The Unlocked (Charlie Hartley Series Book 1) (4 page)

Hilary’s eyes swiftly scanned the area. Charlie wasn’t sure
if she was looking for someone until the young lady spoke again. “I know it’s
awfully late but I’m starving. I didn’t think the game would last that
long.  Why don’t I buy your dinner somewhere close by? Give me a chance to
express my gratitude.”

Charlie looked at her watch. It was a quarter past one, and
her parents might be worried, but she was hungry too. “Sure, Hilary. Let me
make a quick call to my folks. They probably won’t pick up now but I can leave
a voice message.”

Charlie explained she and her folks were visiting from
Milford to watch the Red Sox versus Yankees game.

Charlie asked Hilary how she knew where to go eat, as it was
obvious the young woman was not from Boston.

“Those girls walking ahead of us… I listened.”

Charlie complimented Hilary as they followed the group of
young girls heading towards Boston Beer Works, which was only a minute walk
from where they were. “I’m impressed at how adept you picked up information so
easily.” 

Hilary explained, “Observing people’s behavior and catching
bits of their conversation comes pretty handy every now and then.”

Over a shared full rack of tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs
served with whipped potatoes, sautéed green beans and cornbread, Charlie
learned that Hilary was on an assigned mission to help safeguard the family of
a visiting diplomat from Pakistan.

Charlie stared back at Hilary, hesitant but curious. “I hope
you won’t be offended, but you look so young to be safeguarding anyone.”

Hilary smiled and nodded in agreement. “I expected you to
say that, Charlie. I’m seventeen and look younger than my age. Officially, I am
a senior student at the American National Development, Research and Education
Institute, or ANDREI, which is based in Kit Carson, Colorado. My school trains
people with superhuman powers to develop and control their abilities.”

Charlie’s hand froze with her fork in midair, potatoes
clinging precariously. “Do you...I mean, there is such a school for people with
superhuman abilities?” she eagerly inquired.

Hilary smiled and patted her hand. “Yes, Charlie. And rest
assured we are trained to protect our kind, which means my knowledge of your
telekinetic powers is safe with me.”

Debating whether Hilary was bluffing, teasing or being
truthful, Charlie spoke quietly, “I appreciate your assurance, Hilary. Not many
people really understand.”

Hilary continued to expound, “Stopping the slug when you did
was quite impressive. It indicates your senses are even keener than the other
security agents who were with me.”

Charlie made a mental note to find ANDREI online for
verification. “So tell me more about your school,” she pressed.

But Hilary wasn’t listening. She fished something out of her
purse, pulled out a photo of her and another girl, and handed it to
Charlie. 

Charlie almost fell from her seat. “Is this Jeanne, your
friend who looks like me?” The striking resemblance was too obvious to ignore.
The hairstyle was different, otherwise, everything - facial features, body
shape, and hair color – were identical.  Charlie was oddly drawn to the
locket Hilary’s friend was wearing.

“Now you know why I called you Jeanne,” Hilary justified as
she put the photo away. As they enjoyed their chocolate mud pie topped with
whipped cream and crushed nuts, Hilary unveiled her story while Charlie
listened with growing interest.

“Jeanne and I met at the orphanage when I was five. My mom
died when she went into cardiac arrest shortly after I was born. I vaguely
remember my father leaving me to watch cartoons on television while he went to
work. One day, a social worker came to the house and took me away from him. I
never saw him again.

“Jeanne was there since she was a baby. We kind of
magnetized each other for some reason. We became foster kids, usually on
Thanksgiving and Christmas, but for some reason, no one wanted to adopt us.
Jeanne learned to toughen up through the years. She’s gentle but knows when to
fight back and when to trust her instincts.

“I was the quiet, shy and introverted one, but I am quick
learner, so we gravitated towards each other. By the time we were adolescents,
we were the oldest at the orphanage. Together we made a formidable team who
picked up the cudgels for the bullied kids. That’s how we cemented our
friendship and became best friends.”

Charlie was thoughtful. Instinctively, she began rubbing her
chin with her right hand. “That’s wonderful, Hilary. Sounds like you have a
sister, friend and sidekick rolled into one. What happened to her?”

“I’ll be damned, Charlie!” Hilary suddenly blurted out.

“What’s the matter, Hilary?” a surprised Charlie asked,
looking around.

“That thing you just did - rubbing your chin like that.
That’s what Jeanne does when she thinks and weighs her words.”

“Really? What a coincidence,” Charlie said thoughtfully.
Then she repeated her question, “So what happened to Jeanne?”

“Last year, we both joined ANDREI. But she was transferred
to another location. We didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye,” replied
Hilary.

When Hilary probed Charlie, she blurted out non-specific
answers which did not seem to bother Hilary. Charlie then pressed Hilary with
more questions. She learned that ANDREI operated under GEN Laboratory and had a
small student population.  Hilary’s power was Pyrokinesis, the ability to
create and control fire with her mind. With a raised left brow, Charlie
challenged her to demonstrate it.

Hilary giggled, “Oh, look at that raised eyebrow. You think
I’m pulling your leg, right? I know because that’s exactly how Jeanne gives
herself away when she’s in doubt.” Then without further ado, she held a paper
napkin, set fire to it and quickly doused it in a glass of water.

“Amazing!” was all Charlie could say. Encouraged by Hilary’s
spontaneous display of power, she smiled at her new acquaintance and pointed to
her fork. Hilary watched as Charlie placed her hand a few inches above the
fork. As she raised her hand, the fork lifted as well, until it levitated a
couple of inches above the table. Hilary beamed in delight, but as the
restaurant manager’s voice boomed across the tables, Charlie got distracted and
the fork dropped.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patronage. We’ve
extended operations in honor of the Red Sox victory, but it’s time to wind up
and call it a night. Or a day, I should say.” The remaining customers laughed
and applauded.

Hilary stood to pay the bill, but Charlie insisted she pay
her portion. “I’m glad to have met you, Hilary. It was worth staying up this
late. I feel so much better knowing someone else has powers, even more so
knowing there is a school out there.

“I’m elated to have met you, Charlie. I feel like I’ve known
you all my life. If you leave me your email address, I’ll shoot you an email,”
said Hilary. Charlie scribbled her address on the sales receipt and handed it
to Hilary.

“I promise to keep in touch, Charlie. Thanks for saving me
from the sniper’s bullet,” said Hilary, and the two girls parted ways. Hilary
knew she’d have some explaining to do once she returned to the ANDREI team; she
had definitely violated school protocol with this conversation.

On her walk back to the hotel, Charlie’s thoughts strayed to
the girl in the photo and Hilary’s observations on her mannerisms. 
One
too many coincidences is weird, Charlie.
She concluded the only plausible
answer outside the remarkable concurrence of circumstances without apparent
connections, was an unknown relative her age.

When Charlie woke up, it was past ten in the morning. Sarah
left her a text message saying they were done with breakfast, would do the
Kenmore Square Walking Tour, and would meet her for lunch at noon.

After a relaxing soak in the tub, she dried herself and
dressed to meet Carl and Sarah at the Eastern Standard, a popular restaurant in
Kenmore Square. On the ride down the elevator, she caught a glimpse of her
reflection in the mirror and affirmed once more that Hilary’s friend Jeanne did
look like her.

As Charlie stepped inside the restaurant that elegantly
reflected the classic old Boston spirit, she was warmly greeted by a member of
the staff who led her to her parents’ table. The relaxed atmosphere eased her
mind and she stopped worrying about the unknown Jeanne. She kissed Carl on the
forehead and hugged Sarah before she sat.

“Did you get enough sleep, Princess?” Carl asked.

“Yes, I did, Dad.” She turned to Sarah and inquired about
her migraine. Sarah gave her a thumbs up and showed off the contents of her
shopping bags, an indicator she felt better.

Sarah motioned to the waiter to come over and take their
orders. Carl ordered grilled Flat Iron Steak. Sarah settled for handmade
Linguini while Charlie chose the seared Scottish Salmon.

After a relatively short wait, the food was on the table.
“This is so yummy!” Charlie exclaimed. Carl and Sarah concurred after
swallowing their first bite. 

Carl looked at his daughter as she inhaled her food, and
decided now was the time for stories. “So tell us about this girl you met last
night.”

“Last night seems so surreal!” Charlie recounted how she
thought she saved Hilary from a bullet. “I was relieved Hilary wasn’t hit, but
I was also concerned she saw me stop the slug.” Sarah pretended to wipe her
mouth with the starched table napkin, but Carl knew the gesture showed her
unease.

“Hilary attends a school where people with superhuman powers
are trained to control and develop them. What a coincidence to come across
someone who has a direct connection to a possible solution for our concern.
Right, Mom?”

“That’s an encouraging way of stating it, Charlie,” replied
Sarah. “Did she say how one is accepted?”

Charlie frowned. “No, she didn’t, but she promised to keep
in touch. I gave her my email address so we’ll see if she keeps her word.”

Carl believed the incident was good for their daughter.
Charlie was clearly excited about meeting someone who was, in a way, like her.
But he wasn’t quite prepared for the rest.

“And guess what else happened over dinner?”

“She showed off her powers?” guessed Sarah.

Charlie smiled and continued, “She did and it was
incredible! But what really stunned me was a photo she showed me.”

“Photo? Of what?”

“I almost fell off my seat! The photo was a picture of
Hilary and her best friend, Jeanne. Both of them grew up in an orphanage. And
Jeanne looks exactly like me!”

Silence fell on the table until Carl cleared his throat
nervously. “Really? How do you mean?” Sarah kept her silence, puzzlement and
interest fighting for control of her face.

Charlie went on. “I mean, I look so much like this girl that
Hilary actually called me Jeanne immediately after the shooting incident. Do
you think I have a cousin who is my age that ended up in an orphanage and our
family wasn’t aware?”

Carl and Sarah looked at each other. “I’m not aware of
anyone, Princess,” Sarah said in a quiet tone.

“Oh well, that is indeed quite an amazing coincidence,
Princess. Are you ready for some amazing dessert?”

“Sure, Dad, I’m ready for some Vanilla Crème Brûlée.”
Charlie didn’t register the sudden change of subject. She had been waiting for
dessert.

Sarah and Carl opted to share a slice of Chocolate Soufflé
Cake. By the time the three stood up, their palates were satiated and their
stomachs full. They walked back to the hotel, happy to burn a few calories.

Carl checked his watch and announced, “The concierge yielded
to your mom’s request for a late check-out so we can rest a bit and hit the
road at four.”

“Great, we’ll be home before dusk since we’ll be taking the
freeway. Mom, you and Dad go ahead. I want to drop by the Yawkey Way Store to
get some Red Sox souvenirs for the Gang of Five.”

Back at the hotel, husband and wife discussed their
decision. “Hon, I guess this is the right time to tell Charlie. What do you
think?” Sarah asked. Carl was in a pensive mood. He looked up and nodded his
head. Neither was thrilled at the prospect of telling their daughter she wasn’t
really their daughter. They did not use the extra time to rest; instead they
packed and discussed the best approach.

At exactly four o’clock, the Hartleys were out of Boston
Hotel Brunswick with Charlie at the wheel, driving towards I-90 W. Her GPS
indicated the drive would take two hours and twenty minutes to cover the one
hundred forty five miles to Claremont Circle. Charlie had two years of driving
practice and had never been in an accident. Carl was so confident of his
daughter’s driving that her smooth maneuvering allowed him to doze off beside
her.

The cruise control was set at seventy miles per hour as they
passed through North Haven. Charlie checked her rearview mirror as she did
every so often. She saw an old pick-up speedily approaching. She turned on her
signal light, reduced speed when the battered looking vehicle whizzed past her,
traveling at what looked like ninety to a hundred miles.

Thinking the insane driver was now a good distance ahead,
she resumed her speed of seventy. Out of the blue, a tire that had come off the
speeding pick-up was flying straight towards her. Cars on her left prevented
Charlie from changing lanes as the loose tire continued its course in her
direction. If she stepped on the brakes, the car behind her could ram into her,
and if she swerved to the right, she’d risk crashing the car along the metal
railing and possibly turn turtle.

Adrenalin rising and heart racing, Charlie willed the tire
to stop. In slow motion, the tire lost its momentum, dropped to the ground, and
rolled towards the car’s right. It still hit her headlight with a loud thud
before it being thrown off to the shoulder and landing on the grass by the
metal railing. In under fifteen seconds, it was over.

Charlie maintained her speed and checked her rearview
mirror. None of the cars behind her were affected. Up front, the battered
pick-up plowed the shoulder and hit the metal railing.  A couple of cars
stopped to assist the driver as Charlie drove by. Carl and Sarah, who had both
dozed off, missed all the action. They only woke when Charlie slowed down and
pulled to the shoulder to check the headlight. Charlie explained to them what
had happened while they were asleep. Carl took the wheels for the rest of the
trip; his drowsiness overpowered by the story.

By seven, the Hartleys were home, the car was unloaded, and
things away were put away. Sarah picked up the phone to order one large Papa
John’s Sweet Chili Chicken Pizza with their favorite toppings, nowhere near in
the mood to cook. Dinner was quick and quiet. Charlie figured her parents were
tired after the trip and expected them to retire to bed early. But they had
other plans.

“Princess, let’s go sit in the family room and wait for your
mom. There’s something we have to tell you.”

After cleaning up the kitchen, Sarah retreated to their
bedroom. When she joined the two, she had in her hand a blue velvet box. Carl
and Sarah flanked Charlie on the couch. She handed the box to her daughter. No
words were exchanged. Charlie looked at her parent, from one to the other,
waiting for words. When none came, she opened the box.

Inside was a gold locket engraved with the name “Cate.”
Charlie recognized it as the same one Jeanne wore in Hilary’s photo. Her heart
pounded.

“Charlie,” Sarah began, “However you interpret what you are
about to hear, your dad and I want you not just to believe, but, more so, to
know in your heart, that all that we did and will continue to do for you stems
only from our deep love for you as our daughter.”

In her mind, Charlie pictured missing puzzle pieces filling
empty spaces. She looked at her mom, then her dad, and nodded her head.

Sarah explained in detail how they were driving home after
celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary when the vehicle that was
traveling way beyond the speed limit overturned along Pilgrim’s Highway. “Your
dad pulled you out and handed you to me. He wanted to rescue the front
passengers but I feared the leaking gasoline would precipitate an explosion or
the car would burst in flames.  We had not even reached our car when it
happened.”

Pointing to the locket, Sarah continued. “Charlie, you were
wearing that when we found you. Your original name was Cate. We took you home
without notifying anyone. We went straight to Pop and Nana’s at Great
Barrington where I took care of you while your dad sold the house in
Brattleboro and looked for work in Connecticut.”

Carl picked up the story when Sarah looked at him. “We never
adopted you formally. As you already know, your birth certificate was issued in
Great Barrington. Pop and Nana’s bosom buddies, bless their souls, signed
affidavits attesting they knew us and the circumstances of how, where and when
you were born.  Hence, your birth certificate lists us as your biological
parents.”

That Charlie was shocked and surprised was an
understatement. She sat between Carl and Sarah, digesting the new information
while staring at the locket.

Questions screamed in her head but she refrained from asking
them.
Who are my real parents? Where was I really born? When was I born? Who
am I really?
Instead she rubbed the locket’s surface and spoke quietly. “So
my name used to be Cate. When I saw Hilary’s photo, for some reason my
attention was drawn to the locket Jeanne was wearing. I’m pretty sure it looked
like this one too.”

Carl shifted positions and turned to his daughter and wife.
He reached for their hands and took a deep breath. “Listen, Hon. I have a
confession to make.” It was Sarah’s turn to be surprised. Charlie looked at her
mom, then faced her dad, waiting for what he had to say.

“What your mom doesn’t know is that when I bent over to pull
you out of the wreckage, I saw two adults who were unconscious and bleeding.
They looked lifeless. I also saw two baby car seats, but I swear there was only
you, Charlie. You were still strapped to your seat, dangling in the upturned
car and screaming at the top of your lungs.

“When we walked away from the wreck that soon erupted in
flames, it was too late to save the adult passengers. I always wondered about
the second baby and prayed that if there was one, they left the baby behind
with a sitter.”

He held on tightly to Sarah’s hand and continued, “I’m
sorry, Hon. I never told you because I know you’d feel the same way I do -
somehow guilty knowing there could have been a second baby left there.”

Sarah squeezed his hand as tears welled in her eyes. She
understood Carl carried the burden alone to spare her from guilt. It was a
clear act of love. For now, she put that aside; she had to face Charlie and
brace for her response.

“Princess, your mother and I did the best we could under the
circumstances. We admit circumventing the law in exchange for having you in our
lives. It still remains the best decision we have ever made as a couple.”

Charlie stood and pulled up her parents. Carl wrapped his
arms around the two most important women in his life. Enveloped in his embrace,
Charlie announced, “I was unprepared for these revelations. But I am grateful
for all you’ve done in welcoming me into your life. I am forever indebted to
you for loving and raising me as your own. I love you two and I always will.
But the same revelations leave me with unanswered questions I hope will be
answered sooner than later.”

Sarah smiled through her tears, thankful for their deep love
for each other. “We’ll find a way to answer them, Princess, I promise.”

Charlie disengaged herself from them. “Dad, with your
revelation, I have no doubt I have a sister. I believe she is my twin, her name
is Jeanne, and, best of all, she’s alive!”

The intensely emotional moment for the Hartleys was over. It
was way past their bedtime. All was well and tomorrow promised better things.
They hugged each other one more time before calling it a night. In bed, Charlie
clutched the locket in her hand,
fantasizing
about her reunion with her lost twin sister until sleep finally claimed her.

Charlie awoke the next day resolved to find Jeanne, fueled
by the thoughts of the previous night. She checked her inbox for any mail from
Hilary. Not finding any, she proceeded to browse the internet for information
leading to her biological family.

The additional information provided by Sarah regarding the
accident did not produce positive results either. She e-mailed a couple of
online Massachusetts newspapers after she learned its archive section only went
as far back as 2008 and kept her fingers crossed.

“I hope Hilary makes good on her promise,” Charlie prayed.
Hilary was her only link to Jeanne with ANDREI over seventeen hundred miles
away from Milford. She Googled what the acronym stood for and creased her brows
when the search yielded nothing better than gorgeous hunks in various
semi-naked poses. The GEN Laboratories website said nothing about the
institute. Charlie was at a dead end.