Thirteen

  And Here I Thought Things Were Going So Well

  The first step of the plan was the hardest.

  Wait.

  As much as I – and Lucas – wanted to, we couldn’t just charge guns blazing through the CIA’s front door. For one thing … we didn’t have guns. Not that I would use them if we did. I was nice that way. Maybe a little too nice. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, but the way things were, more and more it was seeming like everything wouldn’t turn out the way I wanted it to. But I had to focus on doing one thing at a time. So, for the time being, my friends and I had to wait until the search for us died down. Though that in itself brought a new set of challenges.

  “You said there’s a town just a few miles down the road, right? Why can’t we just swing through, grab what we need and get out?” Conor asked.

  “It’s been five days. Our faces are probably all over the news by now, papers too. If someone recognizes us, the CIA will have this place SWATed up in a heartbeat and we’ve got nowhere else to run,” Matt answered.

  “Well, then, how come we can’t have Geni go all invisible and sneak into town?” Lucas suggested.

  Brynn glared, leaning back from behind the door of the cabinet she’d been rifling through. “She’s not a toy, Lucas. We can’t just “have her do” anything we want her to do.”

  “Yeah, and she just found out she has powers too. We shouldn’t pressure her into using them if she doesn’t want to,” Brooke chimed in.

  “And if I use my powers, the CIA will find us again anyway,” I added.

  “So you say, but have you actually found that out for sure?” Lucas pressed. “Maybe the CIA was already canvasing our neighborhood and you using your powers had nothing to do with them showing up. We won’t know if we don’t test it, right?”

  I pursed my lips. “Either way, I don’t want to take the chance and risk you all getting hurt because of me.”

  “Hey, just because we’re normal, boring humans and not superpowered, winged aliens doesn’t mean we can’t fight back too,” he scowled.

  “What? No, Lucas, that’s not what I …,” I tried to rephrase, but he waved his hand and cut me off.

  “No, no, I get it. It’s fine. We’ll come up with another plan,” he went to the front door and shoved it open, stomping out onto the porch.

  “Lucas … Lucas, c’mon man,” Matt went to go after him, but paused and turned to me. “Sorry about him. He gets frustrated really easily. I’m gonna go make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

  He left and Conor followed him. I hung my head, clenching my fists, confused and sad and trying to figure out a way I could make things better. I’d only had my friends for a little over a week. I couldn’t be letting them down already. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and Brynn gave me a sympathetic smile, her sister stepping over and scowling in the direction of the door before shaking her head with a chuckle.

  “Hey, don’t let Lucas get in your head,” Brynn said. “He’s just as stressed and scared as we are, and probably getting a case of cabin fever.”

  “Cabin fever?” I puzzled.

  “It’s when you go a little crazy from staying inside too long,” Brooke explained.

  “Oh, heh, well, even if he doesn’t, he did have a point,” I stared down at my hands. “I really don’t know if the CIA is tracking my powers or not. After I tapped into the internet, I remembered something about satellites orbiting the Earth that could detect energy bursts, and just assumed that’s what had happened.”

  “Don’t worry, Geni. Between the boy’s and us, we’ll come up with a way to keep us all off the radar until we can get your pod back,” Brynn reassured.

  “Or if it still really bothers you, maybe we could go out and test your theory? I’m sure Matt knows a really secluded area in the forest where it’d be safe,” Brooke suggested.

  That thought stuck with me as the day dragged on. The girls and I took stock of all the supplies in the cabin, determining that we had enough food for three more days if we rationed it properly. There was a direct pipe from the well, so water wasn’t an issue. After about an hour, Matt popped in to let us know he, Conor, and Lucas were rigging up an early warning system with the trail cameras hidden around the property. If anyone tried to sneak up on us, we’d know about it.

  “Well, that’s a relief,” Brynn sighed.

  “Why don’t we go take a break, then?” Brooke suggested. “Matt said there’s a really nice picnic spot just down one of the trails with a great view.”

  “That sounds like a fabulous idea,” her sister grinned.

  I leaned in between the two of them curiously. “What’s a picnic?”

  A few minutes later, the three of us were meandering down the winding forest path with a blanket and a bag packed with a light lunch. It wasn’t hard to find the spot Matt had recommended. The trail led right to the spacious, grassy clearing, the wide canopies of the surrounding trees letting in just enough rays of sunlight to make the whole scene positively enchanting. The opposite edge of the meadow was a cliff looking out over a rolling landscape of cool valleys and neighboring bluffs covered in every shade of green imaginable.

  “Wow, it’s beautiful!” Brooke voiced our collective thought.

  “It looks like something right out of a fairy tale,” Brynn turned in a circle, gazing at the trees.

  “Earth has some really pretty places,” I nodded thoughtfully.

  We spread out our blanket and I giggled at my friend’s funny stories or asked questions about the world in between mouthfuls of sandwich and chips. The afternoon then grew quiet as we basked in the beauty of our private picnic spot. A warm breeze flowed through, ruffling the feathers along my back. The next second, a cluster of dry leaves shot up over the bluff, dancing high into the air before another gust of wind fluttered them away. A minute or so passed, then it happened again, a little whirlwind of twigs and debris spiraling almost all the way up to the canopy. Curious, I scooted closer to the precipice and peeked over the edge. No sooner had I done so than a blast of air hit me in the face, blowing my hair almost straight up. Laughing and spluttering, I leaned back, puffing several wild strands out of my face.

  “What was that?” Brooke asked.

  “An updraft!” I got up, brushing the grass off my knees. “The valleys must be channeling the wind straight to the bottom of the cliff and blasting it up!”

  Spreading my arms and wings a little, I leaned out over the drop. The powerful current hit me immediately and filled the sails of my feathers. I bounced on the wind, teetering with my toes planted firmly a few inches from the edge of the cliff. I laughed, my weight tipping me forwards again, and the air in my wings holding me up.

  I grinned over my shoulder. “Brooke, Brynn, come over here! You gotta try this!”

  “You do realize we don’t have wings, right?” Brynn chuckled.

  “Just come over and lean against my back. I’ll keep you safe, I promise,” I smiled.

  After a hesitant pause, she got up and edged closer. I reached up and tapped my hands against my shoulders, motioning my friend to put hers there. Brynn muttered nervously but did so and I pulled her arms down around my neck. I felt her go rigid when she looked out at the twenty-foot-plus drop right beneath us. She shuddered, scooting her head back behind mine and pressing her face into my hair.

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  “Is this a bad time to mention that I’m scared of heights?” she squeaked.

  I laughed. “Scared of heights? Why? It’s so beautiful up here!”

  “Careful, Brynn,” Brooke cautioned from behind us.

  “Don’t worry, Brooke. I’ve got her,” I gently squeezed Brynn’s arms. “See? Look, you’re safe. I won’t let you fall.”

  Slowly, I felt her peek around my head again. Her breaths were shaky at first, but gradually started to calm as she leaned against my back. Brynn put her feet behind mine and rested her chin on my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw hers were tight shut, lips pressed together in a nervous grimace. Then bit by bit, she opened her eyes. Instead of looking down, she looked out, and I beamed in delight when I saw the wonder fill her gaze. The sun was starting to set and its amber rays cut across the valley, the light and shadows painting the landscape in warm yellows, oranges, and velvety purple-green-gray.

  I stretched my wings out even more, leaning just a little further into the wind. Brynn still clung tightly to me but laughed in amazement as she felt the powerful gusts hold us up. After a second, her white-knuckle grip on my hands eased a little and she let go of one. She reached over and ran her fingers along the edge of my largest wing, and I giggled at the ticklish sensation, Brynn gasping as my feathers visibly raised. We half floated on the updraft for almost a minute before I felt the shift in the air. My hearts plunked to my stomach. I grabbed my friend’s arms again and held them tight to my chest.

  “Geni? What’s wrong?” Brynn asked.

  “Um, well, I promised I wouldn’t let you fall, but I kinda, sorta forgot that I’m in front of you,” I winced. “So, hang on tight, ‘cause we’re running out of wind.”

  “Huh? … wait, WHAT?!” she yelped just as the last of the breeze blew by.

  “BRYNN! GENI!” Brooke shouted.

  Both girl’s screams rang in my ears as Brynn and I plunged headfirst off the bluff. I tucked my wings, preventing us from spiraling out of control, turning the fall into a dive. With my friend’s extra weight on my back, I was dropping faster than usual. Gritting my teeth, I caught Brynn’s legs between mine and as the forest rushed up at us, I forced my wings back open.

  “GYYYAAAAHHHHH-WOO-WOOHOO-HOOOOOOO!” my scream of pain turned into a whoop of joy as I swooped away from the trees.

  Feathers slicing the air, I banked and angled up, flapping hard to gain some altitude. My shoulders strained a little, but in a double heartbeat I was soaring smoothly. Giggling like mad, I glided back to the bluff and hovered in front of it, just above the canopy. Brooke stared up in shock as I simply waved with a stupidly big grin on my face, Brynn’s arms locked so tight around my neck I was surprised I didn’t feel like she was choking me.

  “You okay back there?” I glanced over at her.

  “I’m … we’re … we’re flying! … We’re FLYING!” she panted in disbelief.

  I chuckled. “No, I’M flying. You’re riding shotgun. Sorry for the scare. I didn’t think the updraft would just go flat like that all of a sudden.”

  “It’s … it’s okay,” Brynn’s eyes were about as wide as saucers.

  “Alright, let’s get you back on the ground,” I dipped down to land.

  Then my friend squeezed my hands again. “N-no! … No, Geni, wait! Please!”

  “Brynn? What’s the matter? Are you hurt?” my wings almost went completely stiff, and I looked back at her in concern.

  She met my eyes with a wild gleam I hadn’t seen before. “Don’t land yet. Can … can you keep flying?”

  For a second, I stared in total disbelief before letting out the most maniacal cackle I’d ever be capable of. “You bet I can!”

  Then I called down to Brooke.

  “Don’t worry, Brooke! We’re okay! I’m just gonna take Brynn on a few laps around the block!”

  Without waiting for an answer, I pumped my wings and put some distance between myself and the cliff. I swirled higher, catching an airstream and rushing forwards through the invisible river. In one long smooth arc I circled the valley … once … twice … three times before doubling back with a gentle roll. All the while, Brynn was laughing and cheering just as much as I was, our thrill heightened when I passed the bluff again and saw the boys had gathered there too. At last, I landed, helping my friend regain her land-legs, only to almost be flattened by a lunatic Lucas and equally crazy Conor. The former had seemingly completely forgotten that morning’s argument as he all but bounced out of his shoes and begged me to take him flying too. I was more than happy to oblige, and I spent the rest of the evening giving my friends a bird’s-eye view of the world we now shared.

  “Phew!” Conor flopped back on the grass. “That … was hands down … the most amazingly epic experience of my life!”

  “Best alien abduction ever!” Lucas grinned.

  I laughed and playfully smacked the top of his head. “Abduction?! I flew you around the forest, not all the way to space, ya goof.”

  “Can we do it again tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Depends on how sore my wings are in the morning!” I chuckled, bending down and stretching my avian limbs straight up in the air.

  After a few more minutes enjoying the fading sunset, the boys headed back to the cabin with the excuse that they were going to go warm the place up for when us girls were ready to go back inside. In reality, they were the ones who’d gotten too cold to stay out. Brooke packed up our picnic and went with them. Brynn, however, came over and sat with me on the edge of the bluff, dangling her legs over like mine were.

  “Today sure was fun, wasn’t it?” she smiled.

  “Yeah, it really was,” I chuckled as I looked at her. “You sure you’re okay sitting like this? I thought you were scared of heights?”

  My friend laughed, glancing down at her swinging feet and the drop below. “I guess I’m not that afraid anymore.”

  A little moment of silence passed before Brynn lifted her eyes again.

  “Hey, Geni…”

  “Hmm?”

  “When you get your pod and figure out how to go back to your home world, do you think you’ll … ever come back? To Earth?” she asked.

  I stared in surprise. “I don’t see why not. To be honest, I wasn’t even considering leaving Earth as part of the plan. I’ve been assuming my father sent me here for a reason. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, I was thinking this morning that, even though all this crazy stuff is happening, even though we’re out here in this cabin in the middle of nowhere hiding from our own government … I don’t regret a second of it,” Brynn smiled at me. “From the moment we found you in that alley and started helping you, I had the strangest feeling we were doing exactly what we were supposed to do, and as I’ve gotten to know you, I’ve realized that I really like having you as a friend. And when you leave … if you leave, I’m really going to miss you.”

  My expression of bewilderment at the sudden admission slowly phased into one of understanding. “I really like having you as a friend too, Brynn. You and Brooke, Matt, Conor, and Lucas. All you guys have made me feel like I belong somewhere in this world where everything is weird and strange to me. My only regret is that I can’t do more to protect you. If I ever do leave Earth, I promise, I’ll come right back and make sure you all stay safe forever! You’re not gonna get rid of me that easily!”

  I hooked one arm around her neck and pulled her close, mussing up her hair with my knuckles. She laughed and playfully shoved me, smacking at my wings. I let her go, but she leaned in and wrapped her arms around me. With a happy sigh, I hugged her in return. A second later, Brynn shivered, goosebumps rising on her exposed arms and legs.

  She rubbed her hands against her skin. “Brr! The guys were right, it is getting cold out here. We should head back to the cabin and warm up.”

  “I’m not cold. I’m gonna sit here for a little longer if that’s alright. I like looking at the stars,” I smiled.

  Brynn smiled back. “Just don’t stay out too late. You might get abducted by aliens.”

  I snorted as she giggled and waved, heading back down the trail through the trees. My smile faded with her footsteps. For a few more minutes, I waited until she was totally out of earshot, my arms tense pushing my hands against the grass and fingers digging into the dirt.

  …

  “Or if it still really bothers you, maybe we could go out and test your theory?...”

  …

  Brooke’s words still echoed in my mind.

  Stupid, stupid, stupid, what you’re thinking is stupid. I mentally chided.

  It was reckless, dumb, and could potentially put my friends in even more danger than they were already in, not to mention throw a serious wrench in our plan, but the thought was eating me alive. I had to know if my theory was right or not. Steeling myself, I braced my hands and feet against the bluff and shoved off, wings slicing into the biting night wind.

  I flew hard for at least an hour, scanning the ground at lightning speed for a secluded enough place to conduct my experiment. The farther from any populated area, the better. At last, the landscape broke and revealed the barren hollow of a quarry. I circled the huge crater of giant stone steps, making absolutely sure no one was there, noting what few pieces of equipment were left looked rusted and crumbling. The place was perfectly abandoned. Spiraling down, I alighted on a large boulder near the center of the pit.

  If I do something big, I can’t be sure if the CIA actually tracked it or if someone reported it to them. I reasoned. I’ll have to do something small enough to not be noticed but still give off energy.

  Sitting cross-legged on my rocky perch, I held one hand out in front of me. I focused in on the constantly swirling well of anomalous warmth inside my chest and felt it leap at my thoughts. A little gasp escaped me as I felt just the smallest of cracks open into the churning pool and what gushed out, surged down my arm like a wildfire. My face pulled into a giddy grin. It had been a hot second since I’d used my powers. I’d almost forgotten what a soul-penetrating thrill it was. As my skin began to glow with an increasingly bright golden aura, I channeled the energy to a place just in front of the palm of my hand. A tiny prick of light swirled into existence, curling in on itself and growing larger until it was the size of a basketball. When I lowered my arm, it remained hovering there, spinning and shining like a miniature sun, emitting a soft, metallic noise.

  What are you? I quietly wondered.

  I sat staring at the sphere, half holding my breath as I waited for something to happen. An owl hooted in the distance. Other nocturnal critters rustled in the brush. The air was utterly still and peaceful. Sighing, I buried my face in my hands and shook my head.

  “Stupid. This is stupid! What am I doing out here?!” I whined aloud. “I should be back in the cabin with my friends, not in the bottom of an abandoned quarry freezing my butt off.”

  Getting up, I’d just held out my hand to reabsorb my energy sphere when something stopped me in my tracks. There was a sudden, icy breeze. A growing vibration was making its way through the calm atmosphere. A rumbling frequency that had made all other ambient night noises seek shelter. An electric chill raced down my spine as I recognized the telltale chopping roar of helicopter blades.

  No sooner had I realized it than five huge, double-rotored airbuses thundered into view, with their spotlights …

  … trained directly …

  … on me.