help us the most. What are the odds? He knows about the game. He even wrote some of it. He knows about the headquarters. Kyle keeps surprising me.

The room phone rings sharply, breaking into the quiet, and Kai picks it up. He has a very short conversation then tells me and Kyle to get ready for our fittings. I completely forgot about that. We need our tuxedoes fitted for the ball. I still can
’
t believe anyone actually thought a masquerade ball at FBI headquarters would be a good idea.

Several guys come in the room and make us put on these ridiculous jackets then start measuring us in all kinds of embarrassing ways. When they
’
re finished, they pack up our tuxedos. Kai tips them, and they leave the room.

“Our suits will be ready in the morning,” Kai says. “I told them to put a rush on it.”

Just after the tailors leave, there’s another knock on the door. “Room service,” a voice from the hall calls politely.

Kai opens the door and says, “We didn
’
t—”

“Compliments of the Mandarin, sir,” a man
’
s voice replies.

Two other men follow the first one in, all pushing carts with silver platters on them. Kai tips them generously.

We all walk over to the carts and hesitantly begin to lift the silver lids on each dish to see what treasures they hold. I swear I’ve never seen such a spread. There is every kind of food imaginable. I eat until I can
’
t take anymore.

With that view, the most beautiful girl in the entire world, our new friends , and my sister, this is really incredible. At least until the reality of why and how we got here hits me again.

Okay, focus. We need to tell the world the truth, find our friends, stop the Keepers, and—last but not least—save the world from imminent destruction by alien invaders. I sure hope Kyle is right and there are other young Keepers like him that’ll help us. After watching Kyle and Devon plan our way into the Keeper stronghold, I start to think this mission may not be suicide after all.

–RYLAND–

So, I get to tell you about the girly parts. Obviously, Tanner would be terrible at that, but also, we kicked the boys out of the bathroom for prep time. Otherwise, we couldn’t have the wonderful surprise makeover reveal. You know, like the ones you see on television.

Before that whole day of fun begins, I have another nightmare though. I thought I was getting used to them, but they
’
re so realistic. I can’t overcome the feelings of panic and horror.

This time, I
’
m nine years old. My left arm is in a sling because I broke it jumping from tree to tree pretending to be Tarzan. I wonder now if I could do that. My dad is griping at me about the hospital bills.

Somehow, a childish, mischievous smile spreads across my face. “Dad,” I say. “I can fly.”

He whips his head around, eyes wide, and glances around us in the hospital parking lot. When he sees it
’
s empty, he calms down. “No, honey, you can
’
t,” he sighs.

“Daddy,” I peer up at him. “You
’
re wrong. I can.”

“Okay,” he admits grudgingly. “Then why did you fall?”

“I fell because when I landed on the branch, I twisted my ankle. It hurt, and I fell.” I nod, completely confident in my nine-year-old self.

He shakes his head and smiles. “Honey, you were just jumping. It was very dangerous; don
’
t do it again.”

“I can fly, Dad,” I say. “You
’
ll see.”

Suddenly, men in black suits and dark sunglasses surround the parking lot. They rip my dad away from me and pull me into the car by my broken arm. I
’
m crying from the pain and screaming in fear. When the doors slam shut, I wake up.

I remember that conversation now. That really did happen. I was so convinced I could fly. How had I forgotten that? Obviously, the part with the men-in-black guys is new. Thanks a lot, life, your horror is even invading my otherwise pleasant dreams.

I wake up covered in sweat and shaking. Even if it’s only a dream, it feels real. It feels like my life. I’ve been ripped away from my dad. I can fly. They’re coming to get me. I am in danger.

I head for the shower. It’s one of the most relaxing showers I’ve ever had. The shower is huge and steaming with massage jets and music playing from a speaker in the ceiling. It
’
s absolutely incredible.

I think about how much Mom would love this bathroom. She
’
s really big into watching those home makeover shows on HGTV. She tried to remodel her bathroom once, but it was too expensive. Her kids always came first. I wish she were here now, being pampered like she deserves.

When I step out, I wrap myself in the thickest, whitest, most luxurious bath sheet I’ve ever seen, let alone touched. It feels like I
’
ve wrapped myself in a warm, fluffy cloud. I sigh in contentment, my dreams temporarily forgotten.

Solé knocks quietly on the door then peeks her head in. “Are you finished? Devon is in the other bathroom.”

I smile back at her. “Yes, I
’
m finished with the shower. I
’
ll let you have the bathroom.”

She grins at me. “I’m so excited! Makeovers today!”

Sometimes, her childlike wonder and excitement is contagious, and I squeal like a piglet. “I know! Yay!”

She doesn
’
t take half as long showering as I’m sure I did. Granted, I was incredibly stressed out. When Devon comes back in, wrapped in her own towel, Solé opens the door. “You girls ready?” she asks almost devilishly.

We give each other pedicures and manicures. Devon is shockingly good at it, but I think her mother must have used her as slave labor.

Solé is brilliant with hair. She curls Devon
’
s so it falls just past her shoulders in the front and cascades down her back like a waterfall at sunset, glistening with golden-red light. Solé twists my long blonde hair into a sophisticated, but simple French twist. It’s smooth and flawless. She curls her own ash blonde locks, and twists them into a half-up-half-down mess that looks absolutely perfect with her strapless, pale sage and silver gown.

I assume it must be my turn to help. I start to gather the makeup Aleksandria provided when I realize the girls really don
’
t need it. I add a tiny bit of blush to Sol
é’
s cheeks and give her some mascara. Devon gets some gold eye shadow to bring out her green eyes, and some pink lip-gloss. I put on a light foundation of bareMinerals, use some soft brown eye shadow, and mascara on my eyes as well.

Solé puts on her gown, and Devon and I return to my closet to dig through my fifteen-plus designer gowns. Devon chooses an empire waist dress in a deep emerald green. She looks ten feet tall. To go with it, she wears the most beautiful gold sandal stilettos, which you can see through the thigh-high slit in her gown.

I find a tight-fitting, floor length sheath dress in satin. It
’
s black, and the back is completely lace. The sweetheart neckline is flattering. It too has a slit that stops just shy of my hip. I think it
’
s sexier than a thirteen year old should be wearing, but it
’
s honestly the most modest gown here other than Devon
’
s.

I’m forced to choose five-inch silver stilettos and a diamond necklace to match. I find Devon a gold and emerald necklace that must have cost thousands of dollars. Solé doesn
’
t bother with jewelry, which somehow makes her appear even more elegant.